His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa serves as Assistant Minister Of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Chairman of Masdar City. With a distinguished career spanning multiple high-level positions, HE Balalaa is recognized as a versatile leader with a proven ability to develop strategic frameworks that drive the profitable commercialization and growth of large-scale projects across various sectors. He has consistently advanced the UAE's strategic priorities in energy, sustainability, and Sustainable developments.

In November 2023, HE Balalaa was appointed Assistant Minister for Energy and Sustainability Affairs, where he leads the UAE's diplomatic efforts in promoting national and global priorities in energy, sustainability, food security, climate change, and water file. Through international diplomatic channels, he fosters strategic partnerships that strengthen the UAE’s leadership in in this portfolio. His work ensures that the UAE’s sustainability agenda aligns with global frameworks, contributing to climate resilience and environmental stewardship on the global stage.

In November 2022, HE Balalaa was appointed Chairman of Masdar City, Mubadala’s flagship sustainable urban development project. He is responsible for directing Masdar City's strategy, partnerships, and industry clusters, positioning it as a leader in sustainability. Under his leadership, a key achievement is the creation of the Masdar City Green REIT, the first sustainable green fund in the MENA region, which is now worth over AED 3.2 billion. This fund has played a pivotal role in efficiently raising green capital for Masdar City’s continued growth.

Prior to these roles, HE Balalaa served as Executive Director at Masdar, where he developed strategies that established Masdar City as a global R&D hub and accounted to more than 300% increase in development . Earlier in his career, he was Commercial Director at Etihad Rail, overseeing the planning and Commercial strategies of the UAE's first national rail project and representing the UAE on the GCC Rail Committee, where he played a critical role in standardizing rail alignments, customs policies, and specifications.

HE Balalaa also serves on the boards of several organizations, including Mohamed Bin Zayed Water Initiative (MBZWI) and the Loss and Damage (L&D) Board and the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Steering Committee. He also plays an instrumental role in shaping national strategies as a member of the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment, the UAE Council for Food Security, the Steering Committee for the UAE Polar Program, contributing to key initiatives in these critical areas.

HE Balalaa holds an Executive Education in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning from Paris-Sorbonne University, a Leadership Excellence Applied Diploma (LEAD) co-validated by the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.