Tell us about your venture, SustainPro.
SustainPro is an Abu Dhabi based Event Intelligence and ClimateTech company built for events and venues. We deliver visible sustainable infrastructure and activations on the ground, then measure performance using IoT, structured data capture, and real operational evidence. We turn that into live dashboards, sponsor-ready storytelling, and standards-grade reports aligned with ISO frameworks and DCT Abu Dhabi Event Sustainability Guidelines.
In simple terms, we install the sustainability actions, capture the data while the event is running, and translate it into measurable ESG outcomes that organisers can trust and prove.
What inspired you to found SustainPro?
I spent the last decade inside event production and delivery, from entry level account execution all the way to managing large scale operations. I saw a repeating gap: many events want sustainability, but it is either treated as branding or delivered too late as a report after the fact.
SustainPro was created to make sustainability operational and measurable in real time. I wanted to build a company that does not only advise but actually deploys systems and proves impact with evidence, so sustainability becomes part of the event’s performance.
I am in my second year of a Master’s in Sustainability Development, which helped me translate field experience into a structured approach that can scale, comply, and stand up to scrutiny.
What attracted you to the UAE and Abu Dhabi market?
Abu Dhabi is home. I have lived here with my family since 1999 and grew up in Abu Dhabi schools, so my professional network and understanding of the market is very deep.
From a business perspective, Abu Dhabi also has a clear direction: sustainability, innovation, and world-class event delivery. The city hosts high impact venues and international events, and it has a strong appetite for solutions that are real, measurable, and aligned with local guidelines. That combination makes it the ideal place to build, test, prove results quickly, and then scale across the GCC.
What is the biggest challenge facing events and organizations looking to minimize their environmental footprint?
The biggest challenge is the gap between intent and execution. Sustainability delivery is fragmented across vendors, measurement is often based on manual logs and assumptions, and reporting happens after the event, so it is not useful for decision making or credibility. This creates cost, operational complexity, and a risk of greenwashing even when organisers have good intentions.
How do you bridge this gap?
We bridge it by combining operations, technology, and standards. We deploy practical solutions onsite such as solar and off-grid power, refill infrastructure, smart waste setups, and engagement activations. We then capture evidence through structured data collection and convert it into dashboards and ISO-ready outputs. This turns sustainability from a checklist into a measurable operating layer.
What are your core values as a company?
Our core value is credibility through evidence. SustainPro is built on ISO frameworks and we hold company certifications across ISO 20121, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001, and ISO 50001. This matters because it allows our methodology and reporting outputs to be defensible and aligned with Abu Dhabi’s sustainability expectations, including DCT Abu Dhabi Event Sustainability Guidelines.
We are also a member of ISEP and the GRI Community, and a signatory to the Pledge to Net Zero, which reflects our commitment to best practice and transparent ESG reporting.
What makes us different is that we implement real actions onsite and capture data in a way that stands up to stakeholder scrutiny.
What makes SustainPro different from sustainability consultancies?
Consultancies advise. We deploy. We own hardware, run field teams, and capture data ourselves. That means we are accountable for results, not just recommendations. When something goes wrong at 2am on event day, we fix it ourselves.
What services do you offer?
We offer three integrated layers: sustainable infrastructure rentals (solar lighting, water refill walls, smart waste systems, engagement activations), ISO-aligned measurement and reporting, and our Event Intelligence Platform, currently in development, that connects IoT devices into live dashboards and automated reports.
Tell us about your Event Recycling Service and how it works.
We map the event layout and waste streams, deploy the correct bin systems, signage, and operational staffing, then monitor and track diversion during the event. We consolidate the data into a clear diversion summary so organisers can confidently report outcomes to sponsors and stakeholders.
Do you have a case study of how you are incorporating sustainability?
Our work with Abu Dhabi Sports Council on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Abu Dhabi achieved 65% landfill diversion, avoided 3,218 single-use bottles through refill stations, and delivered a verified carbon-neutral operational footprint of 9.92 tCO2e using Gold Standard offsets. We also engaged over 120 families through our Kids Sustainability Activation Zone. This created a repeatable sustainability blueprint for future Abu Dhabi events.
How do you cover the Social pillar of ESG, not just environment and governance?
Social impact is a core part of our delivery because sustainability only works when people understand it and participate. We design public engagement into the event experience through clear messaging, hands-on activations, and trained sustainability ushers positioned at key touchpoints such as recycling stations and refill points. Their role is to guide attendees in real time, reduce contamination, answer questions, and turn sustainability into a positive interaction rather than a set of rules.
We also run education-based activations such as kids workshops that make circularity and responsible behavior tangible through simple, practical activities. This creates measurable behavior change, improves operational outcomes like recycling quality and diversion rates, and leaves attendees with knowledge they can carry beyond the event.
What KPIs do you use to measure the success of your initiatives?
We measure liters dispensed and bottles avoided, waste volumes and diversion rate, CO2e estimates aligned to ISO and GHG approaches, diesel or generator usage avoided where applicable, energy performance for temporary power and lighting, operational uptime and response, and engagement indicators. This KPI structure supports credible ISO-aligned reporting and alignment with DCT Abu Dhabi Event Sustainability Guidelines, with ESG disclosures aligned to GRI standards where applicable.
What are your future expansion plans?
Our next step is scaling the Event Intelligence Platform so it becomes a repeatable operating layer for events and venues, reducing manual logging and generating ISO-ready evidence aligned with local guidelines. In parallel, we are productizing our services into repeatable packages for organisers and venues.
What is your vision for SustainPro over the next decade and beyond?
Our long-term vision is to become the trusted operating system for sustainable event delivery in the region, where sustainability is a measurable part of operational performance, and Abu Dhabi becomes the reference model that scales across GCC venues and destinations.
Where can readers connect with you and find out more?
What is next for SustainPro?
We are expanding from successful delivery into a scalable product and rental fleet. In addition to platform growth, we are developing new self-sufficient outdoor structures for events, including illuminated directional signage and off-grid power solutions designed for repeated deployments. This positions us to serve more events with less setup time while maintaining the quality and evidence standards we are known for.
