Saba Hijazi

Jordanian environmental activist leading sustainability initiatives in the Middle East

Saba Hijazi is a Jordanian environmental scientist and entrepreneur who has pioneered innovative solutions to address climate change and waste management in the Middle East. As founder of Green Leaf, she developed the region's first waste-to-energy system that converts organic waste into biogas. This initiative has diverted over 500 tons of waste from landfills annually while providing renewable energy to local communities. Hijazi also launched the 'Zero Waste Jordan' campaign which inspired 15,000+ households to adopt sustainable practices through her educational videos. Her work has been featured in National Geographic and earned the 2018 Global Clean Energy Pioneer award. Beyond her technical innovations, Hijazi trains women from marginalized communities to become environmental technicians through her 'Green Jobs Academy', creating over 300 eco-conscious jobs since 2015. Her TED Talk 'Turning Trash into Treasure' has received 2.3 million views, spreading her message globally. Recently, she partnered with the UNDP to scale her model across 5 Arab countries, proving that sustainable development can thrive even in water-scarce regions.