Chief Regional Officer MEA

Teams: Business Development and Engagement, Leadership Team

Locations: UAE

Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra is Chief Regional Officer for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) at the Global CCS Institute, where he leads the Institute’s regional strategy, stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships, and market development. Since joining the Institute in 2022, he has established the Institute’s Middle East and Africa regional office, working with governments, national oil companies, industry leaders, financial institutions, academic institutions, and international organisations to shape industrial decarbonisation strategies, strengthen regional collaboration, and accelerate carbon management and energy transition initiatives across the region.

Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Abu Zahra held senior academic leadership positions at Khalifa University and Masdar Institute, where he established the UAE’s first regional dedicated carbon capture research group, co-founded the Research and Innovation Centre on Carbon and Hydrogen, and chaired GHGT-15, one of the world’s leading conferences on greenhouse gas control technologies. Earlier in his career, he held research and project management roles with the IEAGHG in the UK and TNO in the Netherlands, leading international research, technology development, and industrial decarbonisation projects.

Dr. Abu Zahra serves as a Member of the United Nations Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition and advises governments, national oil companies, industry, and regional and international organisations on industrial decarbonisation, carbon management, energy transition, and regional market development. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Jordan, a Professional Doctorate in Engineering and Master of Science degree in Process Design and Development from the University of Twente, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering – Process and Energy from Delft University of Technology.