Emirates NBD becomes first bank in Saudi to be awarded prestigious LEED® Gold V4 ID+C:CI certification

Riyadh, gulftech: Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East North Africa and Turkey) region, has announced that its Al Quds branch in Riyadh has been awarded LEED® V4 ID+C:CI Gold certification, making it the first bank branch in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to receive this certification.

KSA is one of Emirates NBD’s largest footprints outside the UAE and a key market for the banking group.

Emirates NBD also remains the first in the MENA region to secure the prestigious LEED® Gold-certification for its branches. Four of the bank’s branches in the UAE namely Nakheel Mall branch, Arabian Centre, Umm Suqeim and Burj Khalifa branch have secured the certification in the past, highlighting the bank’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability in its operations.

The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. Buildings that achieve LEED® ID+C:CI certification have lower carbon emissions, create a healthier environment and reduce operating costs while prioritising sustainable practices. 

Commenting on the announcement, Abdulla Qassem, Group Chief Operating Officer, Emirates NBD, said, “We are delighted to be the first bank in KSA to be awarded the highly reputed LEED® ID+C:CI Gold certification. The bank had to meet stringent criteria to achieve this recognition reflecting our deep commitment to changing the build environment. As a responsible financial institution, we are proud to be recognised as a leader in sustainable development and remain committed to setting an example for the banking sector.”

Emirates NBD has ongoing sustainability efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UAE Vision 2030, and the Dubai Declaration for Sustainable Finance. A pioneer in sustainability initiatives in the region, the bank has been formally reporting on its efforts through its annual Sustainability Report, first issued in 2016. The report covers the organisation’s social, ethical, corporate governance and environmental performance across the previous year