Aly Abousabaa has a 35-year record of high-level strategic leadership of complex sustainable development operations and resources in developing countries.
Since October 2016, he has served as The Director-General of ICARDA and in June 2021, became CGIAR Regional Director of Central and West Asia, and North Africa (CWANA). He leads an International Organization dedicated to dryland agricultural research, overseeing 16 offices in CWANA and the Middle East.
Previously, Aly spent 22 years at the African Development Bank, where he held senior leadership, managerial, and technical positions, including five years as Vice President of Operations in charge of Agriculture, Water, Human Development, Governance, and Natural Resources. His work helped to improve the lives of millions of people in Africa through a diverse portfolio of US$10 Billion across 30 countries.
Aly has also held several Board positions, including at the Congo Basin Forest Fund, The Africa Water Facility, The Governance Trust Fund, The Africa Fertilizer Facility, and the Khalifa Date Palm Award. He has helped forge a global network of research and development partnerships across five continents, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA.
An Egyptian national, Aly holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Alexandria University, Egypt, and an M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Montana State University, USA.
In celebration of World Soil Day, ICARDA, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA), and other partners, recently organized 'Sustainability Days' to promote discussion on soil and water...
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