In collaboration with SEE Institute and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – October, 2025: Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa, in collaboration with SEE Institute and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, launched the report “Blooming Futures: Supporting the UAE’s Journey Toward a Wellbeing Economy” offering a practical framework to advance a more sustainable and prosperous economy aligned with the UAE’s vision for sustainable development.
UAE: A Global Leader in Climate Action and Sustainable Development
The report, written by Greenpeace MENA Wellbeing Economy Award-winning researchers Najla Almatrooshi and Nicole Weber, positions the UAE as a global leader in reimagining prosperity beyond GDP. It offers a visionary roadmap to build a thriving, resilient future centered on a powerful dual strategy: embracing biomimicry (learning from nature’s resilience) and revitalizing commons-based stewardship rooted in Emirati and Islamic heritage and traditions.
The report also highlights the UAE’s strategic national visions, including “We the UAE 2031,” the UAE Centennial Plan 2071, and the “UAE Net Zero by 2050” Strategic Initiative, which collectively support the development of a renewable, wellbeing-driven economy that balances economic growth with environmental sustainability.
The report underscores the key factors that place the UAE at the forefront of sustainable development, including the adoption of environmental innovation, the use of biomimicry in urban and economic planning, and the integration of traditional values in managing shared resources. It presents these approaches as practical steps for public and private sector decision-makers to advance a renewable, inclusive economy, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a global model for sustainability and climate action. The report also lists sustainable financing tools, such as welfare bonds to support education, health, and social infrastructure, and green environmental endowments to promote renewable energy and protect biodiversity.
During the launching event at The Sustainable City in Dubai, Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director of Greenpeace MENA, stated, “The UAE has long been a place where bold visions take shape. In just a few decades, it has turned ambition into tangible outcomes—placing wellbeing, quality of life, and sustainability at the heart of national planning. What we need now is the next leap: to learn from the most experienced teacher we have—nature. Through biomimicry, we can design as deserts conserve water, as mangroves protect shorelines, and as coral reefs build strength through cooperation. And through commons-based governance, we can manage what we share—water, air, soil, and knowledge—with care and accountability. When these approaches come together, we don’t just decarbonize—we redesign. We move from extraction to regeneration, from short-term gain to long-term flourishing—shaping a regenerative economy that strengthens social cohesion, secures lasting prosperity, and sets a global model for wellbeing-led development.”
“We have already seen that ambitious policies can deliver both environmental and social transformation. The UAE has the cultural heritage, as well as the financial and institutional capacity, to lead this shift. By building on the important groundwork already laid through Vision 2031, Vision 2071, and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 initiatives—and by scaling biomimicry-inspired projects such as Al Bahr Towers, Masdar City, and The Sustainable City—the nation can set a model for the wider region and beyond. By embedding nature’s intelligence into policy, planning, and innovation, the UAE can pioneer a resilient, equitable, and regenerative future for the MENA region and the world,”
The Sustainable City in Dubai: A Living Model for a Wellbeing Economy
The report features an in-depth case study of The Sustainable City in Dubai, developed by SEE Holding, presenting it as a global, living example of community-driven governance and sustainable resource management.
The report highlights that The Sustainable City serves as a practical model for a wellbeing economy, combining environmental efficiency, social integration, and economic sustainability. It is the first community in the region to rely on solar energy through over 40,000 solar panels with a total capacity of 10 MW.
The city’s design promotes the transition to net-zero emission urban living, featuring a built environment that reduces car dependence and encourages walking and shared electric mobility. At the heart of the city, the agricultural zone includes greenhouse biodomes, urban farms, and landscaped pathways, creating an open environmental and social space for interaction and community engagement.
The report recognizes The Sustainable City as a living model for future cities, capable of balancing human needs with environmental stewardship and serving as a global benchmark for low-carbon urban development.
Integrating scientific research into a sustainable welfare economy:
Dr. Clio Chaveneau, head of SAFIR institute, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi: “It has been an honor for Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi to contribute to this important contribution to the nation’s sustainable property. We are proud to have trained and supported the two talented students whose research underpins the Blooming Futures report. This initiative exemplifies our commitment to advancing culturally grounded scholarship that bridges academic insight and real-world impact”.
Najla Al Matrooshi, Report Co-Author, Ajman Youth Council Member): “Blooming Futures emerges from a belief that wellbeing is not a luxury of the few, but the collective rhythm of a society in harmony with its environment. This report is an invitation to rethink growth not as acceleration, but as cultivation, not as dominance, but as care. It reflects a generation that dares to imagine prosperity beyond extraction, grounded instead in empathy, knowledge, and coexistence. I hope it becomes both a mirror and a map, reflecting where we stand, and guiding us toward the futures we still have the power to shape”.
