As the managing director and CEO of Masdar City, Dr Sultan Al Jaber is tasked with developing the world’s first carbon neutral city, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. The project is being developed by Abu Dhabi’s investment arm Mubadala. The $22bn project, established by the government of Abu Dhabi in 2006, will be home to around 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. No cars will be allowed within the city.

Last month, the city announced plans to scale down the project amid the slowdown. Although the green development will maintain its goals of being carbon neutral and producing zero waste landfills, there will be fewer but taller buildings, built over a long period of time.

Masdar officials also said that 360,000 sq m will be completed by the end of 2013 rather than 5.5 million sq m by 2013, and only if executives are satisfied that there would be an adequate market.

As CEO of the project Al Jaber holds a number of advisory positions where he provides counsel on global issues such as sustainability, climate change, and energy challenges. Under his stewardship Masdar also won the bid to host the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Masdar City. He is now the director general of the IRENA UAE liaison office and is actively engaged in the establishment of the agency’s core functions and work plans.

In 2009, he was also invited to join the UN’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change. In addition to his work with Masdar, Al Jaber is also a senior advisor to the Mubadala Development Company and chairman of the board of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company. He also serves on the boards of ALDAR Properties, Advanced Technology Investment Company and the Young Arab Leaders Organisation.