First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s Global bank, and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions, has successfully issued a $50 million 5-year Blue Bond.
This transaction represents the first-ever Blue Bond issued by a financial institution in the Gulf countries.
This landmark issuance cements FAB’s leadership in sustainable finance and aligns with the UAE’s commitment to the strategic protection of vital water resources and the blue economy.
The bond, issued via a private placement, was anchored by an Article 9 (Dark Green) investor who was seeking a specific blue labelled instrument. The Blue Bond is aligned with FAB’s Sustainable Finance Framework 2023 and International Capital Market Association Green Bond Principles.
The Blue Bond issuance supports the UAE Water Agenda 2036 to promote innovation and sustainable infrastructure across critical marine ecosystems. It also aligns with the country’s broader environmental objectives, particularly as Abu Dhabi prepares to host the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress in October 2025, and as the UAE welcomes the United Nations Water Conference in December 2026.
Shargiil Bashir Chief Sustainability Officer FAB
“This Blue Bond issuance is a defining milestone for FAB and a first for any financial institution in the Gulf. It reflects our conviction that banks must do more than finance the future, and we must actively shape it with the tools available to us. By directing capital to protect vital water resources and marine ecosystems, FAB is setting a precedent for sustainable finance in the region. This marks another achievement in our journey to drive sustainable development in the UAE and beyond, and it also reinforces the nation’s global leadership on climate and biodiversity, as it prepares to host two major summits, the IUCN Congress in Abu Dhabi and the UN Water Conference in 2026, and we are privileged to be at the forefront of this critical transition.”
Through this latest financial instrument, FAB is enabling capital flows toward projects that protect and restore ocean health, while fostering long-term environmental and economic resilience.
Eligible projects in FAB’s blue asset pool include, amongst others, sustainable water management (eg, sustainable infrastructure for clean drinking water), climate change adaptation projects (eg, conservation and rehabilitation of wetlands, mangroves, and coral reefs), sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture, and conservation of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity.
FAB was supported by Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank as Sole Dealer in the execution of this pioneering transaction, as per the statement.
