ABU DHABI: For Malak Halabi, contributing to Abu Dhabi’s future means more than working in engineering. The young professional is combining an interest in renewable energy with community engagement and cultural storytelling, bringing together environmental awareness and the heritage of the city where she grew up.
Halabi, a 23-year-old electrical engineer, has developed an interest in power and renewable energy and has participated in youth engagement activities connected with sustainability. Her experience also includes introducing visitors to Abu Dhabi’s cultural landmarks and traditions, according to a profile published by Gulf News on October 15, 2026.
Her story offers a personal perspective on how younger residents can contribute to the emirate’s environmental ambitions while helping others understand its history, identity and communities.
Renewable energy and youth engagement
Halabi studied engineering in the UAE, specialising in power and renewable energy. She has participated in youth sustainability activities associated with Masdar and the engagement surrounding COP28, the UN climate conference hosted by the UAE in 2023.
The profile also identifies her as a youth delegate associated with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Masdar and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
These experiences connect her technical education with wider conversations about sustainability and the energy transition. Renewable energy, energy efficiency and the development of lower-carbon systems are important areas of work as countries seek to meet changing energy needs while reducing emissions.
For young professionals, participation in sustainability programmes can also provide opportunities to engage with researchers, policymakers and industry representatives. Halabi’s experience illustrates one route through which an engineering background can extend into public engagement and environmental advocacy.
Her involvement in cultural activities adds another dimension to that work. She has described using meetings with international visitors as opportunities to introduce them to Emirati culture and the heritage of Abu Dhabi.
A family history closely tied to Abu Dhabi
Halabi’s connection with the capital stretches across generations. Her family is of Palestinian heritage, with roots in the coastal cities of Haifa and Acre. According to the Gulf News profile, her grandparents moved to Abu Dhabi from Lebanon in 1969, before the UAE was established in December 1971.
Her grandfather worked in the finance department at Abu Dhabi’s ports, while subsequent generations of the family built their lives and careers in the capital.
That family history provides a perspective on Abu Dhabi’s transformation over several decades, from a smaller coastal settlement into a major centre for business, culture and international exchange.
Halabi grew up in neighbourhoods around Al Khalidiya, where parks, family outings and familiar local businesses formed part of everyday life. These memories sit alongside the city’s newer landmarks and cultural institutions, connecting personal experience with the broader story of urban change.
For long-term residents, a city’s identity is often shaped by more than its skyline. Familiar neighbourhoods, family traditions and shared public spaces can influence how people understand their place in a rapidly changing environment.
Sustainability through community initiatives
Halabi’s work outside engineering includes Lu Flora, a community-based floral arrangement business she founded in 2024 while completing university, according to the published profile.
The venture runs workshops in which participants create floral arrangements. Its community-based approach allows activities to take place where groups gather rather than relying on a permanent retail location.
The project brings together creative expression and an interest in sustainability. Its environmental impact, however, would need to be assessed using information about sourcing, materials, waste and operating practices; the available profile does not provide independently verified measurements.
The initiative nonetheless demonstrates how a young professional can explore community entrepreneurship alongside a technical career. Workshops can also provide a setting for people of different ages and backgrounds to meet through a shared activity.
Sharing Abu Dhabi beyond its landmarks
Halabi’s relationship with Abu Dhabi includes both established cultural destinations and ordinary routines. She has spoken about visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, spending time with family and exploring the capital’s museums.
Such experiences form part of the city’s appeal to residents and visitors alike. They also complement official efforts to present Abu Dhabi through the perspectives of people who live and work there.
Experience Abu Dhabi’s official My Abu Dhabi Experiences platform features personal accounts connected with community, local places and everyday life. The Abu Dhabi Media Office also operates Abu Dhabi Stories, an initiative inviting people connected to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra to share experiences that reflect the emirate’s character and heritage.
The initiatives are distinct, but both demonstrate how personal narratives can supplement conventional destination promotion by showing how people experience a place.
Halabi’s account brings together several parts of that picture: a family history spanning generations, professional interests linked to sustainability, community entrepreneurship and a willingness to introduce others to the capital’s cultural life.
Her experience is a reminder that Abu Dhabi’s future is shaped not only through infrastructure and technology, but also through the people who develop skills, build communities and pass on their understanding of the place they call home.
Who is Malak Halabi?
Malak Halabi is a 23-year-old electrical engineer featured in a Gulf News profile published on October 15, 2026. The profile describes her interests in renewable energy, sustainability engagement and Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage.
What does Malak Halabi do in Abu Dhabi?
She works in engineering and participates in sustainability-related youth engagement. She also introduces visitors to Abu Dhabi’s culture and heritage and founded a community-based floral arrangement venture called Lu Flora, according to the published profile.
What is Malak Halabi’s engineering specialisation?
The Gulf News profile identifies power and renewable energy as her areas of specialisation.
What is Lu Flora?
Lu Flora is a community-based floral arrangement venture Halabi founded in 2024 while completing university. It organises workshops in which participants create floral arrangements.
How is Malak Halabi involved in sustainability?
Her reported involvement includes youth sustainability programmes, engagement associated with COP28 and activities connected with organisations including Masdar and IRENA. The available reporting does not quantify her environmental impact.
What is Malak Halabi’s family connection to Abu Dhabi?
According to the Gulf News profile, her grandparents moved to Abu Dhabi from Lebanon in 1969. Her family subsequently established several generations of connections with the capital.
What is Abu Dhabi doing to share residents’ stories?
Experience Abu Dhabi publishes personal accounts through its My Abu Dhabi Experiences platform. The Abu Dhabi Media Office also operates Abu Dhabi Stories, which invites people connected to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra to submit stories for possible publication.
Where can readers find official Abu Dhabi community stories?
Readers can visit the official My Abu Dhabi Experiences platform and the Abu Dhabi Media Office’s Abu Dhabi Stories initiative.
