8:45
Registration and breakfast
9:30
Opening remarks and recap from 2025 Conference- Environmental Finance
9:40
Government keynote: How are government policies and incentives evolving to unlock capital and support the growth of sustainable and transition finance?
H.E. Dr. Alanoud Abdulla Alhaj Al Ali, Acting, Assistant Undersecretary of Green Development & Climate Change Sector, United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change & Environment
10:00
Investor keynote The role of sovereign wealth funds in driving sustainable investment in the region
10:20
Panel: Growth and innovation in transition and sustainable finance in the gulf context
- Definitions of transition finance in practice – perspectives from prominent investors, issuers and practitioners in the region
- MENA as the engine of growth for sustainable finance: will the issuance of ESG labelled bonds continue to increase in the region, in contrast to Europe and the US?
- With APAC issuance also on the rise, how is the APAC-MENA corridor developing in terms of investments in energy transition?
- The path to net zero: is the UAE on track to mobilise AED 1 trillion by 2030? What are the barriers to reaching this target? Which financial structures and instruments are being used to unlock capital and support decarbonisation strategies?
- The business case for corporates: why should issuers go green - where is the greenium?
- Examining the role of sovereign wealth funds in driving issuance in the region
- Looking ahead: what is the outlook for sustainable debt and transition finance globally and regionally, which sectors and markets hold the most potential, and what factors could drive or inhibit further growth?
Athmane Benzerroug, Chief Strategy, Transformation & Sustainability Officer, ADNOC Distribution
Bruce Johnson, Director, Corporate Finance and Treasury, Masdar
Oliver Philips, Head of Sustainable Finance – Emerging Markets, Barclays
Rawan Oueidat CFA, Director, Corporate Ratings, S&P Global Ratings
11:00
Break
11:30
Panel: Labelled transition debt: Gulf potential and regulatory policy catalysts
- Determining the impact of ICMA's climate transition bond label: how much difference is it making in terms of boosting investor confidence and driving sustainable debt in the region?
- Take-up in the region and examples of issuances
- How are other standards helping to catalyse financing, such as LMA's guidance on transition loans, and the transition finance investment label under SFDR Article 7?
- Update on policy and regulatory developments in the region and their potential to scale up transition and sustainable finance:
- Reviewing the Sustainable Finance Working Group's new framework for climate transition planning principles: from policy to implementation
- How can the development of a regional taxonomy serve as a tool for growth? What lessons can be learnt from ASEAN taxonomy?
- Progress update on the recently launched national MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) system to support the UAE's net zero goals
Craig Gosnell, Global Business Head for Sustainable Finance, Fitch Ratings
Fazil Abdul Rahiman, Director, Sustainability and Climate Change, TAQA Group
Philippe Richard, Executive Director - International Affairs, Financial Services Regulatory Authority
12:10
Panel: investor experiences of transition and sustainable finance in the MENA region, and the growth in private credit
- Perspectives from international investors on sustainable investment opportunities in the region:
- How is climate transition being incorporated into asset allocation strategies and investment considerations?
- What makes the Middle East unique as an investment opportunity?
- Assessing and comparing preferred fund structures and investment vehicles, and the growth in private credit structures
- Investor perspectives on Islamic finance, and the alignment between Islamic finance and transition finance
- Insights and examples from local investors on the opportunities, risks and challenges inherent to Gulf transition and sustainable finance
- How is the investor landscape evolving in the region, and how might this continue?
Maximilian Kufer, Head, Sustainability Strategy, EMEA & Private Markets, Invesco
Nicholaas Alberts, Co-Head of the Middle East, Ninety One
12:50
Lunch
13:50
Issuance case study – blue bond
Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer & Group Head of ESG, Emirates NBD
Willem Visser, Sector Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets and Impact Fixed Income, T. Rowe Price
14:10
Panel: Focus on real estate and green buildings: value creation through sustainability
- The importance of energy and water efficiency as near term value levers in UAE real estate, aligned with Net Zero 2050
- Value beyond carbon: operational savings first, then green premiums, occupancy and tenant demand
- Short payback retrofit opportunities and the importance longer term strategic levers in UAE real estate portfolios, considering current climate trajectories
- What capital needs to deploy at scale: credible baselines, M&V, and risk allocation
- Overcoming execution barriers: data, governance, ESCO models and tenant incentives
- From pilots to scale: programmatic approaches to financing sustainable real estate
Martin Nagell, Director, Responsible Investing, Mubadala
Saba Beg, Head of Commercial Growth – Sustainability, DIB
14:50
Networking break
15:20
Panel: Practical insights and emerging innovations in Islamic finance and sustainable sukuk
- Mapping the growth of the sukuk market, identifying the key investors and opportunities for sustainable sukuk issuance across sectors and geography
- With most sustainable sukuk being use-of-proceeds instruments (green, social and sustainability sukuk), issuers need to identify enough assets as eligible use-of-proceeds: is this the biggest headwind for the market, and how can it be overcome?
- Sukuk case study: Unpacking the practicalities of structuring a sustainable sukuk, and demonstrating its impact from the proceeds
- New developments and innovations in sukuk structures, such as blue sukuk and transition sukuk
- Looking ahead:
- Will more issuers and investors align Islamic finance with their ESG strategies, or will approaches to Islamic finance evolve beyond an add-on to ESG?
- Could the involvement of more early-stage and high yield investors help to boost bankability?
- Are we likely to see more green sukuk issuance?
- What innovations or regulatory changes does the islamic market need to support the next step-up in scalability?
Luma Saqqaf, Founder & CEO, Ajyal Sustainability
16:00
Deep dive roundtable discussions
These interactive roundtable sessions give delegates the opportunity to delve into a chosen topic in greater depth, share experiences and learn from practical examples. Each table will have a dedicated facilitator to guide the conversation.
Topics under consideration include the following, all specific to the MENA region:
- Sector-specific deep dive: real estate and green buildings
- Sector-specific deep dive: energy transition
- Sector-specific deep dive: agribusiness
- Sustainable finance in hard-to-abate industries
- The role of sustainability in private credit investments
- Nature and biodiversity
- Developments and trends in nuclear energy
- The blue bond market
- Integrating ESG into Islamic finance
- Structuring a green sukuk
- Taxonomy developments
- The impact of CBAM, CSRD and CSDDD outside the EU
16:50
Closing remarks followed by networking drinks reception