Oceans at the Frontline

Hosted in collaboration with Bahrain Institute for Pearls & Gemstones (DANAT) and the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030), this high-level roundtable explored the intersection of marine ecosystem conservation and climate action as part of SFME’s 2025 Decarbonisation Roundtable Series.

The session opened with a fireside chat featuring Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030, and Noora Jamsheer, CEO of DANAT, discussing the global jewellery industry’s commitment to sustainability and ocean stewardship.

Two expert-led panels followed. The first focused on sustainable pearling and its nature-positive impact on marine biodiversity, highlighting insights from DANAT and the Supreme Council for Environment. The second examined how key industrial sectors—shipping, aluminium, and infrastructure—are integrating marine conservation into their environmental strategies and supporting blue carbon initiatives.

Bringing together leaders from science, policy, and business, the roundtable underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration in advancing long-term climate and ecological resilience in the region.

Speakers of the Roundtable

Abdulrahman Almulla

Acting ESG Manager

Aluminium Bahrain

Halel Engineer

Managing Director

Environment Arabia

Iris Van Der Veken

Executive Director & Secretary General

WJI 2030

Eng. Layla Sabeel

Director of Climate Change and Sustainable Development

Supreme Council for Environment
Kingdom of Bahrain

Mahmood Abdulaziz

HSSE Manager

ASRY

Dr. Manaf Alkhuzaei

Postdoctoral Researcher

Arabian Gulf University

Mohamed Al Slaise

Field Researcher

DANAT

Dr. Mohamed Yusuf

Marine Biologist and Ecologist Researcher, Sustainability Team Leader

DANAT

Noora Jamsheer

CEO

DANAT

Dr. Sabah Aljenaid

Academic Supervisor of Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Chair for GIS

Arabian Gulf University

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