ESG Just Stopped Being a Marketing Story For about a decade, ESG in the UAE meant the same thing in most boardrooms. A glossy annual report. A few photos of solar panels. A community engagement page. Maybe a paragraph from the Chairman about sustainability values. The Marketing department wrote it. The board signed it. Everyone moved on. That era ended on 30 May 2025. That's when Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024, the UAE Climate Law, came into force. Full compliance is due 3

In the UAE, corporate governance has entered a new era. Governance frameworks have long been aligned to publicly listed, regulated entities (such as financials and international corporations). Family-run privately held organizations and businesses often took a more informal approach to governance. However, this is changing quickly due to heightened regulation, global investor demand, and increased visibility into the markets will push UAE private companies to Institute strong