Raneem Al-Saleh

A Jordanian environmentalist leading the Middle East's renewable energy transition

Raneem Al-Saleh (b. 1988) is a pioneering environmental engineer and CEO of Sunrise Energy Solutions, a Jordanian firm that has installed over 1GW of solar capacity across the Middle East. Growing up in a region heavily reliant on fossil fuels, Al-Saleh's 2005 university thesis on solar desalination technology caught the attention of the Jordanian Ministry of Energy. This led to her founding Sunrise Energy in 2008, which now operates 23 solar farms powering 500,000 homes annually.

Her most notable achievement is the Masar Project, a cross-border solar initiative connecting Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia's grids. This project reduced regional carbon emissions by 1.2 million tons in 2022 alone. Al-Saleh also developed the Plastic2Energy recycling system, converting 15 tons of plastic waste daily into electricity. Her work was recognized with the 2020 Global Green Leadership Award, making her the youngest recipient from the Arab world. She frequently speaks at UN climate conferences, advocating for 50% renewable targets by 2030 in MENA countries.