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9 October 2025

First Abu Dhabi Bank Issues $20M Blue Bond After ‎Successful Inaugural Bond in August

Abu Dhabi, 9 October 2025 ‎: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s global bank and one of the world’s largest and ‎safest financial institutions, has successfully issued its second Blue Bond, a USD 20 ‎million 3-year Blue Bond. This comes shortly after FAB’s inaugural Blue Bond in August ‎‎2025, underscoring the strong momentum behind its commitment to financing ocean and ‎water-related projects that support climate resilience and environmental sustainability.‎

Blue Bonds remain a nascent and impactful instrument globally, designed to promote ‎investment in initiatives aiming to conserve marine resources, protect coastlines, and ‎enhance blue carbon ecosystems. FAB’s successive issuance reflects its growing ‎ambition to innovate within the sustainable finance space and to lead regional efforts ‎toward a blue economy.‎

With this second Blue Bond, FAB brings its total Blue Bond issuances to USD 70 million, ‎marking a significant milestone for the bank’s pioneering blue finance. Aligned with FAB’s ‎Sustainable Finance Framework 2023 and ICMA Green Bond Principles, net proceeds will ‎exclusively support landmark water and marine projects, including:‎

  • Wastewater treatment facilities now delivering a daily capacity of 430,000 cubic ‎meters, enabling water recycling for irrigation across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.‎
  • A newly funded desalination facility producing 37 million liters per day, powered ‎by renewable energy sources (410,000 MWh/year) and 700 MWh of battery storage.‎
  • All projects are subject to rigorous ESG risk assessment and ongoing monitoring ‎to guarantee environmental and social impact.‎

These initiatives contribute directly to the UAE Water Agenda 2036 and further advance ‎the country’s environmental and sustainable development commitments.‎

Shargiil Bashir, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at FAB, said: “This second Blue Bond ‎shows FAB’s ongoing commitment to supporting water resilience and marine protection ‎across the UAE. With USD 70 million now raised, we’re setting new standards for ‎sustainable finance in the region. This milestone is especially timely, as Abu Dhabi ‎prepares to host the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where FAB is proud to serve as ‎Principal and Official Banking Partner and an active partner in shaping the blue economy ‎agenda. ‎

At IUCN, discussions will focus on the future of the blue economy, and FAB is honored not ‎only to contribute as a partner but also to lead through tangible actions, as demonstrated ‎by this issuance. This milestone reflects our leadership in sustainable finance and our ‎determination to create tangible environmental impact. Importantly, it also enables our ‎clients to directly contribute to climate-positive outcomes through their investments. By ‎mobilising capital toward climate-resilient infrastructure, we are shaping a more inclusive ‎and sustainable financial future where both institutions and their clients play a critical ‎role in driving environmental progress.”‎

By supporting priority projects for water and marine conservation, and fostering strong ‎collaboration between public and private stakeholders, FAB’s latest issuance ‎demonstrates the positive impact that financial innovation can deliver for nature and ‎society. In partnership with investors and the wider market, FAB remains committed to ‎enabling a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future for the UAE and beyond.‎

Matt Lawton, Head of Impact, Fixed Income at T. Rowe Price, commented, “T. Rowe ‎Price Associates is pleased to support First Abu Dhabi Bank’s second blue bond issuance, ‎which marks a significant step forward for sustainable finance in the region. Our ‎investment, made on behalf of client accounts, reflects our commitment to mobilizing ‎capital for advancing the blue economy. By partnering with FAB, we are helping to direct ‎funding toward projects that strengthen water resilience and marine protection, while also ‎delivering attractive investment opportunities for our clients. We believe this transaction ‎sets a new standard for how capital markets can drive positive environmental and social ‎impact in the UAE and beyond.”‎