Dubai, UAE: Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye) region, is taking its commitment to sustainability to new heights. The bank has announced that four of its branches in the UAE and KSA have achieved LEED Platinum and LEED Gold certifications.

The Emirates NBD Mall of the Emirates (MOE) branch in Dubai is now the first LEED Platinum ID+C V4 bank in the MENA region and the first Arab bank branch globally to obtain this certificate, marking a significant milestone in the bank’s sustainability journey.

The Emirates NBD Capital LTD office at ICD Brookfield in Dubai was also awarded LEED Platinum certification while the Emirates NBD branches in Dammam and Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia obtained a LEED Gold certificate.

Previously, Emirates NBD’s branches in Umm Suqeim, Nakheel Mall and Burj Khalifa branch and Al Quds branch in Riyadh, KSA secured the prestigious LEED Gold certification.

Marwan Hadi, Group Head, Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, commented: "As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, we are pleased to continue to progress our efforts through additional LEED Platinum and LEED Gold certification for four of our branches. Moreover, as a leading banking group in the MENAT region that is committed to supporting the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, we are pleased that our MOE branch has become the first Arab bank branch to secure the prestigious LEED Platinum certification. We are proud of this recognition, and I would like to thank all of those who have worked hard to achieve this certification.”

Vijay Bains, Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD, commented: “Sustainability has been at the core of our strategy for years. Obtaining these prestigious LEED certifications is testament to Emirates NBD’s commitment to operating in a sustainable manner, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UAE Vision 2030, and the Dubai Declaration for Sustainable Finance.”

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

Emirates NBD strives to contribute to and invest in socially responsible programmes and solutions that address the United Nations SDGs, the UAE Vision 2030, and the United Nations Environmental Programme Dubai Declaration for Sustainable Finance that was launched during the UNEP FI (UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative)’s 14th Global Roundtable under the auspices of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. A regional pioneer in sustainability initiatives, the bank began formally reporting on its efforts in 2016 with the publication of its first Sustainability Report. Emirates NBD is also an active player in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arena, in addition to being a champion of private volunteering through its Exchanger programme.