Sharjah Sustainable City’s ‘Discover Your UrbanFarm’ initiative has been selected by Project Management Institute (PMI) as one the top three Most Influential Projects.

PMI unveiled its 2024 Most Influential Projects list, honouring 20 projects across industries and regions that have achieved significant milestones in alignment with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the last 18 months.

Along with it, they also released their Most Influential Projects Regional Spotlights. PMI made the announcement at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City with all projects mentioned addressing clear outcomes that drive project success beyond budget, scope, and schedule.

Sana Jardin Women’s Cooperative

Sana Jardin Women’s Cooperative that made it to the 20 Most Influential Projects list is credited with creating sustainable employment and products in an industry noted for its waste. The luxury perfume company, known as “the world's first socially conscious luxury fragrance house” created a cooperative for rural Moroccan women who harvest flowers for the perfume brand, leading to a 128% increase in annual income for members of the supply chain in 2023 alone. By driving a sustainable model that incorporates repurposing natural and organic waste into a beauty product, the Co-Op empowers women the additional benefit of keeping 100% of the profits.

“This year’s Most Influential Projects are strong examples of the important work needed to address our world’s most pressing challenges, from rising ocean temperatures and food insecurity, to gender inequality and inadequate education,” said Pierre Le Manh, PMP, President & CEO of PMI. “We celebrate these projects and the passionate individuals leading them because they are dedicated to creating a better human existence for all. They exemplify the power of effective project management and its ability to lead transformation, drive meaningful change and elevate the world around us.”

The Mena region’s strong presence in the Regional Spotlight list reaffirms the local governments’ robust leadership in initiating and incorporating innovative methodologies to achieve global sustainable goals. The UAE’s notable achievements in implementing and encouraging a sustainable model for all has got a boost with Sharjah Sustainable City’s ‘Discover Your UrbanFarm’ initiative making it to PMI’s Top 3 Most Influential Projects Regional Spotlight from the Mena region.

The sustainable community created by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Diamond Developers is a family-friendly initiative that has aided to further reduce the city’s carbon footprint, while creating awareness of the food-energy-water nexus, waste management and promoting health and wellbeing. The ‘Discover Your UrbanFarm’ initiative underscores the significance of community engagement to drive the way forward for a greener more sustainable world for all.

Capital Med – Medical City

Egypt’s Capital Med – Medical City also find an honourable mention from the Mena region with its aim to provide high quality integrated and personalised healthcare services at a regional and global level. The largest international medical entity was established through an investment consortium including the Egyptians for Healthcare Services (EHCS) with the aim of attracting medical professionals and patients from all over the world.

Hanny Alshazly, PMI Mena Regional Managing Director, said: “The significant presence of projects from the Mena region in Project Management Institute (PMI)’s 2024 Influential list is a testament to the region’s rising prominence in achieving global sustainable goals. PMI plays a key role in the world’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of environmental damage and inequity. These key projects, encompassing climate action, healthcare, and sustainability, showcase the transformative power of project management to create positive change in our world.”

The UN Women’s Oasis Programme, the third in PMI’s Mena Spotlight list, that has been benefitting women and children in Jordan since its inception in 2012, is testimony to the effectiveness of holistic, gender-responsive humanitarian action. The Oasis model draws clear links between women’s empowerment, sustainable development and Jordan’s security and stability, demonstrating how to leverage operational activities to contribute to UN Women’s normative and coordination mandates. The unique model was developed by UN Women to respond to the urgent needs of Syrian refugee women and girls in Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps as well as poverty-stricken areas of Jordan.

Since introducing the SDGs in 2015 to address the world's most urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges, millions of people, nonprofits, collectives, and companies have come together to generate robust, creative ideas about improving the world and creating progress.

SDG targets

Progress, however, has been slow, with only 17% of the SDG targets on track, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate progress, according to The Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2024. At the same time, PMI research just revealed that projects with some degree of social benefits are more likely to be rated a success.

Through empathy, teamwork, innovation — and outstanding project management – this year’s honorees represent transformative initiatives that advance the United Nations SDGs. The projects recognised implement solutions and comprehensive approaches that rethink the world as we know it rather than putting a bandage on problems. They're critically assessing their performance to develop replicable best practices that can create exponential positive change.

The list highlights project teams' progress on innovative projects in education, climate action, architecture, technology, healthcare and more.

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