FAB Sets $27.2B Blue Finance Target and Signs UN Water Principles
The UAE bank will lend AED100 billion to water and blue economy projects by 2035 and is the first MENA institution to back the UN framework.
Tariq Benali Tariq Benali covers business and corporate news across the UAE and MENA for Anecdoted, tracking the deals, leadership moves and regulatory shifts behind the region's companies. tariq@anecdoted.com
First Abu Dhabi Bank has set a $27.2 billion (AED100bn) blue finance target. The money is designated for water and blue economy-related financing between 2026 and 2035. FAB is the first bank in the UAE and the wider Middle East and North Africa region to adopt a dedicated water-related financing target. The goal is part of the bank's $136 billion (AED500bn) sustainable finance commitment through 2030.
That commitment is already more than halfway delivered. By the first half of 2026, FAB had facilitated $107.6 billion (AED395bn) in sustainable and transition financing, equal to 79% of the $136 billion it wants to reach by 2030. The blue finance target does not add to that sum. It creates a separate water line inside the bank's sustainable finance effort, allowing progress on water projects to be measured against its own number.
FAB's signature makes it the first MENA bank to support the UN Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles. The principles promote the sustainable use of water resources and encourage financial institutions to factor water-related risks and opportunities into their decisions. FAB says financing under the target will support sustainable water infrastructure and blue economy projects. A principle can be endorsed without money behind it. FAB paired its endorsement with a published figure.
The target aligns with the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to ensure sustainable access to water under normal conditions and in emergencies. Hana Al Rostamani, FAB's group CEO, said the commitment advances the UAE's long-term water security goals. She also framed the move as a continuation of FAB's sustainable finance leadership and pointed to a resilient, nature-positive future for the region. The bank is treating water security as a lending theme rather than a philanthropic one.
Abdulla Balalaa, assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said water underpins economic growth, resilience, and stability. He urged financial institutions in the UAE and globally to place water at the center of investment and risk management decisions. The UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for December 2026, gives those appeals a specific target date. FAB expects the financial sector to play an important role in moving capital toward water-related solutions.
Beyond its home market, the bank has been backing water access projects. In June, FAB partnered with Water.org and WaterEquity to invest in expanding safe water and sanitation services in emerging markets. That work addresses access gaps in different countries, while the new target is anchored in the region's infrastructure and blue economy needs.
FAB enters the water finance period with strong regional standing. Forbes Middle East placed the bank ninth on its 100 Most Valuable Companies 2026 list. Al Rostamani ranks 11th on the publication's Top 100 CEOs 2026 list. Those positions give weight to the bank's claim of leadership in regional sustainable finance.
