Mounir Neamatalla started his professional life driven by a mission to succeed in creating environmentally and socially sensitive enterprises, and the result was Environmental Quality International (EQI), the first consulting enterprise of its kind in the MENA region, founded in 1981. Fifteen years later, Mounir took a new direction, when a visit to the remote Oasis of Siwa led him to launch an integrated mix of complementary investments in harmony with the life and work of the people of Siwa. The Siwa Sustainable Development Initiative has become an internationally recognized best practice, engaging local communities in managing successful enterprises and building local economies, while safeguarding cultural and natural heritage. 

One word that describes you? 

I hesitated between “Sensitive” and “Loving”; but in the end chose “Sensitive”. 

What is your personal indulgence? 

“Joy in life”. 

Is the world better off because your company is in it? Why? 

It is for the world to judge; or, for that matter, the people I live and work with. I think self-evaluation is a waste of time and energy. Its scope and focus is limited by the singular “I” rather than the collective “We”. 

The dire UN Climate Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released on April 2022 has been described as a litany of broken climate promises by the UN Secretary General. It warns that rising carbon emissions must stop before 2025 and be reduced by 43% by 2030 including methane by 1/3 to limit global warming to around 1.5°C (34.7°F), when the effects of climate breakdown will become irreversible. Will we make it? 

I do not know for sure whether we will make it or not. What I know for sure, however, is that we need to find another path. Our failure in meeting the challenges ahead is in part because our public opinion is guided by people and institutions who have mastered the art of correctness where appearance is concerned, and they royally fail in meeting their promises. 

What is luxury travel to you? 

Luxury travel to me is a continuum of a one-of-a-kind, joyful, and memorable experience. 

In your property and destination, how can travellers leave the place better than they find it? 

They leave the place better than they find it when they get to know each other, share their joys amongst each other, and appropriate themselves, to the point where the guest becomes the host. 

Today, there is greater expectation for business to lead and demonstrate commitment to a sustainable future for all stakeholders with accountability and transparency. More hotel leaders want to do the right thing on issues of climate and sustainability, but we are not yet seeing the deep transformation, systems change and carbon reduction that is urgently needed. As a leader in sustainability, what would your advice be to Owners and GM operators who needs to reset ambitions? 

I would advise Owners and General Managers to relate to the world of Art and Culture, and to reinforce their ties with the surrounding environment. I would also suggest that they refrain from reviewing hospitality as a brand, or an industry, but rather as a natural mode of behavior. The role is to genuinely intensify this relationship and steer beyond what the eye may see, if only to enhance the merits of accountability and transparency with the power of a clear and healthy conscience. 

A great reset is anticipated during this pandemic. What do you personally need to reset? 

That we liberate ourselves from the fear of pandemics and focus instead on the beauty that resides within and around us so that we may intensify it. 

What ‘cause’ are you personally passionate about outside work? What drives your passion? 

Joy in life and work is my passion. Its pursuit is the driving factor. 

Who is your greatest influence? Best advice you have been given? 

A 98-year-old woman, a friend of my mother’s, who signaled to me that energy spent deliberating issues that do not lead to action is wasted energy. I enjoy and learn a lot from conversations around a dinner table. I also feel fulfilled when reading in the old-fashioned way.

Your best advice to young generations concerned about their future? 

The pursuit and exchange of joy in everything one chooses to undertake.

Note from NOW Founder:

THIS MUST BE PARADISE … Conscious Travel Inspirations

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