Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan
Al Nahyan Chair
About
The Chair
The Arabian Gulf University has hosted the Chair of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Environmental Sciences since the 1997–1998 academic year. In July 2003, a cooperation agreement was signed between the university and the Zayed Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works in the United Arab Emirates, establishing a permanent endowment with a capital of 7 million UAE dirhams to fund the Chair’s scientific and research activities.
The Chair aims to promote outstanding scholarly contributions in environmental fields through joint research, the promotion of scientific publication, and capacity building in the Gulf region in the areas of energy and climate change, waste management, environmental biotechnology, and water.
Scientific
Field
Environmental Sciences
SCOPE OF
WORK
Outstanding research output
Promoting outstanding research output in environmental fields.
Capacity Building
Building capacity and developing Gulf knowledge and skills in environmental fields.
Developing Innovative Academic Programs
Introducing and continuously developing innovative academic and professional programs in various environmental disciplines to meet the needs of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Developing Scientific Laboratories
Developing scientific laboratories to enable specialized research
Research Partnerships
Establishing research partnerships with research institutions, the public sector, and industry at the local, regional, and global levels.
Researches
Alsabbagh, M. (2025a). Exploring the relationship between economic diversification and energy-related CO2 emissions in a petroleum-producing country. International Journal of Energy Sector Management, 19(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijesm-02-2023-0011
Alsabbagh, M. (2025b). Toward carbon-neutral road transportation in the GCC countries: an analysis of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 36(2), 446-469. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq-07-2024-0269
Hashem, Jaleela, S., Ismail, W., Chiang, Y.-R., Sangal, V., Hentati, D., Abotalib, N., & Bekhit Adnan, A. (2025). A native bacterial consortium degrades estriol in domestic sewage and activated sludge via the 4,5-seco pathway and requires estriol to retain its biodegradation phenotype. Microbiology Spectrum, 13(10), e00741-00725. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00741-25
Hashem, J. S., Ismail, W., Chiang, Y.-R., & Bekhit, A. A. (2025). Diversity of estrogen biodegradation pathways and application in environmental bioremediation. Frontiers in Microbiology, Volume 16 - 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1630636
Liaqat, F., Khazi, M. I., & Ismail, W. (2026). Microbial transport systems of organic sulfur compounds: Diversity and implications for biocatalysis, healthcare, and environmental biotechnology. Biotechnology Advances, 86, 108718. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108718
Key Achievements
- Publication of more than 100 scientific papers in specialized, peer-reviewed journals.
- Organization of more than 10 specialized scientific events attended by over 800 participants.
- Graduation of more than 110 students at the diploma, master’s, and doctoral levels.
- Launched a professional diploma program in waste management and graduated more than 90 students.
- Sent two female graduates from the master’s program in environmental management to pursue doctoral studies in the United Kingdom and appointed them to the faculty after they obtained their degrees.
- Specialized training courses were offered, and the department participated in the preparation of specialized national and regional reports.
- A number of faculty members received various research awards and honors.