The UAE accounted for about 61% of sustainable debt issuance across the Gulf in all currencies during the first nine months of 2026, a senior Fitch Ratings official told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Thursday.
Bashar Al Natoor, managing director and global head of Islamic finance at Fitch Ratings, said the Gulf accounted for about 40% of US dollar-denominated sustainable debt issuance in emerging markets, excluding China, over the same period.
Al Natoor spoke on the sidelines of the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai.
He said sustainable finance issuance declined in the first nine months of 2026 amid prevailing conditions.
Al Natoor said he expects the market to keep growing and its instruments to diversify over the medium to long term, as more governments and companies adopt sustainability targets.
He pointed to the role of debt capital markets, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) sukuk and bonds, in financing sustainable projects in the region.
Earlier on Thursday, Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar launched a $600 million five-year blue bond.
