Ali Abdo is on a journey to engage local Egyptian communities about our world’s climate crisis and promote sustainable living.
Ali, an avid electric motorcyclist and environmental activist, is currently zigzagging his way from the deserts of ancient Egypt to the coastal city of Sharm El Sheikh. The 30-day journey, Ride to COP27, ends during this year’s 27th UN Climate Change Conference, or COP27, hosted in Egypt from November 6-18.
The nearly 20,000-kilometer ride will, when completed, cover all of Egypt’s 27 governorates and break two world records: the world’s longest journey on an electric motorcycle and the longest electric motorcycle journey in a single country.
Ride to COP27 is more than an adrenaline rush or a pursuit of one man’s name on a fancy plaque. Ali’s passion for sustainability and climate change action are the true green fuel behind his daunting efforts. In Ali’s words, the bike and journey are the conversation starters.
“I sit several hours a day, multiple times a day, charging my bike at any adequate source I can find. Gas stations, mosques, schools, the like. And it takes three to four hours to charge. So while I wait for the bike, I talk.”
The true mission behind Ali’s motorcycle adventure is to engage local communities—especially youth, students, and small businesses—on sustainability and climate change.
“This effort is about people and local communities––about real climate action and how that relates to our lifestyles and futures. I don’t think every person needs to understand every detail of the climate change crisis, but we all need to understand enough. Enough to act.”
USAID’s Sustainable Services Activity project is partnering with Ali’s Ride to COP27 campaign, providing multimedia coverage and producing a ten-minute documentary focused on Ali’s community engagement addressing climate action. The project lends support to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises to drive economic growth, increase access to finance, and find innovative solutions to improve people's lives.
About this story:
On October 10th, 2022, Ali Abdo—an avid electric motorcyclist and environmental activist—began zigzagging his way from the deserts of Upper Egypt to the coastal city of Sharm El Sheikh. The 30-day journey, Ride to COP27, ends during this year’s 27th UN Climate Change Conference, or COP27 – hosted in Egypt from November 6-18.
Throughout his month-long journey, Ali is interviewing local community members—with a special focus on students, youth, and small businesses—to hear how climate change is affecting the average Egyptian and what local communities are doing to mitigate and adapt.
At the end of his journey, Ali will speak at COP27, acting as a voice for local communities and sharing the insights he learned along the way. The USAID-funded Sustainable Services Activity is collaborating with Ali to help document his journey and present a 10-minute documentary at COP27.
Ana Laffoon
Ana Laffoon is a Communications Specialist for the Office of Economic Growth at USAID’s Mission in Egypt. She currently lives in Cairo with her husband and five young children.
