In this decisive decade for climate action, the UAE will seek to bring the world together at COP28 to agree bold and ambitious solutions to this unprecedented global challenge. With a proven track record of building consensus in international negotiations ranging from climate change to energy to aviation, Ambassador Majid Al-Suwaidi brings invaluable diplomatic expertise to the UAE COP Presidency. As the UAE’s Lead Negotiator on Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi played a key role in the negotiation and adoption of the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015, as well as in the design and adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In his most recent role, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi served as the UAE Ambassador to Spain, Andorra, and Vatican City. In a previous role as Consul General, he was responsible for opening the UAE’s first ever consulate in New York, where he also led the UAE Mission to the United Nations. As well as being a firm believer in the power of multilateralism, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi also brings considerable insight into the scale and practical complexity involved in the global transition to clean energy, having worked for almost a decade in the international energy sector. Ambassador Al-Suwaidi has an undergraduate degree in Geology from Brunel University (United Kingdom), as well as a graduate degree in Earth Sciences from Simon Fraser University (Canada). In 2023, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic by the Government of Spain in recognition of extraordinary services in the promotion of international relations, following his three year stint as UAE Ambassador to Spain.