The Sustainability Learning Forum

MOSTADAM: More Than Just Finance

Perihan Abdel Ghaly, Arab African International Bank
Maha Hasebou, Arab African International Bank
Arab African International Bank

Since 2004, privatization and economic reforms in Egypt, especially in the banking sector, have spurred active engagement and responsibility toward communities and in the country at large. The banking sector’s current capacity and capital remain significant when comparing its role in social and environment development. The Arab African International Bank (AAIB)’s experience offers a successful trendsetting model concerning the role of banks in affecting the growth of new industries and the economy at large. more[...]

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Corporate Governance: The Way to Sustainable Finance

Perihan Abdel Ghaly, Arab African International Bank
Arab African International Bank

Arab African International Bank (AAIB) firmly believes that the road to impactful corporate governance entails values that achieve sustainable businesses as an end goal – AAIB seeks to maintain the balance between economic growth, profitability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. more[...]

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Education, Community, and Social Equality

Perihan Abdel Ghaly, Arab African International Bank
Arab African International Bank

Arab African International Bank believes in investment in youth for a better future and realizes that its influence as a leading private institution has grown in parallel with its competitiveness. Arab African International Bank was the first bank in Egypt and the region to launch an education program for undergraduates in various universities across the country and offers awards for creative ideas. more[...] login_required

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MENA

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Abdel Ghaly, Perihan

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Moss, Craig

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Improving Labor Standards Performance in the Middle East

Craig Moss, Social Accountability International (SAI)

Labor standards and working conditions in the Middle East exhibit many of the same basic problems that occur globally. If we look at workers’ demands from the recent strikes in Egypt and Jordan, we will see issues that clearly violate the International Labour Organization’s core labor conventions – unfortunately, that will surprise no one. more[...] login_required

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Loewe, Markus

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Responsible Business Is the Key – The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arab Economies

Walid Nagi, UN Global Compact
Habiba Al Marashi, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)

In this interview, Habiba Al Marashi, Chair of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) and Board Member of the UN Global Compact, and Walid Nagi, Manager CSR and Corporate Communications at the Al-Mansour Holding and UNGC Regional Networks Manager MENA and Europe, talk about the drastic social changes, the examples companies can provide, and the importance of the business sector for sustainable development in the MENA region. more[...]

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Responsible Business Is the Key – The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arab Economies

Walid Nagi, UN Global Compact
Habiba Al Marashi, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)

In this interview, Habiba Al Marashi, Chair of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) and Board Member of the UN Global Compact, and Walid Nagi, Manager CSR and Corporate Communications at the Al-Mansour Holding and UNGC Regional Networks Manager MENA and Europe, talk about the drastic social changes, the examples companies can provide, and the importance of the business sector for sustainable development in the MENA region. more[...]

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On the Role of Human Development in the Arab Spring

Prof. Randall Kuhn, University of Denver

This essay traces the impact of human development on political change, focusing on the events of the Arab Spring. Over the past generation, most Arab States experienced rapid progress in human development outcomes, including declining child mortality, increasing schooling and increasing height of women. I posit that improvements in human development laid the foundation for mobilization against political regimes. more[...]

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Will the Arab Spring Free the “Orphans of Globalization”?

Prof. Jean-Pierre Lehmann, IMD

It was a humiliated Arab youth – the Tunisian Mohammed Bouazizi from the desolate village of Sidi Bouzid – who, in immolating himself, sparked a revolution that engulfed his country, spread to Egypt, and has gripped the entire Arab world. It is the first revolution to happen in the Arab world for some time, certainly one led by youth, and it is the first in which the spirit of revolution was spread through such social media instruments as Facebook and Twitter. more[...]

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Renewable Energy in the Middle East and North Africa

Dr. Franz Trieb, German Aerospace Center - DLR
Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, Technische Univeristät Dresden

Until very recently, the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had not indicated any serious interests in the use of renewable energies, as these technologies were considered insufficient, irrelevant, and expensive. Countries with oil or gas became rich by exploiting their fossil fuel reserves, while the other countries claimed to be too poor to be able to afford wind or solar power. This picture changed in 2008 when the price of a barrel of oil climbed to $140. more[...]

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Improving Labor Standards Performance in the Middle East

Craig Moss, Social Accountability International (SAI)

Labor standards and working conditions in the Middle East exhibit many of the same basic problems that occur globally. If we look at workers’ demands from the recent strikes in Egypt and Jordan, we will see issues that clearly violate the International Labour Organization’s core labor conventions – unfortunately, that will surprise no one. more[...]

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Wasta: How the Use of “Connections” Impacts on Private Sector Development in Arab Countries and Why

Dr. Markus Loewe, German Development Institute

The literal translation of the Arabic word wasta is “connection,” but it is often employed for favoritism, that is, the use of personal relations for preferential treatment. Favoritism is a form of corruption when someone uses her/his position to distribute the resources of someone else (e.g., the employer or the state) to a friend or relative. more[...]

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