Reimagining our region - October Issue

A round-up of our latest news, insights, and industry reports on hot topics from the region.

In this issue, we bring you the latest news from the firm with the launch of Tamakkan, insights on consumers in the region and the shift in their decision making using price comparison platforms from our Pulse 6. We also look at sustainable finance and the growing importance of incorporating it into financial systems in the region.?

Lastly, we explore the European Green Deal in more detail, and successful examples of green taxes across EU and UK, and how the region can adapt these policies.

Global Consumer Insights Survey -Pulse 6 - Middle East Findings

In Pulse 6, we see price-conscious shoppers cross-checking product prices from multiple sources. With higher awareness levels, there is an uptake in the use of specialised price comparison platforms to complement relying on search engines, Amazon, social media, and word-of-mouth. Consumers in the Middle East have a slightly higher preference for physical stores compared to shopping online via mobile phones and personal computers and for brand’s websites. Sustainability and emerging technologies feature high on the list of generally young and tech-savvy consumers in the region. Learn more about the region’s consumer behaviors in our report: https://pwc.to/3Q0DGGE

Opportunities for the GCC to strengthen the sustainable finance ecosystem

In recent years, sustainable finance has gathered significant attention embracing the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable development. The term has emerged as a thoughtful approach to impact investing, addressing environmental, social, and governance considerations (ESG). As the world seeks to address global challenges more comprehensively, it is critical to explore sustainable finance and its offerings and distinguish similar practices such as green and climate finance. While the world has grown starkly aware of these practices, similarly in the GCC region, there is a growing recognition of the importance of incorporating sustainable finance principles into financial systems, with a shared vision of promoting sustainable development.

In this report we provide an overview of the #sustainablefinance ecosystem, focusing on the GCC’s progress against global policy discussions: https://pwc.to/3EElbBn

Tamakkan - our talent acceleration networking and mentorship programme for GCC Nationals

We are back for the second year with our 'Tamakkan' programme, a two-year talent acceleration networking and mentorship programme for our #GCC Nationals. The programme, designed for Senior Associate, Senior Manager and Director Nationals; gives our talent the access and support to further their career, and opens the doors to strategic growth experiences, leadership exposure and targeted mentorship.?

Through the programme, we aim to build and support our future leaders in building their business case for growth in the Firm. We remain committed to attracting and developing the region’s best national talents and supporting their career journey!

Is a Green Deal the Middle East's Path to Sustainability?

As the region gets ready to host COP28 UAE to unite the world towards formulating sustainable and practical solutions to the climate crisis, businesses in the region expect governments to step up and develop policy frameworks, similar to the Green Deal of Europe.

We heard this loud and clear in our 2023 Middle East Report where businesses we surveyed told us they would like to see a new green deal for the Middle East, that includes some form of climate legislation with incentive packages to boost green growth in the region.?

In this paper we explore the European Green Deal in more detail, look at examples of successful green taxes and initiatives in the EU and the UK and provide an outlook of how the Middle East can learn from these to develop policy frameworks aligned with the region’s sustainability goals: https://pwc.to/46CWEbV

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