The National Experts Program was officially launched in January 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to train and mentor 21 pre-selected young Emiratis to the highest level to become future experts across a range of disciplines well aligned with the country’s national priorities.

Following the roll out in February 2020, the pilot phase of the UAE Environmental Identity project will run for one year and gauge the average per capita consumption of water, electricity, and natural gas, as well as car emissions, and waste generation in three residential complexes across the UAE - Golf Gardens in Abu Dhabi, The Sustainable City in Dubai, and Al Zahia community in Sharjah. Data will be collected in collaboration with real estate developers managing the complexes. In addition, trained staff will visit residential units to record data on a smart tablet connected with the project’s database.

Led by Engineer Abdulla Mohammed Al Remeithi, Environment Expert in the National Experts Program and Acting Director of Environment Policy and Planning at the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, the project team will further expand the areas covered within its scope in upcoming phases, and employ artificial intelligence to analyze collected data in order to develop highly accurate reports that inform future decisions, plans, and strategies.

His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “The National Experts Program is a prime example of the UAE leadership’s efforts to harness youth and innovation in driving the sustainability agenda across the board. The UAE Environmental Identity project was handpicked from a host of similar initiatives submitted as part of the Program, given the importance of creating an integrated database of per capita footprint nationwide to raise awareness of sustainable consumption practices and make informed decisions. The project will promote our shift to a green and circular economy.”