Is ESG in the Gulf substance or spin? Corporate governance strategist and MFTA member Gihan Hyde joins Wall Street to MENA to break down how to separate genuine sustainability commitments from glossy PR.
Gihan explains how board ownership, measurement transparency, and where the budget actually goes reveal whether ESG is real or just reporting theatre. She contrasts the UAE’s investor-attraction model with Saudi Arabia’s approach of embedding ESG into national transformation through Tadawul and the Capital Market Authority, shares the concrete red flags of greenwashing, and makes the case for why international investors need to understand that ESG reporting in this region is still maturing, and why that context matters rather than being hidden.
Having advised BP, HSBC, and Barclays, and serving as an advisor to Saudi Arabia’s Saafah Foundation, Gihan brings a rare cross-regional lens to one of the most contested topics in global finance today.