Dr. Esmat Zaidan is an Associate Professor at the College of Public Policy (CPP), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Prior to joining HBKU, she was the Director of Honors Program at Qatar University and an Associate Professor of Policy, Planning, and Development, an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Sustainability at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), and a Lecturer in Development and Environment at the College of Environment, University of Waterloo, from where she holds her master’s and PhD degrees. Her previous professional appointments include the World Bank, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and the United Nation (UNDP).

Dr. Zaidan has a solid interdisciplinary scholarly work and activities; her research focuses on social development and cultural planning, sustainable cities and societies, community-based policies, energy transition, and the technological and human factors in smart transformation (society and technology). In her publications, she integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, spatial statistics, forecasting models and future predictions into policy analysis and development. She published a wide range of articles (more than 60) in top-tier ISI/Scopus journals. She is the lead principal investigator of research projects funded by United Arab Emirates University, Qatar University, and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).