Online Training Seminar: "The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach for Rural Development: the Role of Small-Scale Renewable Energy Technologies and Gender Empowerment"

Ms. Radia Sedaoui, Chief of the Energy Section at UN ESCWA, Lebanon
Ms. Radia Sedaoui is the Chief of the Energy Section in the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster of the UN Economic Social Commission of West Asia (ESCWA). Ms. Sedaoui has an extensive experience in energy policy advice, renewable energy and energy efficiency, energy modeling, water-energy-food nexus, economic diversification and climate change policies and technologies, petroleum economics, oil and gas fiscal regimes and energy market developments. Ms. Radia previously served as Head Statistics and Gas Modeling Department at the Intergovernmental Organization of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and previously held several senior positions in Algeria with “Sonatrach” as Director of Strategy and Corporate, Head Portfolio management and member of the Board of Directors of Sonatrach affiliates in Upstream, Midstream and Trading. Ms. Radia is the President of the “Arab Energy Club” and member of the “Algerian Association for Renewable Energies”. 

Ms. Roula Majdalani, Lead Cluster at Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability,  ESCWA
Ms. Roula Majdalani, Cluster Leader, Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability Cluster, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Ms. Majdalani served as ESCWA Acting Deputy Executive Secretary between October 2018 and February
2019, and has previously served as Human Settlements Officer, First Economic Affairs Officer on water resources, and Chief of the Technical Cooperation Section. Ms. Majdalani holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning (Syracuse University) and worked with Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (London). She has publications on green economy, integrated management of water resources, housing development and sustainable cities, and has led multi-stakeholders programme and initiatives on climate change, governance of natural resources and water-energy-food security interlinkages.

Ms. Katrin Aidnell, Regional Programme Manager environment, climate change, water, renewable energy and food security, Embassy of Sweden 

Dr. Mustapha Taoumi, Clean Energy Key Expert, EU GCC Clean Energy Technology Network
Dr. Taoumi has been leading Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects and technology deployment for over 30 years. He has worked with US AID, GIZ (Germany), JICA (Japan) and EU (DGXII) as Project and Programme Manager. He has conducted numerous feasibility and planning studies, building programs and has implemented projects on the ground. He assisted local institutions to develop strategic plans in sustainable energy. He managed numerous seminars and training workshops concerning the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Dr. Taoumi was also involved in several initiatives and projects with a regional scope particularly in MENA and Mediterranean regions including the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP). As a Regional Programme Officer for North Africa and the Middle East region (MENA) within the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the first global intergovernmental organisation dedicated to all renewables, Dr. Taoumi managed several projects and initiatives across MENA region including Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA), assessment of local manufacturing potential in the Arab region and recently the Pan Arab Clean Energy initiative (PACE). Dr. Taoumi held several key positions including Secretary General and Interim Executive Director within the National Renewable Energy Centre (CDER) in Morocco - now transformed on a National dedicated Agency (ADEREE) as well as Executive Secretary of the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Conservation (MEDENER- Network). Before joining IRENA in 2010, he was nominated by the Ministry of Energy in Morocco as IRENA’s focal point and member of the IRENA’s Headquarters Selection Committee. Among other positions, Dr. Taoumi is an active member on several organisations, conferences and networks around the world including the MENAREC Conference International Steering Committee. ​Dr. Taoumi holds a PhD in Electrochemistry from the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG) in France and master's degrees in Electrochemical Engineering and Management Science, he is fluent in English, French, Spanish as well as Arabic.

Dr. Syham Bentouati, Managing Director, NAFAS International LLC, Oman
Dr Syham is currently the Managing Director of NAFAS International, a Technology, Innovation and Business consultancy company focusing on Sustainable Energy and Water, founded in October 2015. Prior to this, Dr Syham worked for Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for eight years,
starting as Surface Technology Advisor then as the Technology Manager, facilitating the introduction of new technologies and leaning related processes. The last position was the R&D and Technology Lead within the In-Country Value Directorate. Before the Oil and Gas sector, she worked for Rolls-Royce (R-R) Group in the UK and in the Nordic countries. She started in Aerospace working on the future More-Electric-Engine then moving to other sectors such as Corporate Engineering and Technology, Marine and Business Improvement, as part of her overall career development within the R-R high potential pool. She obtained her PhD in the Design of Electrical Machines and Drives from the University of Sheffield in the UK, after obtaining joint BEng (Hons) degrees from Nottingham Trent University in the UK and from Ecole Supérieure de Technologie Electrique in Paris, France.

Dr. Hammou Laamrani, Senior Expert - League of Arab States, Cairo, Egypt  
Dr. Hammou Laamrani is holding a PhD in Environmental Impact on Community Development Copenhagen University, Denmark, a Master in Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, Rabat, Morocco, and a BSc in Hydrogeology, Faculty of Science Fez, Morocco. He served as a Research Associate at Agronomic Research Institute and Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, Rabat Morocco, a Researcher at The International Water Management Institute in Ghana/ Sri Lanka, a Senior Program Officer The Canadian International Development Research Centre, Cairo Office, Egypt and as an Advisor to GIZ, Program Adaptation to Climate Change in Water Sector in the MENA Region.  Currently he holds the positions of Integrated Expert, Centre for International Migration and Development (GIZ and German Federal Employment Agency), Eschborn, Germany, Senior Policy Advisor Water, Energy, Food Security and Climate Change Nexus, Economic Affairs, League of Arab States, Cairo, Egypt and Coordinator of the regional initiative on the Nexus Water, Energy and Food security in the Arab region, League of Arab States, Economic Affairs, Cairo, Egypt.

Dr. Jauad El Kharraz, Head of Research, (MEDRC), Oman  
Dr. Jauad is head of Research at the Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC), in charge of its research programs dealing with sustainable desalination technologies, water-energy-food nexus and other water related topics. He has more than 20 years of international experience (Spain, France, Oman, Euro-Mediterranean region) in water management issues, remote sensing applied to environment, drought monitoring, desalination technologies, water-energy-food nexus, etc. He has been chair of evaluation of water projects for national and regional progams, apart from chairing the evaluation of Jordanian-Palestinian MEDRC scholarships and the Palestinian-Dutch Academic Cooperation Program on Water (PADUCO), among other programs. He has been projects manager at the Euro-Mediterranean Water Information System (EMWIS) in France before joining MEDRC for over 11 years. He has published and contributed to hundreds of conferences in more than 55 countries, journals and reports in the fields of water management, desalination, agriculture, water information systems, remote sensing applications and scientific research. He got MSc & PhD degrees in Physics from the University of Valencia, Spain. He also got a Diploma in Enterprises Management & Strategy from SKEMA European Business School, France. 

Mr. Khaled Bedoui, Water and Renewable Energy Expert, Tunisia
Khaled Bedoui is a water and renewable energy expert with thirteen years of experience in water and energy sectors in Tunisia and in the MENA region, He Worked as a senior programme manager for many international institutions ( MEDREC, UNDP, GIZ, GWP-Mediterranean). He led
many national and regional projects on integrated water resources management, and renewable energies. Khaled is a chemical engineer, he holds tow master degree in water resources management and renewable energies. Since 2018, he launched his one consultancy company involved in several projects and studies: Water-Energy-Food Nexus projects, Solar PV projects, integrated water resources management, capacity building.

Ms. Jessica Obeid, Associate at Chatham House’s energy, environment and resources department and Renewable energy and power Expert, Lebanon 
Jessica Obeid is an independent energy consultant focusing on power sector transition. She serves as renewable energy and policy consultant for the UN ESCWA- REGEND Lebanon project. She is also academy associate at Chatham House’s energy, environment and resources department -where she previously served as resident fellow- and non-resident fellow for the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. Formerly the chief energy engineer at the United Nations Development Programme in Beirut, Jessica had a decade experience in the deployment of renewable energy in developing
countries, before moving into policy. She has published widely and her insights have appeared in leading media outlets. She has been awarded the US State Department’s TechWomen and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s International Leaders fellowships. Jessica holds a master’s degree in Political Sciences and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.

Dr. Iyad Muslih, Renewable and Energy Effeciency Expert, Jordan 
Dr. Iyad Muslih has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in the United States of America. He has a vision in the energy sector to develop, secure, improve and increase the profitability of the renewable energy and energy efficiency business in the Jordanian and MENA market by utilizing certified engineering techniques and provide solutions for many challenges in the renewable energy market; mainly solar energy efficiency and renewable energy storage technology. Dr. Iyad Muslih is the first Jordanian to be certified as an expert and head of specialty in
the field of Energy Services in Jordan by the Jordanian Engineering Association. He supervised and/or directed the design, procurement and installation of many renewable energy projects and Energy Audit studies in the region. He served as the principle energy consultant for Greater Amman Municipality in the field of PV Energy Sector. Also, he is the chair for the Energy Engineers Society /Jordan Engineers Association. He served as an energy consultant for the UN- ESCWA, GIZ and the Canadian funded program SEED. He has achieved this experience by taking part in more than 400 MWp of PV systems installed/ under-construction or in tendering process in the Jordan, Iraq and other MENA markets for privet and public sectors.