Born in 1979, just eight years after the UAE was founded, Razan has seen her small, highly diverse country's population and economy grow by more than 300% in the last 15 years. From its platform as a leading petroleum producer, the UAE is aggressively pursuing its transition to a green economy, reducing the portion of GDP from the oil and gas sector to 13%. By 2050, more than 50% of its energy will be supplied by renewables. Elected IUCN President in 2021, Razan is the first woman from the West Asia region to lead the organization in its 72-year history and its first Arab president since 1978.