MUSCAT : When capital starts rewarding cleaner, better-run businesses, attention quickly turns to ESG. The next Tejarah Talks will examine how environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards are reshaping business priorities, finance and competitiveness.
Organized by the Oman Business Forum in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Investment Promotion, the session will take place at 11:00am, 3 December at Oman Arab Bank’s Head Office in Al Ghubrah North.
Panellists include Dr Aisha Al Sarihi, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Economy; Wendy Werner, the World Bank Country Manager, Oman; and Hanife Ymer, ESG Adviser, Development Bank. The discussion will be moderated by Jamal Al Asmi, Creative Growth Director, Mubashir.
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Once treated as an optional badge of good behaviour, ESG has become a measure of commercial credibility. The Muscat Stock Exchange now requires all listed firms to file ESG reports and Central Bank of Oman has instructed lenders to assess environmental and social risks when pricing loans.
The trend is global. A 2024 PwC survey found that 85% of consumers have felt the effects of climate change and are willing to pay almost 10% more for products they trust to be responsibly produced. At the same time, KPMG research shows that nine in 10 publicly-traded companies now have ESG initiatives in place and nearly all senior executives say they feel pressure to prioritize them. In other words, ESG is no longer a matter of image, it is shaping how companies are judged by investors, regulators and customers alike.
“ESG is moving from aspiration to accounting,” said Badriya Al Amri, Oman Business Forum Office and co-organizer of Tejarah Talks. “Companies that can show credible data, how they use resources, treat people and govern themselves will find access to finance easier and cheaper.”
The panel will look at what this means in practice – Omani exporters facing Europe’s carbon-border adjustment charges, manufacturers under scrutiny from supply-chain audits and smaller firms finding their first steps into ESG reporting.
As Al Amri noted, “The question isn’t whether ESG matters but how quickly local businesses can adapt. Those that act early will not only comply, they’ll compete.”
Tejarah Talks continues to serve as a forum for practical discussion on themes reshaping Oman’s business environment.
