Abu Dhabi – First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s global bank and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions, has been named Principal and Official Banking Partner of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 October 2025.

As one of the world’s largest environmental decision-making forums, the Congress will unite governments, civil society, scientists, and senior business executives to shape the future of nature and sustainability.

FAB’s Principal Partnership with IUCN underscores its global leadership in sustainability and sustainable finance and reflects the bank’s strategic commitment to advancing the net-zero and nature-positive transition through financing, partnership and community engagement. As part of the Congress, FAB will host a dedicated Pavilion to showcase its sustainability strategy and nature strategy, engaging stakeholders across key sectors. The Pavilion will also feature expert-led discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions, highlight the role of technology in enabling the nature and climate agenda, showcase innovative local SMEs supporting the topic, and promote the role of youth in conserving nature.

The IUCN Congress will feature prominent global voices in sustainability and conservation, including H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, President of IUCN; renowned primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall; and Rob Walton, Founder of the Rob Walton Foundation, alongside senior representatives from the IUCN, government, science, finance, and civil society.

The 2025 Congress will convene under the theme “Powering Transformative Conservation,” bringing global focus to urgent environmental challenges and the solutions needed to address them. The agenda will spotlight high-impact priorities including biodiversity and nature-based solutions, climate resilience, sustainable development, Indigenous knowledge and equity, and conservation finance. At the event, FAB will also spotlight its efforts to finance solutions that support global biodiversity goals and national climate targets, while enabling cross-sector collaboration.

Hana Al Rostamani, Group Chief Executive Officer of First Abu Dhabi Bank, said: “Our role as Principal and Official Banking Partner of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 underscores the financial sector’s critical responsibility in advancing tangible climate and nature-based outcomes. At FAB, we embed sustainability at the very heart of our business and mobilise capital towards solutions that drive both national climate ambitions and global biodiversity targets. As environmental and economic systems grow ever more interconnected, finance must take the lead in shaping a future that is more resilient, equitable, and sustainable.”

Commenting on the partnership, Razan Al Mubarak, IUCN President said: “Hosting the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi is a milestone for the global conservation community. With First Abu Dhabi Bank as a Principal and Official banking Partner, we are highlighting the UAE’s leadership in linking finance and sustainability and showcasing how regional innovation can drive global impact. This collaboration reflects the spirit of the Congress — bringing governments, science, civil society, and business together to power transformative conservation.”

Over several years, FAB has led the region in sustainable finance, structuring innovative green transition, and sustainability-linked financing solutions. FAB was the first MENA bank to issue a green bond in 2017 and most recently, became the first financial institution in the GCC to issue a blue bond, reinforcing its commitment to protecting marine ecosystems and financing ocean-related climate action. FAB was also the first MENA bank to publish its nature report aligned with the Taskforce on Nature-related Disclosures (TNFD) at the beginning of this year.

Organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and co-hosted by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the Congress is held every four years and is regarded as the foremost global platform for environmental policy and action.

About First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi with a global footprint across 20 markets, FAB is the finance and trade gateway to the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). With total assets of AED 1.34 trillion (USD 366 billion) as of June-end 2025, FAB is among the world’s largest banking groups. The bank provides financial expertise to its wholesale and retail client franchise across three business units: 1) Investment Banking & Markets, 2) Wholesale Banking, and 3) Personal, Business, Wealth and Privileged Client Banking Group. FAB is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and rated Aa3/AA-/AA- by Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch, respectively, with a stable outlook. On sustainability, FAB holds an MSCI ESG rating of ‘AA’, and is also ranked among the top 6% of banks globally by Refinitiv’s ESG Scores and ranked the Best diversified bank in MENA by Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating.

About the IUCN World Conservation Congress   

Held every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress is one of the largest gatherings of nature conservation experts, leaders and decision-makers from government, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, business, and academia in the world. The event is the democratic forum for the global conservation community to express its views and decide and act on the latest in conservation science, practice and policy - shaping the global conservation and sustainable development agendas for decades to come. Congress is also one of the largest marketplaces for scientists, policy experts, business leaders and professionals from around the globe to share their experience, expertise, and latest research.    

www.iucncongress2025.org  

About IUCN  

IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of more than 17,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.  

www.iucn.org 
https://www.facebook.com/iucn.org/ 
https://www.instagram.com/iucn_congress 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/iucn 
https://x.com/IUCN/  
https://www.tiktok.com/@iucnofficial