Dr Tarifa Ajeif Al Zaabi has been appointed as the new Director-General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), becoming the first Emirati to hold the position since ICBA’s foundation in 1999.

Dr Tarifa Ajeif Al Zaabi joined the Centre in August 2019 as Deputy Director-General and has served as Acting Director-General since November 2020, reported WAM.

A graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Programme (Executive Leadership), she has delivered executive training and development programs for government officials in various countries as part of the UAE Government’s initiatives to transfer knowledge and develop executive government capacities. She holds a PhD in Education from the British University in Dubai and an Executive MBA from the University of Sharjah. She has 25 years of experience in executive leadership and management, strategy development, innovation support, research, and national and international capacity development.

ICBA has become a global centre of excellence focusing on developing tailored solutions for marginal environments facing the problems of salinity, water scarcity and drought. The Centre has partners in more than 50 countries, which has allowed it to draw on a wide variety of expertise to achieve a greater impact on the ground. The Centre has also conducted research and development activities and projects in about 40 countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, the South Caucasus and sub-Saharan Africa.