Info about me

about me

Saed Hanani, a 24-year-old Palestinian, is a youth climate leader and advocate for sustainable entrepreneurship, has garnered 22 awards for his impactful work, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy.
He is the founder and CEO of Furange, a startup that produces environmentally friendly fabrics made from orange peels. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Foras Khadra, the world’s first platform to share sustainable green opportunities; and the co-founder and PR head of AYGVN, a network dedicated to empowering Arab youth in combating climate change and environmental challenges.
His work spans startups and initiatives across the Arab world, focusing on youth empowerment and sustainability.
Saed’s climate action expertise led to addressing the UN Secretary-General as a youth climate leader in COP28. He’s also spoken at global forums like the IUCN Leaders Forum 2022, COP28, MANA RCOY2023, and MANA CW2023.
He has played a vital role in launching numerous startups, organizations, and innovative initiatives across the Arab world. Saed dedicates his efforts to empowering Arab youth through these entities and has organized many events promoting sustainability regionally and globally.
He is the former president of the IEEE branch at his university, an IEEE Ambassador for Entrepreneurship, and the recipient of the Best Ambassador Award in EMEA 2022. He is also an Ambassador for Orange Corners, a Dutch entrepreneurial initiative and the Director of Entrepreneurship at the EMEA Gathering 2022. Additionally, he is a co-founder and director of the IEEE PIONER and DOC THAC competitions.

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 1. EU SPARK Innovation Program:
    Selected to represent Palestine at the Startup Exhibition in Tunisia (Feb 2024).
  • 2. young climate leaders - COP28 UN:
    Chosen as one of the young climate leaders among over 80,000 participants to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres (Dec 2023).
  • 3. Eyes on Earth Competition - EU Neighbours South: Winner at the regional level in Beirut, Lebanon. (Dec 2023).
  • 4. Green Voices Youth Arab Network:
     Appointed to the delegation for the UN Conference in Dubai (Nov 2023).
  • 5. Arab Hackathon:
    Awarded in Jordan and qualified for the final competition in Dubai (Nov 2023).
  • 6. RCOY:
    Represented Palestine at the UN Youth Climate Conference (Nov 2023).
  • 7. Arab Youth4COP:
    Chosen as one of five representatives at the Climate Week conference in Riyadh (Oct 2023).
  • 8. Circular Economy Grant:
    Won by the Development Action Center with support from AECID Spain (Sep 2023).
  • 9. IEEE Middle East Ambassador:
    Appointed as the ambassador for Palestine (Sep 2023).
  • 10. IEEE YSYST2023:
    Secured first place in the global entrepreneurship competition in Egypt (Sep 2023).
  • 11. IEEE Africa Conference:
    Chosen to represent Palestine in Cairo, Egypt (Aug 2023).
  • 12. Wetskills Program:
    Selected to represent Palestine in Jordan (Aug 2023).
  • 13. YMECO Business Incubator Competition:
    Achieved first place in Palestine (Mar 2023).
  • 14. ECO-SEED Competition:
    Won first place at Techno Park Palestine (Mar 2023).
  • 15. Arab Creativity and Excellence Medal:
    Honored at the Inspirational 3 competition, in conjunction with the International Conference on Creativity and Arab Leadership in Dubai (Jan 2023).
  • 16. Green Voices Award:
    Won first place with Earth organization (Nov 2022).
  • 17. IUCN Leaders Forum Speaker:
    Chosen among 10 global change-makers to speak in Jeju Island, South Korea (Oct 2022).
  • 18. EU Green Talk Award:
    Received first place in the West Bank, Palestine (Sep 2022).
  • 19. IEEE Entrepreneurship Contest:
    Placed third in the region in Tunis (Aug 2022).
  • 20. ESCWA UN Challenge:
    Led the winning first place team in developing solutions for desertification and drought issues in the Arab region, in Lebanon (May 2022).
  • 21. Best IEEE Ambassador for Entrepreneurship: Awarded for the Middle East, Africa, and Europe regions (Feb 2022).
  • 22. Hult Prize:
    Ranked among the top 6 startups at the Rawabi Summit (Apr 2021).

Climate Experience & Volunteering

CO-founder & Executive Assistant – 06/2024 – Present

LCOY Palestine 2024, Palestine

  • Co-founded the local chapter of the international youth climate initiative under YOUNGO and the UNFCCC.

 

Co-founder & CEO – 01/2024 -Present

Foras Khadra, The Arab world

  • Spearheaded the launch of Foras Khadra, a leading platform for uncovering a plethora of green opportunities locally and globally, tailored for the Arabic-speaking audience.
  • Lead a vibrant team of Arab youth dedicated to amplifying the Arab voice on an international scale.
  • Focused on promoting sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives, aiming to empower and inspire the Arab community worldwide.

 

Co-founder & Public Relations Manager – 02/2023 – Present

Arab Youth Green Voices Network (AYGVN), The Arab world

  • Co-founded a non-profit network aimed at driving transformative change in climate and environmental issues in the Arab world.
  • Orchestrated content creation, educational materials, and initiatives to raise awareness on climate issues in the Arab world.

 

Founder – 01/2021 – Present

Furange, Palestine

  • Founded a Furange is a startup that specializes in converting orange peels into the primary raw material in the yarn manufacturing industry. We produce globally renowned viscose yarns.

 

Ambassador – 06/2022 – 10/2023

Orange Corners, Palestine – AAUP University

  • Acted as a key representative of the Orange Corners Initiative, an enterprise by the Kingdom of the Netherlands to foster entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East.
  • Organized and led entrepreneurship workshops, directly influencing over 230 students with entrepreneurial aspirations.

 

Program Manager for Entrepreneurship– 06/2022 – 10/2022

EMEA Gathering 2022 conference, EMEA

  • Oversaw the planning and execution of the EMEA Gathering 2022, an annual convergence of IEEE students and young professionals.

 

Co-founder & Coordinator – 05/2021 – 01/2022

IEEE Pioneers 2022, Palestine

  • The competition was organized to promote entrepreneurship, with the participation of over 600 youth. Additionally, a comprehensive training program was conducted, culminating in a grand final event with the participation of 25 teams.

 

Co-founder & Coordinator – 02/2021 – 12/2021

Doc Tech 2021, Palestine – AAUP University

  • It is a competition and training program for 400 students aimed at promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between technology colleges and medical colleges, with the goal of harnessing technology to innovate solutions for medical challenges.

 

Chairman – 01/2021 – 11/2022

IEEE AAUP (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), Palestine – AAUP University

  • Revitalized the student branch after a 5-year hiatus, steering it through two active years.
  • Orchestrated over 86 diverse events between 2021 and 2022, fostering a vibrant community of tech enthusiasts.
  • Founded specialized chapters for Computer Society (CS), Women in Engineering (WIE), and Power & Energy Society (PES), expanding the branch’s scope and impact.