• DIB formalises LEED-precertified project facility with Azizi Developments and Green Concierge MoU with Imtiaz Developments

Dubai, UAE – DIB, the world's leading Islamic financial group and the largest Islamic bank in the UAE, today launched its ‘Unlocking Sustainable Finance’ Series, a new sector-focused platform designed to support priority industries in accelerating their transition towards a more sustainable and resilient economy.

The inaugural edition, ‘Transitioning Real Estate’, brought together more than 80 senior stakeholders from across the built environment ecosystem, including policymakers, regulators, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, sustainability experts and supply chain leaders. The forum focused on one of the UAE's most strategically important sectors, addressing how sustainable finance can help unlock more efficient assets, lower-carbon buildings, resilient infrastructure, circular supply chains and long-term value creation.

The event commenced with a keynote address by Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer of DIB, followed by the formalization of a series of client sustainability commitments designed to translate sector dialogue into tangible market action. As part of the event, DIB formalised an official LEED-precertified project facility with Azizi Developments, supporting the development of a project aligned with recognised green building standards and reinforcing the role of sustainable finance in advancing higher-performing real estate assets. The formalisation was attended by Mr. Mirwais Azizi, Founder and Chairman of Azizi Developments, and Mr. Farhad Azizi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Azizi Developments.

The event also witnessed DIB formalising a partnership with Imtiaz Developments though an official Green Concierge MoU, creating a framework for collaboration across the client transition journey, from sustainability direction and roadmap development to financing readiness, ecosystem partnerships, reporting and assurance. The MoU was attended by Mr. Masih Imtiaz, CEO of Imtiaz Developments. Together, these formalised commitments demonstrate how DIB’s platform is moving beyond dialogue to support practical, commercially viable and measurable sustainability outcomes across the real estate sector.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer of DIB, said: "Real estate has always been central to economic development, city competitiveness and community wellbeing. Today, as the transition to a lower-carbon economy accelerates, the built environment also represents one of the most important sustainability and commercial opportunities before us. It shapes how resources are consumed, how assets perform, how capital is allocated and how resilient our cities will be for future generations. This is why we chose real estate as the first focus of the Unlocking Sustainable Finance Series. I would like to thank our regulators, clients, partners and industry leaders for joining this important conversation and for bringing the level of collaboration this transition requires. At DIB, we believe sustainable finance cannot remain a label or a standalone product. It must become a discipline that connects capital with measurable impact. Our role is to help clients move from ambition to execution by shaping credible transition plans, defining practical KPIs, structuring finance around real outcomes and connecting them with the right ecosystem partners. Through Green Concierge, the transition financing commitments formalised today and the industry collaboration pact launched with participants, we are creating a more complete platform to help make sustainable real estate more credible, more financeable and more scalable, while delivering outcomes that reduce emissions, improve efficiency, strengthen resilience and create long-term value in the real economy.”

The launch reinforces DIB's broader sustainability agenda and its ambition to advance the ESG landscape across Islamic finance. The Bank has committed to increasing sustainable assets to represent 15% of total gross financing and investing book by 2030, with approximately half of that target already achieved. By end-2025, DIB has deployed nearly AED 20 billion in sustainable and sustainability-linked financing, invested around AED 9 billion in ESG sukuk and facilitated close to AED 30 billion in sustainable debt capital market transactions.

These commitments are translating into measurable impact across the real economy. DIB’s sustainable finance activities have supported greener buildings, cleaner transport, energy efficiency, affordable and social housing, essential services and more resilient infrastructure. They have also helped avoid more than 155,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions, supported more than 13,000 electric vehicles, delivered nearly 96,000 MWh in energy savings and contributed to more than 1,500 affordable and social housing units.

The forum featured expert presentations and executive panel discussions with participation from the Department of Energy, Knight Frank and Arada, examining the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of sustainable real estate. Discussions addressed policy frameworks, value creation through sustainability, the green premium, retrofit financing, building performance data, circular supply chains and waste management strategies.

A key highlight of the programme was the introduction of Green Concierge, DIB's integrated client enablement platform designed to support organisations across the full transition journey, from strategic direction and capability building to financing, market access, impact measurement, reporting and assurance. The platform brings together sustainable finance expertise, Shariah-compliant structuring, ecosystem partnerships and DIB’s debt capital market capabilities, helping clients develop credible ESG roadmaps, identify implementation partners, access tailored financing solutions and strengthen transparency.

The event also featured collaborative workshops focused on enhancing finance readiness, unlocking asset value through sustainability and advancing circularity across the real estate sector. Insights and recommendations generated during these sessions culminated in the launch of an industry collaboration pact, through which participants committed to continued engagement via a specialised roundtable series aimed at accelerating practical, market-driven solutions for sustainable real estate finance.

Building on the success of the inaugural event, DIB’s “Unlocking Sustainable Finance” Series will expand across additional priority sectors facing complex transition challenges, creating a scalable platform for industry dialogue, client enablement and sustainable market development.

About DIB:

Established in 1975, DIB is the largest Islamic bank in the UAE by assets and a public joint stock company listed on the Dubai Financial Market. Spearheading the evolution of the global Islamic finance industry, DIB is also the world’s first full service Islamic bank and amongst the largest Islamic banks in the world.  With Group assets now exceeding US$110 billion and market capitalisation of more than US$18 billion, the group operates with a workforce of around 12,000 employees and more than 540 branches in its vast global network across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. DIB’s ecosystem, spanning across UAE, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Kenya, Sudan and Bosnia, reaches more than 11 million customers — a reflection of its expanding scale and trusted franchise.

In addition to being the first and largest Islamic bank in the UAE, DIB has a significant international presence as a torchbearer in promoting Shariah-compliant financial services across a number of markets worldwide. The bank has established DIB Pakistan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary which is the first Islamic bank in Pakistan to offer Priority & Platinum Banking, The launch of Panin Dubai Syariah Bank in Indonesia early marked DIB’s first foray in the Far East, with a stake of nearly 25% stake in the Indonesian bank. Additionally, DIB was given the licence by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to operate its subsidiary, DIB Kenya Ltd. DIB has been designated as D-SIB (Domestic Systemically Important Bank) in UAE. The acquisition of Noor Bank has solidified its position as a leading bank in the global Islamic finance industry. Recently, DIB has successfully acquired minority stake of 25% of T.O.M. Group which provides digital banking services in Türkiye.

The bank’s ultimate goal is to make Islamic finance the norm, rather than an alternative to conventional banking worldwide. DIB has won a range of accolades that are testament to these efforts across diversified areas, including retail, corporate and investment banking, as well as CSR and consultancy services. DIB has been named the “Best Islamic Bank” in various prestigious ceremonies marking the bank’s leadership position in the Islamic finance sector. As a progressive Islamic financial institution, DIB embraces the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating sustainability into its business by delivering sustainable products and services and by advancing the green and social composition. 2025 marked DIB’s Golden Jubilee, with a Bold New Vision for the Future to be prepared to meet the challenges ahead and continue building a legacy of success for the years to come.

For more information, please visit us at www.dib.aePlease follow us on DIB’s social channels:
 Facebook     LinkedIn        X         YouTube        Instagram

For more PR information, please contact:
DIB
Jawaher Al Shamsi
Head of Corporate Comm & PR
Email: jawaher.alshamsi@dib.ae

Weber Shandwick
Tameem Alkintar
Account Director
Email:  TAlkintar@webershandwick.com