From Curious Child to Sustainability Pioneer: The Journey of Dina Al Nahdi
Who Is Dina? Positivity That Creates Impact
Dina Al Nahdi, daughter of Saudi businessman Hassan Al Nahdi and Croatian mother Miraj, was born in Montreal and raised on curiosity and a love of learning. She describes herself as inherently positive, always seeking the light in every experience and striving to leave a mark. A mother of four, a lover of diving and nature, she thrives on balancing opposites and contradictions that have shaped her leadership style.
Leadership Seeds Planted in Childhood
As an only child, Dina was both the daughter and the son, carrying responsibility early on. Her father took her to business dinners and meetings, asking for her impressions afterwards. At just eight years old, she was already developing a voice, even stepping in to defend Saudi Arabia when she overheard people criticizing it abroad. “Maybe it was philosophy, maybe leadership,” she laughs, “but I’ve always been proactive.”
Life Motto: If There’s a Will, There’s a Way
Dina lives by a simple creed: if there is a will, there is a way. She has experienced her share of setbacks, “plenty of rock bottoms,” as she puts it, but always bounces back stronger. This relentless optimism and resilience are the cornerstones of her leadership journey.
Breaking into the Workforce with Creativity
Her first job was as Area Sales Manager for an international company in Jeddah, overseeing districts she had never even visited. She quickly realized the community couldn’t afford the products, so she built creative sales strategies outside the district and trained women to sell more effectively. Without knowing it, she was introducing concepts of the circular economy long before they became mainstream.
Building Her Own Path in Sustainability
While still working in sales, Dina founded her first company, Inte Environmental Technology, focused on wastewater treatment plants. With her father’s support, she secured a commercial license at a time when few Saudi women did. She personally inspected installations and verified every detail herself. Over time, the company evolved into environmental impact assessments and baseline studies, earning a reputation long before sustainability was fashionable.
Passion Meets Opportunity
When asked whether her environmental work was passion or opportunity, Dina compares it to corporate social responsibility: “If it doesn’t sustain itself, it dies.” For her, sustainability must be financially viable to keep giving back. Everything in life, she says, is about clean opportunities, win-win for everyone, not exploitation.
The Go-To Person for Sustainability
Today, Dina is an entrepreneur, business owner, board member, and chairwoman. People seek her advice on sustainability and the circular economy fields still misunderstood as cost burdens. She shows companies how to minimize cost, create new revenue streams, and optimize supply chains. On a personal level, she helps individuals “connect the dots” in their own lives, though she resists calling herself a mentor.
Resilience and Renewal
Being ahead of the curve can be lonely. Dina admits she’s cried, broken down, and binged on self-sorrow, but she always picks herself back up. “You must believe in what you’re doing,” she says. “Passion and belief are non-negotiable. Resilience builds over time.” She finds sanctuary in prayer, nature, and diving. “Even insects and birds teach me business solutions,” she says. Family support for her husband, mother, and grown children remains her greatest anchor.
Lifelong Learning as a Leadership Tool
Dina’s multicultural upbringing taught her to embrace diversity and see the difference between governments and people. Despite challenges like giving birth just two weeks before final exams, she earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting from King Abdulaziz University, followed by a Master’s in Environmental Management and numerous professional certifications. “Knowledge gives you confidence,” she says. “Even if I’m not the engineer, I need to understand what my company does.”
Dina Al Nahdi’s story is one of curiosity, resilience, and vision. From a curious child in Montreal to a pioneer of sustainability in Saudi Arabia, she has built a career at the intersection of values, opportunity, and action. Her message to future leaders: believe in what you do, build resilience, seek sanctuary in faith or nature, and always look for clean, win-win opportunities.
Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Anghami.
