Cairo: The Arab Initiative for Green Technology and Artificial Intelligence 2026 - "The Road to COP31" was officially launched in Cairo by Egypt's Ain Al-Bi'a Association, in cooperation with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, drawing broad participation from across the Arab region and featuring Lebanon's Dr. Eng. Marie-Therese Merhej Saif as guest of honor.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the opening ceremony, held via Google Meet, brought together 654 participants, while registration figures showed 580 registrants from diverse professional backgrounds and Arab countries. Organizers said the turnout reflected growing interest in linking technological innovation with environmental and climate action.
Participants represented 16 Arab countries in addition to Egypt, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Sudan. Women accounted for 61.9% of registered participants, compared with 38.1% for men.
Saif, President of the HUMAN for Environment and Development Association (HEAD), a member of the Political Bureau of the Lebanese Green Party, and Regional Facilitator for West Asia for the Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGS) at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), addressed the gathering in her capacity as guest of honor. "My role as Regional Facilitator for West Asia is not just a responsibility or a title, but a space through which I carry the voice of local communities in the Arab region to international forums," Saif said.
She stressed that environmental and climate justice require ensuring that communities most affected by environmental and climate pressures are represented in global decision-making. Turning to Lebanon, particularly the South, Saif said the effects of climate change increasingly intersect with those of armed conflict and economic crises, citing drought, forest fires, declining water resources, and pollution among challenges affecting local communities.
She said areas in South Lebanon had sustained damage affecting forests, agricultural land, soil, biodiversity, food security, and public health, alongside continuing psychological and social repercussions for families. "The environment is not a collateral victim of conflicts, but the foundation for the survival and stability of societies," Saif said, stressing that reconstruction should proceed alongside ecosystem rehabilitation, restoration of affected land, and protection of water resources.
Looking ahead to COP31 in Antalya, Saif underscored the importance of strengthening coordination among Arab countries and consolidating the region's role in shaping international environmental policies. The Arab Initiative for Green Technology and Artificial Intelligence 2026, held under the theme "The Road to COP31 - Antalya 2026," seeks to advance the use of green technology and artificial intelligence in support of environmental and climate action across the Arab region.