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Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Mohamed is a veterinarian. He has been for a long time. He’s always prioritized the care and protection of every animal.

Elsayed’s tenure as a vet spanned multiple governmental agencies and countries. And eventually, his focus shifted from providing services to developing a broader strategy.

That’s what brought him to the CITES Convention of the Parties—a gathering of nations from around the world to discuss global solutions to protecting wildlife. As a member of the United Arab Emirates’ national CITES team, Elsayed issued CITES permits and certificates, attended national CITES meetings, and prepared the guidelines for the country’s humane handling of marine mammals.

If being a member of a national team was about implementing strategy in a single country, Elsayed’s next step at IFAW has been about building the capacity to fight back against destructive practices across multiple countries. As our Director in the Middle East and North Africa, Elsayed trains government officials to effectively carry out the strategies and protocols to protect wildlife throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Specifically, Elsayed helps coordinate training for the prevention of illegal wildlife trading.

Elsayed remains interested in serving at the grassroots level. Beyond national strategy, he has also developed school programs and campaigns around animal welfare education for the public. This includes the "Think Twice" campaign, which educates tourists about the damage perpetuated by the wildlife souvenir trading industry.

Through it all, Elsayed’s philosophy has remained the same: every animal matters.