In climate conversations, Arab women are often discussed as vulnerable populations — not as solution architects. Rumaitha Al Busaidi is changing that.
From Oman’s green hydrogen corridors to Arctic expeditions, and TED stages to coastal community workshops, Rumaitha’s career spans science, policy, and platforms — all woven together by a single conviction: climate solutions are stronger when women are centered as leaders, not just included as beneficiaries.
As the founder of WomeX, Vice President of the Environment Society of Oman, and Business Development Manager at Hydrom, she’s shaping a new model for climate leadership — one rooted in systems thinking, cultural context, and intergenerational impact.
In this Q&A, Rumaitha opens up about being the youngest Omani to reach the South Pole, building WomeX from scratch, and why the most meaningful wins often come quietly — in DMs, in classrooms, and in moments of voice reclaimed.
Highlights
Climate Strategy Begins With Gender Inclusion
Q: You’ve worked at the intersection of climate action and gender equity. What drives your conviction that empowering women is central to solving the climate crisis?
A: For me, the connection between women and climate is not theoretical. It is a lived reality. In Oman and across the Gulf, women are often the first to feel the weight of environmental change — water scarcity, food insecurity, rising heat. Yet they are the least included in the policy discussions that decide how to respond.
When I studied at Harvard, I noticed global frameworks often treated women as beneficiaries of climate action, rather than leaders of it. That gap became my conviction.
My 2021 TED Talk was about this exact idea: that women are not just stakeholders — they are the missing key. The more I worked across sustainability projects, the more I saw that when women are equipped to negotiate, innovate, and lead, the solutions that emerge are more holistic and enduring. Empowering women is not charity. It is a strategy.
Inside Oman’s Green Hydrogen Revolution
Q: At Hydrom, you are helping lead Oman’s green hydrogen ambitions. How does it feel to work at the front lines of a country’s energy transition?
A: Working at Hydrom has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. We’re not just building projects — we are shaping an entirely new economic sector for Oman.
Green hydrogen is a cornerstone of our national diversification and climate strategy. In April, I had the honor of leading the launch of the world’s first liquid hydrogen corridor alongside His Majesty the Sultan of Oman and the King of the Netherlands. That moment was symbolic — Oman stepping onto the global stage as a clean energy pioneer.
Behind the headlines, there’s intense work: project development, investor negotiations, technical partnerships, diplomacy. It’s not always easy, especially in male-dominated energy spaces.
But as an Omani woman, my presence in those rooms matters. I see the energy transition not only as a decarbonization effort, but as an opportunity to make inclusion the norm.
The Birth of WomeX — and a Confidence Movement
Q: WomeX is such a bold initiative. What moment made you realize Arab women needed a space specifically for negotiation and confidence-building?
A: It came from a mix of frustration and possibility. During my time at Harvard, I saw many leadership and negotiation programs that were excellent — but often framed through Western cultural norms.
I kept thinking about Arab women — how they negotiate with families, navigate unspoken cultural codes, and face deeply internalized expectations. So I started running small workshops back home in Oman using real-life scenarios. The response was overwhelming.
Women wanted not just skills, but a community — a place where their struggles were recognized, and their strategies validated. That was the seed of WomeX.
Since launching in 2020, we’ve trained thousands of women in Oman, Egypt, Yemen, India, and soon, Saudi Arabia. I’ve seen women walk in with doubt and leave with posture, voice, and network. WomeX isn’t about teaching women to be louder — it’s about helping them be heard.
From the South Pole to Davos: Staying Grounded
Q: From the South Pole to Davos, your journey spans science, policy, and activism. How do you personally stay grounded while operating on so many global stages?
A: The South Pole was a turning point. Being the youngest Omani to reach there raised powerful questions about identity — like, Why was an Arab woman in such a place?
It made me realize how often our stories are told for us, not by us. That experience shaped my belief in culturally relevant platforms and the need to show up with authenticity.
Today, whether I’m at Davos, the UN, or a village near Oman’s coast, I remind myself: I don’t need to be everywhere — I just need to be aligned wherever I am.
I stay grounded by returning to Oman — to the date palms, the Arabian Sea, my community. Journaling helps me reflect. Cooking reconnects me with home. And when I walk in nature, I remember what truly matters. These rituals remind me that leadership isn’t about performance — it’s about integrity.
The Quiet Wins That Matter Most
Q: Recognition from BBC, Fast Company, and Reuters is powerful. What personal win or moment of impact has meant the most to you so far?
A: Those recognitions are meaningful, and I’m grateful. But the moments that stay with me are smaller.
Like the young woman who messaged me after a WomeX session, saying she’d successfully negotiated her first job contract. Or the Omani student who said that seeing me at the South Pole made her believe she could study science abroad.
Those are the ripples that matter. Titles and awards open doors, yes — but these transformations, one by one, are what keep me going.
Final Thoughts: Weaving Systems, Stories, and Strategy
Across every stage of her journey — marine scientist, green hydrogen developer, TED speaker, and platform founder — Rumaitha Al Busaidi has been driven by a systems lens.
Her earliest work in aquaculture revealed how tightly water, energy, and food security are bound together. But she realized that science alone wasn’t enough — that civic spaces, dialogue, and inclusive leadership were equally vital — that shaped the leader she’s become.
This insight led her to launch Oman Climate Dialogues, the country’s first citizen-policy platform for climate solutions, and to continue that work as Vice President of the Environment Society of Oman, leading biodiversity campaigns and empowering civil society to take part in national policy.
Whether she’s building clean energy futures at Hydrom or equipping women through WomeX, Rumaitha’s work carries a consistent thread: connecting silos, elevating unheard voices, and building platforms where none existed before.
“Leadership isn’t a performance,” she says. “It’s alignment — between what you say and what you live.”
Highlights
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