About us
About MEA Sustainability Studio
Practical Sustainability Solutions. Built Together.
MEA Sustainability Studio
Who We Are
MEA Sustainability Studio is a purpose-driven social enterprise and a Collaborative Sustainability Solutions Studio serving the Middle East and Africa.
Our journey began in 2021 when our founder, Ali Abdo, launched The Ride to 2030, bringing people and institutions together around the Sustainable Development Goals and collective action.
What began as a movement to connect people, share knowledge and encourage action evolved into a broader vision: bringing diverse expertise and institutions together to design and implement practical sustainability solutions.
That vision gave rise to MEA Sustainability Studio, formally registered in 2025.
- MEARegion FocusMiddle East & Africa
Climate vulnerability, rapid urbanisation and fragmented regulatory landscapes shape the region’s sustainability priorities. Our work responds to these environmental, social and economic conditions.
- 4Core PillarsClimate Action, Green Innovation, Sustainable Development, Policy & Governance
These four focus areas provide a framework for work spanning energy transition, circular economy, capacity building and regulatory reform.
- Cross-Sector CollaborationGovernments, Business, NGOs & Innovators
Shared expertise and resources enable this network to co-create scalable solutions, deliver measurable impact and build resilient systems.
Our Story — From Awareness to Action
Through The Ride to 2030 and the subsequent Ride to COP journeys, Ali Abdo brought communities, institutions and changemakers together around climate action and sustainable development.
These experiences shaped a founding belief: awareness starts change, but collaboration, innovation and implementation create lasting impact.
MEA Sustainability Studio was built around this philosophy, combining technical expertise, creative problem-solving and cross-sector partnerships.
Today, that philosophy guides our work through The Studio Way.
The founder’s experience of connecting people now informs the Studio’s collaborative work to turn shared challenges into practical action.
- 2021
The Ride to 2030
- 2022–2024
Ride to COP — electric motorcycle journeys
- 2025
MEA Sustainability Studio — formally registered
- Today
The Studio Way
Purpose
Our Purpose
Our Mission
To accelerate sustainability transformation across the Middle East and Africa by bringing together technical expertise, local knowledge and cross-sector partnerships to co-design, implement and improve practical solutions that deliver measurable environmental, social and economic impact.
Our Vision
To build a thriving, sustainable economy across the Middle East and Africa, driven by regional innovation, adaptive policies, and inclusive partnerships that turn sustainability challenges into engines of growth, equity, and resilience.
Why a Studio?
A Studio brings people together to create, experiment and put ideas into practice. We co-design solutions with partners, test them where appropriate and support implementation, learning from evidence and experience.
Values
Our Values
Collaboration
Bring different sectors and disciplines together, sharing knowledge, resources and responsibility for practical solutions.
Innovation
Explore ideas, test assumptions and adapt solutions to local needs through creativity and evidence.
Sustainability
Consider environmental, social and economic priorities together, with care for people and ecosystems over the long term.
Resilience
Strengthen the ability of institutions and communities to adapt to change, learn and respond to uncertainty.
Impact
Define intended outcomes, track progress and use evidence to improve the results of our work.
Approach
The Studio Way
We adapt The Studio Way to the objectives, context and scope of each engagement.
- 01
Understand
Explore sustainability challenges through evidence, technical expertise and local perspectives to identify needs, opportunities and priorities.
- 02
Connect
Bring together institutions, people, knowledge and resources around shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration.
- 03
Co-design
Develop practical, locally relevant solutions together with the partners and communities involved.
- 04
Test & Learn
Test approaches, measure results and use feedback and evidence to refine solutions and strengthen their effectiveness.
- 05
Enable
Support implementation, strengthen institutional capabilities and build shared ownership so solutions can create lasting impact.
Our Companies
ECO MEA is one of our companies, dedicated to developing digital technologies and platforms for sustainability challenges across the Middle East and Africa.
Visit ECO MEAReady to accelerate sustainability in MEA?
Connect with MEA Sustainability Studio to explore partnership opportunities, access expert guidance, and drive measurable impact across the Middle East and Africa.