Co-Founder of TALEA & Board Member of the German Business Council (GBCK), Kuwait

“Sustainable finance and impact investing have gone mainstream, with global assets surpassing $35T proving that aligning profit with ESG outcomes drives both growth and resilience. Impact investing, now a $1T market, is fueling sectors like renewable energy, healthcare, and sustainable infrastructure. In the Middle East, initiatives like Saudi Vision 2030 and UAE Net Zero 2050, along with green sukuk and sovereign wealth funds, are positioning the region as a climate finance leader. With COP28 spotlighting the Gulf, the region holds unique opportunities to drive the global energy transition and inclusive growth.”

CEO & Senior Sustainability Manager, Aridzone Sustainability Management Consulting, UAE

Preventing greenwashing and ensuring credible ESG investments globally requires transparency, standardized reporting, verification, and strong regulatory oversight, supported by frameworks like ISSB, SFDR, and EU Taxonomy. In the Middle East, early ESG regulations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are promising, but harmonizing local standards with global frameworks and mandating reporting remain key. Sovereign wealth funds and large investors are embedding ESG into portfolios, issuing green bonds, and aligning with international initiatives, while strengthening data quality, verification, and disclosure fosters trust and positions the region as a hub for sustainable finance.

Sustainability Professional, Sustain Strides. UAE

“Global strategies to prevent greenwashing hinge on regulation, standardized disclosures, and accountability, with frameworks like the EU’s SFDR and CSRD, the U.S. SEC’s Names Rule, IOSCO guidelines, and ICMA’s sustainable bond principles ensuring genuine ESG impact, while investors adopt SDG-aligned tools such as IRIS+, GIIN IMM, and SDG Impact Standards; in the Middle East, evolving regulations led by the UAE’s Sustainable Finance Working Group, ADGM’s ESG framework, and Saudi Vision 2030, with sovereign wealth funds embedding ESG mandates, issuing green sukuk, and leveraging AI, position the region as a rising force in sustainable finance.”