Sustainability in the Middle East
#OurRegionYourFuture
Sustainability
in the Middle East
Imagine our region, transformed. Increased economic opportunities. New, value-added jobs. More meaningful social inclusion. Greater governance for our regional economies.
The Middle East is playing a strategic role in the energy transition — pioneering low-carbon, hydrogen-driven, and circular economies; developing sustainable destinations and localising supply chains. And it’s sustainability that sits at the heart of this dynamic transformation.
Unlocking inclusive growth through sustainability.
Sustainability watch
- Saudi Economy Watch 2024
- Leveraging VAT to support ESG goals for governments and businesses
- The UAE banking sector: Journey to achieving Dhs1 trillion of sustainable finance
- Decomplexifying EU CBAM: A simple, comprehensive framework for Middle Eastern producers
- Ending “trash for cash”
- Building Public Trust Through Tax Reporting
- Almost two-thirds (63%) of companies confident they will be ready for CSRD, but many don't know how: PwC 2024 Global CSRD Survey
- PwC's Global CSRD Survey 2024
- PwC Middle East in Qatar hosts Qatari SMEs empowering local businesses within NDS-3
- Saudi Arabia’s localization plan is reshaping consultancy sector
Breaking through barriers
Learn more about this breakthrough year for sustainability in the Middle East. In our latest Sustainability leaders' survey we share how businesses in the region are actively overcoming barriers as they advance their sustainability agenda. Many are fully integrating sustainability into their strategy and operations, driving the momentum from ambition to action.
Featured insights
What we do
From strategy to transformation and reporting, we help you create value through sustainability across every part of your organisation.
Actions that speak, strategies that deliver
Reconfiguring Global Value Chains
Global value chains (GVCs) are being reconfigured, focusing less on cost and more on resilience, agility, and sustainability. This reconfiguration is upending traditional competitive advantages and creating opportunities for new manufacturing hubs. In the Middle East, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) can seize this opportunity, as they have an abundant and cost-competitive supply of green energy, a geographically attractive location, and robust industrial and logistics infrastructure, including ports and airports. Several countries are constructing greenfield megaprojects—industrial cities built around smart and circular manufacturing. Moreover, these countries have access to young talent and an increased commitment of government spending on education, research, and innovation.
Driving net zero & energy transition
A profound energy transformation is underway in the Middle East, as the region aims for net zero emissions and embraces sustainable energy practices to foster economic diversification. Driven by abundant solar and wind resources and increasing global demand for clean energy, significant investments are flowing into solar and wind projects, as well as the production of green fuels like hydrogen and green steel. This strategic shift seeks to reduce fossil fuel dependence and unlock new economic opportunities. However, as the Middle East navigates this transition, it faces challenges, such as modernising infrastructure and managing economic impacts, critical to maintaining its leadership in global energy innovation and sustainability.
Financing the green transition
A profound shift is underway across all sectors of the Middle East's economy. To achieve lower emissions, net zero and climate resilience, there is an urgent need for massive-scale investments across sectors to finance the energy transition.
Sustainability in the built environment
In the Middle East, the built environment sector is at the forefront of a profound transition, reflecting the broader regional ambition to achieve net zero emissions and ensure climate resilience. This is largely driven by rapid urbanisation, environmental challenges, and a commitment to regional net zero goals. This journey requires significant investments in energy transition, with a focus on decarbonising carbon-intensive economies through renewable energy and green technology.
Nature & biodiversity
The natural world provides the air we breathe, the water we drink and the essential resources and services that enable our societies and economies to thrive. So when nature is under threat, it has an impact on all of us.
Right now, our natural world is declining at an unprecedented rate. The Middle East’s unique geographic location and arid climate conditions make it vulnerable to rising temperatures and water shortages, hence the impacts of this decline are real — increased rates of desertification and habitat degradation, loss of arable land, the threat of multi-year droughts, frequent sandstorms and rising temperatures put the region’s 300 million people, and its natural environment, at growing risk.
Circular economy
For decades, global consumption has followed a ‘take-make-dispose’ model, leading to unprecedented levels of waste generation and rapid resource depletion. Today, the shift towards circular waste management is not just necessary; it's urgent. With the GCC's rapid urbanisation, burgeoning populations, and economic diversification, the need for adopting circular waste management is greater than ever to help minimise wastes, conserve resources, and reduce the ecological footprint while promoting a resilient and sustainable economic model.
Transparency
Sustainability and environment
We help clients in the Middle East unlock opportunities for growth and innovation in the transition towards a green, sustainable future.
The region stands to unlock more than US$3 trillion in economic growth and create more than 1 million future-proof jobs by 2030. Governments and corporate leaders realise that such opportunities presented by sustainability initiatives outweigh any limits on economic development. They can leverage the region’s abundant renewable resources to manufacture carbon-neutral and carbon-negative industrial products for exports, or to diversify their energy mixes to include sources like solar and low-environmental-impact hydrocarbon. As the world shifts towards a greener future, the Middle East stands ready to play a leading role in shaping the sustainability agenda.
Economics and Sustainability
Our region is going through transformative change on multiple fronts. Leaders in both the public and private sectors have many pressing issues to face, including:
- The economic imperative
- The social imperative
- The environmental imperative
- The fiscal imperative
We help business and government leaders to navigate some of their most critical questions.
Managed services
Accelerate with the right tech and talent.
PwC’s Managed Services has the winning combination of talent and technology to move your organisation forward faster. Consider us your digital ally with the connected tech, leading-edge skills and hands-on support that helps you reimagine tomorrow with greater efficiency and agility to deliver outcomes at scale.
Sustainability tax & regulation
We recognise that tax strategies in the region are intricately linked with broader sustainability goals. Effective tax policies not only ensure compliance but also drive sustainable development and ethical practices.
At PwC Middle East, our Tax & Legal Services (TLS) teams specialise in fiscal policy, green tax incentives and sustainability initiatives. We actively support governments, agencies, and NGOs in developing fiscal policies that promote sustainable development. And we assist clients in navigating foreign taxes and incentives, ensuring alignment with global sustainability standards and the advancement of the wider sustainability agenda in the Middle East, in line with the region's strategic objectives and rapid transformation.
Transformation Management
Empowering our clients at every step of the journey.
We’ve been helping our clients across the Middle East turn their transformation visions and strategies into reality for over a decade. Our ability to do this is grounded in a unique set of enablers – including our globally-proven methodologies, digital ‘transformation hub’, nearshore resources, industry expertise, and powerful innovation and thought leadership capabilities.
Equipped with these enablers and a deep understanding of our clients’ goals, we apply our strategy – The New Equation – to bring the right skills to bear at the right time at every step of the journey.
The results? Successful transformation that generates measurable long-term value. All delivered through our human-led, tech-powered solutions.
Sustainability in deals
As part of the region's efforts to diversify economies away from oil and gas revenues, we are seeing massive investments underway in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and other sustainable projects.
Sustainability assurance
Trust is critical for organisational success, and the assurance of sustainability reporting is fundamental to responsible business conduct and will lead to strengthening credibility and transparency.
Whilst sustainability reporting itself provides stakeholders with insights into an organisation’s sustainability performance — sustainability assurance is the independent validation of sustainability data and disclosures, to enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of this information. Sustainability assurance ensures the accuracy, reliability and consistency of sustainability reporting, helping to build stakeholder trust in an organisation's commitment towards mitigating environmental risks, promoting social equity, and upholding ethical governance, bolstering the organisation's reputation as a socially and environmentally responsible entity.
Sustainability reporting
In the face of increasing climate pressure, organisations in the region are addressing critical environmental, social, and governance challenges. Transparent and trusted reporting outlining how an organisation is addressing these challenges is becoming increasingly important as investors, consumers and wider society demand greater visibility around an organisation’s business values and operations.
With 145 countries worldwide pledging for net zero emissions and the global push for a circular economy, the demand for transparent sustainability reporting has never been higher. And it’s no different here in the Middle East.
Evolving reporting trends now mandate companies to disclose their sustainability performance. At PwC, we are at the forefront of these developments, committed to leading the way in sustainability compliance, understanding and reporting.
Accelerating sustainability capabilities
Tech for sustainability
PwC's Global CSRD Survey 2024
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
How CBAM-driven reinvention of your supply chain may foster a competitive advantage
How we create impact
Collaborating with clients to address regional sustainability challenges and unlock inclusive growth.
- Conserving the Red Sea biodiversity
- Creating a sustainable finance roadmap
- Designing an environment sustainability plan for civil aviation
- Driving change for a sustainable built environment
Conserving the Red Sea biodiversity
Supporting our client in revitalising coral reefs and ensuring the survival of sea turtles for a sustainable future.
Nature and biodiversity
Creating a sustainable finance roadmap
Creating a strategy to assess, benchmark, and develop a sustainable finance ecosystem in the region.
Sustainable finance
Designing an environment sustainability plan for civil aviation
Crafting a 10-year decarbonisation plan aimed at significantly reducing GHG emissions in the region.
Net zero energy
Driving change for a sustainable built environment
Developing a decarbonisation roadmap positioned our client as a leader in smart and sustainable cities.
Built environment
Media watch
Check out the latest interviews with our sustainability leaders from around the region.
Who we are
Dr. Yahya Anouti
Partner, Strategy&
PwC Middle East Sustainability Platform Leader
Yahya is committed to the sustainability agenda and the potential for the region to lead the world in sustainable solutions. As a partner leading PwC Middle East’s Sustainability practice and Strategy&’s Energy, Resources, and Sustainability practice, he is dedicated to driving impact in the region from strategy articulation to reporting. Yahya also serves on the board of the Strategy& Ideation Center and actively contributes to the global sustainability community within the firm.
Amal Larhlid
Partner, Tax and Legal Services
EMEA Sustainability Leader for Governments
PwC Middle East
Amal is a partner at PwC Middle East and the EMEA Sustainability Leader for Governments. With over 20 years in public policy, she has worked with governments and international institutions on sustainable development. Amal has extensive experience in sustainability policy design and implementation, as well as ESG standards. She is delivering multi-disciplinary projects bringing together sustainability, economic development and AI.
Anand Balasubramanian
Partner, Consulting
Financial Services
PwC Middle East
Anand is a partner with PwC’s Financial Services Advisory team in the Middle East. With over 20 years of consulting experience across MENA, APAC and US, he has conceptualised, designed and implemented risk management frameworks, measurement methodologies and monitoring mechanisms across banks and financial institutions. He has worked with top banks in the UAE including the largest banks on their ESG and Sustainable Finance strategy, ESG risk models and Climate Stress Testing.
Azzah Fawzi
Partner, Risk Assurance
Energy, Utilities and Resources
Sustainability Reporting Lead
PwC Middle East
Azzah brings 20 years of experience in the Energy industry, specialising in advisory and assurance across the value chain. She leads PwC Middle East's Risk Assurance practice for the Energy sector and is the Middle East ESG Reporting Leader, driving ESG strategy, governance, and assurance. With extensive expertise in ESG reporting, she advises on climate change, sustainability, and compliance. She also leads engagements in materiality assessments, benchmarking, and risk management.
James Thomas
Partner, Strategy& Middle East
Energy, Resources & Sustainability Practice
James is a partner at Strategy& and a senior member of the Energy, Resources, and Sustainability team. He leads the Carbon Management platform in the Middle East, bringing nearly 25 years of experience with stakeholders across Europe, North America, and the Middle East. His expertise includes corporate strategy, restructuring, M&A and — increasingly — topics related to the energy transition, Net Zero and decarbonization.
Neil O’Keeffe
Partner, Consulting
Energy, Utilities and Resources Lead
Consumer, Industrial Products & Services Lead
PwC Middle East
Neil leads PwC’s Middle East Consulting Energy, Resources, and Sustainability practice, bringing 30 years of consulting experience, with the last 15 years spent in the Middle East. He has worked extensively with organisations on transformation and restructuring to facilitate the energy transition in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the electrification of large industrial players. His expertise includes developing new governance models, integrated planning, harmonised processes, and driving efficiency through innovative technologies.
Nicolas Boukhalil
Partner, Deals
Strategy & Operations
PwC Middle East
Nicolas brings 20 years of experience in strategy, investment banking and private equity, specialising in natural resources and asset-heavy industries. He leads the Energy, Sustainability and Resources sector for PwC Middle East’s Deals practice, overseeing diverse transactions, including take-privates, IPOs and joint ventures. His expertise includes advising clients on energy transition and sustainability strategies, from ideation to implementation, playing a crucial role in driving successful and sustainable outcomes for our clients.
Rabih Nassar
Partner, Consulting
Energy, Resources and Sustainability
PwC Middle East
Rabih has over 18 years’ experience in consulting within the Energy sector. As a partner at PwC, Rabih leads our sustainability initiatives across resources and industrials, power utilities, transport, logistics, and real estate. He has significant experience and expertise in the waste management sector, developing strategies, governance frameworks, and operationalising company-wide sustainability practices.
Ramzi Hage
Partner, Strategy& Middle East
Energy Transition, Sustainability, and Circularity
Ramzi is a partner at Strategy& Middle East who supports public and private sector organisations on topics related to Energy Transition, Circular Economy, and Research, Development, and Innovation. His focus is also to support the Middle East region in retaining value through manufacturing and technology localisation. He has worked with the most influential ministries and corporations in the region, helping clients navigate the path to a sustainable net zero future, transforming national waste sectors, and stepping up RDI ecosystems and Areas of Innovation.
Rashid Khursheed
Partner, Assurance
Sustainability Assurance Leader
PwC Middle East
Rashid leads PwC Middle East ESG Assurance practice, offering extensive expertise in a wide range of assurance services. His experience includes non-audit assurance services under ISAE 3000 and ISAE 3410, CSRD/ ESRS, as well as external audits of large high profile clients for over two decades. Rashid is committed to providing reliable and comprehensive assurance to support sustainable practices and transparency in the region.
Samer Al Chikhani
Partner, Strategy& Middle East
Government and Public Sector Practice
Samer is an expert in creating nature-positive solutions for urban and conservation areas, as well as developing strategies for sustainable resource management. He is a partner with Strategy& and a member of the firm’s Government and Public Sector practice in the Middle East. He specialises water, environmental, and broader ESG issues and has provided counsel to policymakers, regulators and private sector entities. Samer also leads our firm's Centre for Nature Positive Business in the region.
Connect with us
Together, we can transform the Middle East and unlock inclusive growth through sustainability.
#OurRegionYourFuture