Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), the UAE’s third-largest lender, has priced its debut $500 million green bond that will help it finance projects following environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.
The five-year bond, which was priced 115 basis points above treasuries, carries a 4.5 per cent coupon rate, ADCB said in a statement on Thursday.
The transaction was 3.8 times oversubscribed, attracting $1.9 billion in orders from local, regional and international investors.
The bond, which will be issued on September 14, follows a global roadshow and reflects confidence in ADCB as well as its approach to managing ESG risks and opportunities, the bank said.
“The successful pricing of the first ADCB green bond is a significant milestone in the bank’s implementation of international best practice in ESG,” said Alaa Eraiqat, ADCB's group chief executive.
“The bank has adopted a green bond framework to provide a long-term platform to support further mobilisation of capital for green projects. We look forward to collaborating with clients and other stakeholders to advance in our shared ambition for a net-zero future.”
Lenders and corporations across the region are increasingly looking to raise financing for ESG and sustainability-linked projects. First Abu Dhabi Bank, along with Dubai’s Majid Al Futtaim Holding, are among the UAE issuers of green financing deals.
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, better known as Taqa, together with Emirates Water and Electricity Company, also raised $700.8m through its first green bond as it diversifies funding sources to include sustainable financing for projects.
Taqa will use proceeds of the deal to refinance existing debt of Sweihan PV Power Company, the entity set up to build, own and operate Noor Abu Dhabi solar power project, it said earlier this year.
Globally, the issuance of green bonds climbed 87 per cent to $532bn in 2021. However, the value of transaction fell more than 34 per cent in the three months to the end of March to $83.8bn, S&P Global Ratings said in a report, citing Climate Bonds Initiative data.
The rating agency expects sustainability-linked bonds to be the fastest-growing subset of ESG bonds. In 2021, $92bn of sustainability-linked bonds were issued, marking a 989 per cent increase over the previous year.
ADCB said it has embedded ESG into its corporate strategy and has aligned its sustainability approach to the UAE’s ambitions for an inclusive, net-zero economy.
It is committed to provide Dh35bn ($9.53bn) in green finance by 2030, reach net zero in its own operations and reduce financed emissions in line with the UAE government’s net-zero ambitions.
The proceeds of the bond issuance will further support financing of a low-carbon economy in line with criteria set out in the framework.
Initiatives eligible for green loans include projects or companies associated with renewable energy, green buildings, sustainable water and wastewater treatment, clean transport, energy efficiency and pollution prevention and control.
In July, ADCB reported a 12 per cent annual increase in second-quarter net profit, largely driven by higher interest rates and higher non-interest income. The bank's net profit for the three months to the end of June climbed to Dh1.57bn.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
