Prof. Carlos Duarte is a world-wide leader in multiple branches of biological oceanography and marine ecology. He established himself very early in his career as the world-wide leading authority on the ecology of seagrass meadows. He published on all aspects of seagrass ecology, from population biology to genetics, from depth and geographical distribution patterns to their role in biogeochemical cycles, and from conservation strategies to their sensitivity towards climate change.

Prof. Carlos Duarte is probably the most versatile aquatic ecologist of his generation: he works from the tropics to polar ecosystems, from macrophytes to microbes, from coastal systems to open ocean gyres using all type of approaches. Many of his synthesis papers have set the stage for the field; e.g. his work initiated the discussion on the heterotrophic nature of oligotrophic systems and identified the role of hypoxia thresholds for marine biodiversity.

His research is characterized by independence, creativity, serendipity and interdisciplinary linking, as well as the capacity to organize and collaborate with large interdisciplinary teams. Prof. Duarte's research is also characterized by versatility addressing marine ecosystems from the tropics to polar ecosystems, from macrophytes to microbes, and from coastal systems to open ocean gyres using a broad range of approaches

Dr. Julio Friedmann is Chief Scientist and Chief Carbon Wrangler at Carbon Direct. He recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy where he was responsible for DOE’s R&D program in advanced fossil energy systems, carbon capture, and storage (CCS), CO2 utilization, and clean energy deployment. More recently, he was a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, where he led the Carbon Management Research Initiative. He has held positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, including Chief Energy Technologist, where he worked for 15 years.

Dr. Friedmann is one of the most widely known and authoritative experts in the U.S. on carbon removal (CO2 drawdown from the air and oceans), CO2 conversion and use (carbon-to-value), hydrogen, industrial decarbonization, and carbon capture and sequestration. In addition to close partnerships with many private companies, NGOs, Julio has worked with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and government agencies foreign and domestic. His expertise also includes oil and gas production, international clean energy engagements, and earth science.

Dr. Friedmann received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of Southern California. He worked for five years as a senior research scientist at ExxonMobil, then as a research scientist at the University of Maryland.

Omar Al-Attas is the deputy chief environmental sustainability officer at the Red Sea Development Co., and also a board member of the General Organization for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea.

Previously, Al-Attas was deputy CEO and chief strategy officer at the National Center for Environmental Compliance.

In 2020, he was vice president for environmental affairs and chairman of the permanent committee for the protection of coastal areas at the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection.

During his time at the authority, Al-Attas was a member of several delegations from the Kingdom to global bodies such as the UN Environment General Assembly, as well as a meeting of the International Maritime Organization regarding the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds.

From 2017 to 2019, he served as assistant vice president for environmental affairs at the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, and as general supervisor of the Saudi National Ozone Unit and National Focal Point until 2020.

He is currently enrolled in the 2030 Leaders Misk program.

Al-Attas earned his Ph.D. in environmental engineering in 2012 from the University of Ottawa, Canada. During his studies, he was president of the Saudi Students Club in Ottawa, where he founded the Saudi Students Academic Fair.

Al-Attas received his master’s degree in environmental engineering in 2003 and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2000 from King Fahad University of Petroleum Engineering.

As an academic, he has almost 20 years’ experience at King Fahad University of Petroleum Engineering’s civil and environmental engineering department.

He was an assistant professor from 2013 to 2019, a lecturer from 2004 to 2012, and a graduate assistant from 2000 to 2003

Dr. Gary M. Tabor is an ecologist and wildlife veterinarian based in Bozeman, Montana (BSc Cornell, MES Yale, VMD University of Pennsylvania). He is the Founder and President of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (www.largelandscapes.org) - a support organization for large-scale conservation efforts. Gary is also Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas' Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group which connects 1200 scientists across 130 countries. Gary has worked on behalf of large landscape conservation internationally for over 40 years on every continent except Antarctica.
Gary’s conservation achievements include the establishment of Kibale National Park in Uganda; the establishment of the World Bank’s Mountain Gorilla Conservation Trust in Uganda; co-founding the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; pioneering the field of Conservation Medicine/One Health; co-founding Patagonia Company’s Freedom to Roam wildlife corridor campaign and co-founding the Network for Landscape Conservation. Gary is a recipient of the Australian American Fulbright Scholar award in Climate Change and the Henry Luce Scholar Award. He has academic affiliations with Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Salazar Center for North American Conservation at Colorado State University, and the University of Queensland, Australia. He is a member of the Conservation Committee of the National Aquarium in Baltimore. He recently stepped down as chair of Bush Heritage Australia's US Board – a land trust that manages 1% of all lands in Australia.

Professor Richard Bush is a distinguished scholar and currently NEOM Chief Environment officer. His focus is on policy and strategy to promote economic, environmental and social balance. Prof. Richard is a policy analysts, scientist and technology innovator in the areas of sustainable development, green economy, clean energy, circular economy, waste, agribusiness and economic diversification. As a passionate advocate for sustainable development he is valued for strategic planning, use of innovation and building of effective partnerships with diverse stakeholders. He has worked closely in forging strong ties between industry and government organizations and lead numerous collaborative initiatives, planning and delivery, with industry and government across national and international boarders.