Aldar upgraded to ‘A' rating in MSCI ESG Rating assessment
Aldar has been upgraded to an 'A' rating in the latest MSCI ESG Rating assessment, placing the company in the top quartile of real estate companies tracked by MSCI globally.
The rating upgrade reflects the company's continued progress in strengthening its environmental, social, and governance practices across its operations in alignment with global sustainability standards.
MSCI is a leading global rating agency that evaluates companies' exposure to industry-specific ESG risks and their ability to manage those risks relative to peers. The ratings are widely used by investors to evaluate how companies manage long-term risk and an 'A' rating signals that the integration of ESG principles into the company's long-term strategy is having a tangible impact.
Faisal Falaknaz, Group Chief Financial and Sustainability Officer at Aldar, said, 'This upgrade reflects the significant strides we've made in embedding ESG as a core principle of how we do business across the group. As we continue delivering on our strategic growth roadmap, we remain committed to responsible value creation and transparency, ensuring we contribute positively to our stakeholders, the local economy, and the environment. Achieving an 'A' rating from MSCI is a strong endorsement of our actions and a motivating step to advance our position within the top quartile of our sector globally.'
Aldar's strongest increase in performance came from an improvement in governance practices, with the company's corporate behaviour score, measuring both business ethics and transparency, increasing by 2.1 points, reaching 8.3 out of 10. This is at the top end for the sector in EMEA emerging markets. The best-in-class corporate behaviour, in tandem with gains across environmental assessment category, drove the overall upgrade from MSCI.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
30 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE Golden Visa now targets talent in AI, climate sectors, says expert
The UAE has expanded the scope of its highly popular Golden Visa programme, shifting the focus from solely attracting foreign investments and wealth to fostering long-term value creation in the economy. Entrepreneurs, tech founders, and investors are now being evaluated not only on the size of their investments but on the overall impact they can bring to the local ecosystem, according to Gaurav Keswani, founder and managing director of JSB, a Dubai-based advisory firm specialising in company formation and visa services. 'After Covid-19, the government's primary goal was to attract capital into the country. That's why, during the initial wave in 2022–23, many of the Golden Visa recipients were real estate investors,' Keswani told Khaleej Times in an interview. 'However, from 2023–24 onwards, we entered the second phase of the programme. The government empowered multiple departments — including the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Sports, and Abu Dhabi Residents Office — to scout globally for individuals who could make the UAE their second home and add meaningful value to the economy.' Keswani emphasised that the programme is no longer just about capital inflow. 'It's now about long-term growth potential. We're seeing candidates from sectors like AI, IoT, cloud computing, and private wealth management. The government's approach has evolved; it now targets individuals with specialised skills who can contribute to the broader community.' The UAE introduced its long-term residency programme in 2019 to attract foreign investment. According to the latest figures, 158,000 people received Golden Visas in Dubai alone in 2023. Of these, approximately 40% were investors, with the remaining 60 per cent spread across various other categories. 'About 22 per cent of the total were professionals from banking and non-banking sectors, including those involved in AI and climate change,' Keswani noted. 'The government has made substantial investments across various industries and is now strategically attracting talent aligned with those sectors.' He added that the initial phase of the programme was capital-centric. 'In recent years, we've seen eight of the world's top 20 hedge funds establish operations in the UAE, bringing around $48 billion in business. But with such a capital influx, there's a need for the right talent — CEOs, CTOs, and other key executives — to optimise and grow that investment. That's why the government's focus has shifted from purely capital to a more strategic, talent-driven approach.' More categories The Golden Visa currently offers a 10-year residency to a wide range of individuals, including outstanding students, scientists, graduates from top global universities, coders, and highly qualified professionals. According to Keswani, whose firm has arranged visas for over 250 individuals in the past six months, additional categories are expected to be added in the near future. 'Yes, definitely — especially in areas like AI, climate tech, IoT, and cloud computing,' he said. 'In the past five months alone, we've seen a significant rise in the number of private bankers, AI consultants, and cloud experts being shortlisted. These professionals are often behind large-scale projects or are significant investors themselves, and the programme is adapting accordingly.' Greater flexibility for professionals Keswani also highlighted the flexibility of the UAE's Golden Visa scheme. 'The long-term residency allows individuals to switch employers or even leave their jobs to pursue entrepreneurship while continuing to reside in the UAE,' he explained. 'The government has done an excellent job targeting the Asia-Pacific talent pool. Moreover, senior professionals like CEOs and CTOs with substantial income can invest in property here, obtain residency, and manage their assets independently.' He emphasised a key advantage of the programme: 'Residency and investment are treated as two separate legal entities. So if someone wants to liquidate an investment and move to a different asset class, they can do so without affecting their residency status. This structure gives skilled professionals flexibility and control, which is why the programme has resonated so strongly with global talent.'
Al Etihad
9 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Etihad Rail delegation explores rail cooperation with Kuwait
29 June 2025 21:24 KUWAIT (WAM)A delegation from Etihad Rail, led by the CEO Shadi Malak, met with Dr. Noura Mohammed Khaled Al-Mishaan, Minister of Public Works of the State of Kuwait, to discuss strengthening joint cooperation and exchanging expertise in railway infrastructure among GCC the meeting, Minister Dr. Al-Mishaan highlighted Kuwait's commitment to learning from leading railway development experiences, particularly the successful UAE-Oman partnership in establishing Hafeet Rail, describing it as a model of Gulf integration in transport and infrastructure emphasised that collaboration in this vital sector reflects Kuwait's support for advancing Gulf integration and strengthening economic and geographic connectivity among GCC states. She also stressed the importance of ongoing coordination between technical teams to implement high-quality projects that meet the region's development Al Rashidi, Under-Secretary of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Public Works, underscored the ministry's priority in leveraging successful regional experiences, noting that early collaboration in planning and execution stages is key to building a sustainable rail network that supports regional integration and shared development meeting included a technical presentation outlining Kuwait's future railway project plans. Minister Dr. Al-Mishaan presented the ministry's vision to establish a sustainable national railway network grounded in regional and international best practices. The vision takes into account both environmental and economic factors, aligning with Kuwait's broader sustainable development objectives.
Khaleej Times
10 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE employees outpace EMEA peers in cyber confidence, study reveals
The UAE workforce is ahead of its EMEA peers across several indicators of cyber-readiness, underscoring the country's progress toward its national vision for digital resilience and AI-enabled defence, a study showed. According to research by Cohesity, a company specialising in AI-powered data security and resilience, 86 per cent of UAE employees expressed confidence in recognising a cyber threat—compared to 81 per cent in the UK, 80 per cent in Germany, and just 62 per cent in France. Nearly nine in ten (89 per cent) UAE respondents also said they trust their organisation's ability to prevent and recover from attacks. Beyond awareness, the study reveals encouraging signs of action-oriented behaviour. Two-thirds of UAE employees say they would report suspicious activity to their cybersecurity team, showing an apt response, in comparison to respondents from the UK (61 per cent), Germany (53 per cent), and France (48 per cent). Amongst other UAE employees, over half would notify their IT department. This instinct to act is supported by ongoing education: 66 per cent have received some form of cybersecurity training in the past year. However, the research also highlights areas where further progress is needed. A small but notable group of employees say they would either attempt to resolve a threat on their own (15 per cent) or turn to personal contacts first (19 per cent), indicating a gap in internal reporting clarity, and a potentially risk to the entire organisation that mis-understanding of how important it is that reporting through the correct processes is critical to the quickest resolution of any potential risk of cyber attack . Among those hesitant to report incidents correctly, the leading reasons include fear of blame or confusion (46 per cent), a belief that it isn't their responsibility (27 per cent), and worry about overreacting (14 per cent). Johnny Karam, Managing Director and Vice President, International Emerging Region at Cohesity, commented: 'The findings reflect the UAE's clear leadership in cybersecurity readiness across the EMEA region. With initiatives driven by the UAE Cybersecurity Council and a strong national focus on AI and digital transformation, it's no surprise that employee awareness is rising in step with enterprise investment.' 'What stands out is not just awareness, but the willingness to act. The next step is closing the gap—equipping employees with the tools, clarity, and – perhaps most importantly - confidence to respond without hesitation. If we educate all employees of the serious risks to the organisation of not correctly reporting any potential cyber risks they see, encouraging a mentality that they will not get in trouble for doing so, and highlighting their individual capability to maximise the speed of response all UAE organisations can be more resilient. At Cohesity, we believe true cyber resilience is built on both technology and a culture of empowered people,' Karam added. The UAE's continued investment in cybersecurity infrastructure, most recently through advanced threat detection systems activated under the direction of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, demonstrates a firm national commitment to securing the digital landscape. The study shows that employees are already aligning with this vision: ● Two-thirds of the respondents have undergone cybersecurity training, with 39 per cent participating in multiple sessions in the past year. ● Over half (51 per cent) would report a suspicious incident to IT, while 67 per cent would notify a cybersecurity team, demonstrating a willingness to escalate issues through formal channels. ● 77 per cent are familiar with the term 'ransomware', showing widespread awareness of key threat types. Awareness of cyber threats is on the rise in the UAE, with 77 per cent of employees familiar with the term 'ransomware'. This strong baseline offers an ideal foundation to build upon. By expanding education beyond surface-level awareness to include real-world examples and practical training, companies can empower their teams with the confidence and clarity needed to respond effectively. While confidence in reporting and escalating potential ransomware threats within the organisation is high, the study reveals opportunities to further strengthen internal reporting behaviour. Around 15 per cent say they would attempt to resolve a threat themselves, and 19 per cent would first alert their personal contacts, These responses highlight a proactive mindset, which organisations can harness by further strengthening internal reporting protocols and promoting awareness of the appropriate escalation paths. Among the smaller group of employees who expressed hesitation in reporting a potential incident, the most common reasons included: ● UAE employees showed a strong sense of fear of blame or not understanding the issue (46 per cent), while EMEA employees had a more neutral perspective (UK - 26 per cent, Germany - 20 per cent, and France - 15 per cent). ● 27 per cent of the UAE respondents believed it wasn't their responsibility, showing a much bigger gap to appreciating their role in their organisations cyber safety as compared to their EMEA counterparts (UK -10 per cent, Germany - 12 per cent, and France 19 per cent). ● 14 per cent UAE employees feared overreacting, in-tune with 18 per cent of German respondents 15 per cent from the UK and 11 per cent of French respondents showing similar sentiment. With the UAE government actively advancing national cybersecurity capabilities and frameworks, the country is uniquely positioned to lead by example. Employees are ready and willing: confidence is high, training is widespread, and the instinct to act is evident. To fully unlock this potential, organisations must ensure that every employee, from the frontline to the C-suite, knows their role in safeguarding the business. Mark Molyneux, CTO, EMEA at Cohesity, added: 'These findings confirm what we're seeing across the region: employees are increasingly aware of cyber risks and are willing to step up, which is largely due to the UAE Cyber Security Council's approach to increasing security awareness across the Emirates. But this awareness must be matched with action. The future of cybersecurity will be defined by how quickly organisations can enable secure, informed decisions at every level. That means embedding cyber resilience into daily operations, investing in smart automation, closing the gap between detection and response, and instilling a culture that supports employees in raising concerns early in a safe space. In fast-moving threat environments, AI-powered data security is not a luxury, it's an operational necessity.'
