The Sustainability Forum Middle East convened a high-level dialogue in Bahrain on Monday, bringing together prominent stakeholders to discuss sustainability initiatives. The event was held at The Legacy Club, situated within the Bahrain Financial Harbour, providing a central venue for the discussions. This gathering showed the Kingdom of Bahrain's commitment to fostering dialogue and action on key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
Key Partner Contributions
SFME Lead Partner BBK noted key insights from its recently published 2025 Sustainability Report during the forum. The report details the Bank's progress across several key areas, including sustainable finance, responsible governance, community investment, and environmental stewardship. This full outline provides a framework for understanding BBK's commitment to integrating sustainability into its core operations and decision-making processes. The report specifically showcases the Bank's efforts to contribute positively to the economy, society, and environment through its various programs and initiatives, demonstrating a clear roadmap for achieving its long-term sustainability goals.
SAFA, another Lead Partner at the event, contributed to the dialogue by discussing the critical role of voluntary carbon markets. SAFA's presentation focused on how these markets and carbon offsetting mechanisms can effectively support broader climate action initiatives. The discussion showed the potential for financial tools to drive environmental progress and achieve decarbonization goals, emphasizing their importance in enabling companies and individuals to mitigate their environmental footprint. SAFA elaborated on how voluntary carbon markets provide a flexible and efficient means for organizations to invest in projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions, thereby accelerating the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
Future Initiatives and Vision
Sustainability Forum Middle East's 2026 activities will receive support from several Lead Partners, including BBK, SAFA, and Tabreed Bahrain. These organizations are integral to the forum's ongoing initiatives and planning for future events, playing a key role in shaping the agenda and ensuring the continued success of the SFME platform. Their collective backing notes a shared commitment to advancing sustainability across the region.
A range of Strategic Partners are also contributing to SFME's 2026 agenda. These partners include the United Nations Development Programme, Bank ABC, Standard Chartered Bank, and Gulf International Bank, reflecting a broad base of institutional involvement. Their participation aims to strengthen the forum's strategic objectives and reach, bringing diverse perspectives and expertise to the table. The involvement of such prominent international and regional institutions shows the growing importance of collaborative efforts in addressing sustainability challenges.
Further support for SFME's 2026 activities comes from a group of Forum Partners. These include Aluminium Bahrain, National Bank of Bahrain, Boston Consulting Group, Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY), and Bahrain Ship Repair & Engineering Company. Their collective engagement is expected to facilitate diverse discussions and collaborations, drawing on their varied industry experiences and sustainability practices. The broad spectrum of partners, from financial institutions to industrial giants and consulting firms, ensures a full approach to sustainability discourse. The next iteration of the event, the 5th edition of SFME, is scheduled to take place on January 26–27, 2027, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, promising continued engagement and progress in the field.
Partner Perspectives
More than 80 senior business leaders, policymakers, sustainability professionals, members of the Forum’s Advisory Committee, partners, and experts attended the event. The reception was organized with the goal of strengthening collaboration, encouraging knowledge exchange, and fostering connections among organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing sustainability and climate action. This high level of attendance, encompassing a wide array of stakeholders, showed the increasing regional focus on environmental stewardship and sustainable development. SAFA has partnered with SFME to allow participants to offset their carbon emissions linked to its events, demonstrating a practical application of the concepts discussed during the forum.
Talal Al Araifi, Chief Executive Officer of SAFA, stated, "SAFA has partnered with SFME to enable participants to offset their carbon emissions associated with attending its events and he encourages attendees of the reception to either start to continue their offset journey using SAFA’s smooth online offsetting platform." This initiative aims to provide a practical mechanism for attendees to address their environmental footprint directly, aligning with the broader goals of the forum. The partnership between SAFA and SFME shows a commitment to integrating carbon management into event planning and execution, setting a precedent for environmentally conscious event hosting. This direct action complements the theoretical discussions by offering a tangible solution for climate impact mitigation.
