Dr. Saeed Alhassan is the founder of Manhat, a deep tech startup based in Abu Dhabi and focuses on developing technologies for sustainable water production and sustainable farming. Manhat has received several accolades including from “Water Europe”, “Arab Water Council” and “Food for Thought” to name a few. Dr. Saeed is also a faculty of chemical engineering at Khalifa University and has occupied managerial positions including director of Gas Research Center and senior director of Petroleum Institute. Dr. Saeed has authored more than 130 journal articles, 80 conference papers, 20 invited lectures and 16 patents. 

Deema Khoury is the Marketing and PR manager at Dibba Bay Oysters, the Middle East’s first and only gourmet oyster farm. Her work in the food industry extends from a global FMCG to local sustainable farms. She started her career at Nestle where her role focused on media strategies, digital marketing, and brand building for Middle East, African and Asian markets. Her passion for locally sourced food eventually led her to Emirates Bio Farm, the UAE’s Largest organic farm, where she was the Marketing and Events Manager focusing on eco-tourism which educates the public about environmental protection and building sustainable food systems through organic agriculture. In 2021, she made the shift into sustainable aquaculture with Dibba Bay Oysters, where she leads brand communication and marketing, driving the company’s mission to become a global seafood brand produced locally in the UAE.

As Founding Partner of Liquid of Life, Rukhsana Saukar has been instrumental in raising awareness about the issues surrounding plastic pollution and climate change. Working with individuals, families and businesses such as Dubai Chamber, Etihad Airways, Emaar, Dubai Holding, Aldar and more recently working on the Dubai Can initiative she helps to reduce the negative impact we have on the planet by installing a range of patented filtered drinking water solutions as an alternative to plastic bottled water. She also worked in partnership with organizations such as EWS-WWF, Azraq, Surge for Water and Impact Water to highlight the importance of water conservation and water scarcity and promote sustainable habits. 

Greg Ohannessian is a founding partner of SOMA MATER and has over a decade of experience in developing policy and strategy for public and private sector clients. He has delivered projects in coordination with the UN, DP World, the UAE Ministry of Defense, MoCCaE, and the Dubai Government. He is strongly committed to the long-term sustainable growth of the region and ways the agriculture sector can support this. Greg holds a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from King’s College London.