DAVOS, 23rd January, 2026 (WAM) -- Bain & Company and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on identifying and prioritising AI use cases for sustainability.
This builds on ongoing work between the two organisations, featured by the World Economic Forum, that demonstrated how AI-enabled tools could help identify and unlock up to US$200 billion in sustainable finance opportunities across the Middle East and North Africa by 2030.
The agreement aims to build on that foundation and further identify, prioritise, prototype, and scale AI use cases that expand sustainable finance deployment, enhance sustainability risk management, and support SMEs in their sustainability journeys.
“By combining financial expertise with advanced analytics, we can accelerate capital flows into sustainable projects,” said Wissam Yassine, Partner and Leader of Bain & Company’s Sustainability Practice in the Middle East. “AI enables faster insight, better risk assessment, and scalable impact, which are critical to meeting our shared climate ambitions.”
Shargiil Bashir, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at First Abu Dhabi Bank, stated, “Partnering with Bain & Company allows us to translate AI innovation into tangible progress for the region’s sustainability agenda. Together, we aim to redefine how financial institutions source, evaluate, and track sustainable-finance opportunities, helping ensure every dollar deployed delivers measurable environmental and social value.”
The collaboration reflects a growing momentum across the financial sector to embed digital tools into sustainability strategies. By pairing Bain’s advisory and transformation experience with FAB’s market leadership and data-driven approach, the partnership seeks to shape practical models for mobilising private capital and scaling the transition to a low-carbon economy.