I have previously wrote about being focused on continuous growth and lifelong learning in the ten years ahead, and the article below is a continuation of this topic.

One result of the Covid-19 pandemic was the large amount of time spent thinking alone during the lockdown, which provided many of us the opportunity to slow down and consider the directions our lives were going in.

This report is intended for readers who are interested in shifting their focus to sustainability after having a marketing agency experience similar to my time as a member of Publicis Groupe for several years in Dubai Media City. As a lot of people wish to have new chapters in their careers after advertising, marketing and communication, the below is bit of a sneak peak as to how they can transition.

The journey I have undergone the last few years has shown me that I can transition from modeling in advertisements for clients of Big Four advertising agencies ahead of COP28 to studying climate models in courses created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The key to pursuing this new direction is identifying opportunities for local learning and embracing new information.

Sustainability start:

The journey to accomplishing something meaningful often starts within, since internal motivation is often what propels transitions that can seem difficult at first.

Similar to how a workout routine often requires months of dedication and consistency to lead to visible results, the path to learning about new topics often requires an individual to be self-driven and enthusiastic about doing the work behind the scenes when nobody is watching.

Fortunately, the growth of online cohorts that present free learning opportunities has allowed for people around the world to learn about sustainability while staying involved in their careers.

During the summer of 2025, there are both cohort-based learning and on-demand educational opportunities available for everyone interested in learning about the climate space.

The Paris-based online education startup INCO Academy is launching a free live 5-week Green Digital Certificate course on August 4 which covers topics such as the essentials of reporting within ESG strategy and the environmental considerations of AI usage.

The course is delivered several times per year in collaboration with partners across the MENA region including the Union for the Mediterranean, Egypt-based San3a Tech, Tunisia-based AgriLab and Orange Morocco.

The Mastering En-ROADS course delivered by Climate Interactive is also available on-demand: it focuses on teaching students how to utilize a climate simulation platform developed by the MIT Sloan School of Management, Climate Interactive and Ventana Systems.

The course is also delivered in a live month-long cohort called En-ROADS Climate Ambassador Camp that features global participants who started taking part in the latest edition on July 1.

The opportunity to join global cohorts thanks to online learning encourages learning new forms of data visualization which are relevant to storytelling strategies and opportunities to connect with those interested in growing within the field of sustainability.
As the second half of this decade begins in July 2025, this halfway point offers us the chance to explore the various ways we can continue developing by seeking world-class educational opportunities.

Unlike capital-intensive or heavily polluting industries, where environmental impact is visible and direct, professional services firms have historically remained on the sidelines of ESG scrutiny. That is changing rapidly. The demand for ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability now extends to every sector that holds influence over business decisions. ESG is not just about reducing emissions or giving back to the community, it is about embedding responsibility into every layer of how an organization functions, communicates, and delivers value to stakeholders. 

Governance, one of the three core pillars of ESG, takes center stage in this industry. For firms tasked with issuing credit ratings, conducting valuations, advising on compliance, or protecting intellectual property, governance is not a separate set of rules; it is the foundation upon which trust is built. Clients rely on these companies to act as impartial stewards of truth, capable of delivering accurate insights and regulatory alignment without bias or manipulation. A failure in governance does not only damage one client relationship, it undermines the legitimacy of the entire industry.

Yet, governance is not only internal. The business intelligence sector is uniquely positioned to influence governance structures across the economy. By offering tools and services that promote compliance, transparency, and accountability, these firms extend the reach of good governance far beyond their own walls. They are enablers of ethical business, helping clients navigate evolving regulatory environments and build resilient, transparent organizations. In this sense, governance is both a deliverable and a standard to uphold.

The social pillar of ESG also plays a critical, if sometimes overlooked, role. These firms deal with sensitive data, reputational risk, and corporate disclosures. They help businesses understand the ethical footprint of potential partners or acquisitions. In doing so, they are directly shaping which companies are deemed credible, which projects receive funding, and which reputations are protected or dismantled. With such influence comes a social responsibility to ensure fairness, accuracy, and ethical boundaries in how data is sourced, analyzed, and shared.

Beyond their own operations, these companies are agents of social stability. Accurate credit information helps small businesses access finance. Fair valuations enable proper taxation and investment. Sound intellectual property advice protects innovation. Every service delivered in this space impacts a chain of decisions that ultimately affect jobs, investments, and communities. When the social component of ESG is taken seriously, it elevates the industry from service provider to societal actor.

The environmental aspect, though less visible, is not irrelevant. While these firms may not operate factories or fleets, they are increasingly being called upon to help clients identify and mitigate environmental risks. ESG-conscious clients expect partners who understand the language of climate risk, supply chain sustainability, and green finance. Those providing business intelligence must therefore develop competencies in assessing environmental data and integrating sustainability metrics into their advisory work. This shift is as much about relevance as it is about responsibility.

 ESG is also transforming client expectations. Global investors, international institutions, and even regulators are raising the bar for transparency and ethical behavior. Companies that once outsourced governance and compliance to check-the-box providers are now seeking partners who understand ESG as a strategic framework. They want advisors who can guide them through ESG disclosures, stakeholder communication, and impact measurement. The opportunity for the business intelligence industry is to evolve from reactive service delivery to proactive ESG leadership.

In markets like Lebanon, where regulatory systems are still maturing and informal practices remain common, the role of ESG-aligned firms is even more significant. They can serve as stabilizing forces in fragile business environments, offering credible information, risk assessment, and compliance guidance in a landscape often marked by ambiguity. Their ability to uphold ESG standards becomes not only a differentiator but a civic contribution to economic reform.

Some firms have already begun to internalize this opportunity. We at MASRI – a regional firm based in Beirut and Abu Dhabi – operating in credit information, risk governance, and valuation services, have signaled our commitment to transparency and ethical conduct through our longstanding reputation and consistent service delivery. While not marketing ourselves explicitly as an ESG-first firm, our track record suggests an understanding that trust must be earned, not claimed. The quiet integration of ESG principles, particularly in governance and risk advisory, offers a glimpse into how this industry can evolve without spectacle, but with substance.

Ultimately, ESG is not just a matter of ethical alignment or investor appeal. In the business intelligence and professional services world, it is a matter of operational relevance. As the landscape shifts, companies that fail to integrate ESG into their core offerings will find themselves outpaced by those who do. The future of this industry does not belong to firms with the most data, but to those with the most integrity.

By making ESG not a department but a discipline, the industry can move from a support function to a force for economic stability and ethical progress. In a world where every decision is a data point, every risk assessment a moral choice, and every report a public statement, that shift could not be more timely.

Dr. Jemili spoke on the panel titled “Transitioning to a new economic model: the GCC’s evolution into a global innovation and growth hub,” alongside Mohamed Bardastani, Chief Economist for CEMEA at Visa; Alexander Perjessy, Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s; and Lamya AlFozan, Senior Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs at the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Reflecting on the region’s evolution, Dr. Jemili emphasized the catalytic role of technology and policy alignment in driving economic diversification. “We are witnessing a profound transformation in the GCC, where regulatory innovation, visionary leadership, and digital acceleration are converging to create future-ready economies. What sets this region apart today is not just the ambition to diversify, but the speed and scale at which ecosystems are being built,” said Dr. Houssem Jemili, Senior Partner at Bain & Company Middle East.

A major focus of the panel was the evolving role of ESG principles in economic planning and capital deployment. Dr. Jemili noted that ESG is no longer a compliance checkbox but a foundational pillar of strategy: “We’re seeing a shift where ESG is increasingly recognized as a driver of long-term competitiveness. Governance, in particular, is becoming central to how capital is allocated and how partnerships are formed, especially in sectors like infrastructure, clean tech, and urban development.”

The conversation also highlighted the region’s bold move toward generative artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation. Governments across the GCC are actively investing in AI infrastructure, data ecosystems, and public–private partnerships to position themselves as competitive global hubs for emerging technology. “AI is not just about automation—it is about reimagining public services, building smarter economies, and enabling entirely new industries. The GCC has the opportunity to lead, provided we continue to invest in skills, data ecosystems, and scalable AI applications,” said Dr. Jemili.

Panelists explored other key enablers of sustainable growth, including regional regulatory harmonization, sandbox environments for testing innovation, and public–private collaboration in sectors like logistics, fintech, biotech, and clean energy. The discussion acknowledged the importance of investing in talent and academic R&D, particularly in STEM fields, to close the human capital gap and sustain long-term innovation.

Bain & Company’s participation underscores its commitment to supporting the Middle East’s economic transformation through evidence-based consulting, bold leadership alignment, and ecosystem-scale innovation strategies.

Industries across the Gulf are pivoting from hydrocarbon dependence to knowledge-based economies, with sustainability as a cornerstone. This transition demands fundamentally new approaches to how organizations understand and influence stakeholder behavior and expectations.

Beyond Rational Appeals

GCC industries have historically approached ESG implementation through technical frameworks – sustainability reports filled with metrics and policy statements. While necessary, these approaches often fall short in driving meaningful behavioral change among consumers and business partners.

Leading Gulf corporations are now incorporating cognitive models that recognize how humans actually process sustainability information. Financial institutions are redesigning investment products based on how investors evaluate risk-return profiles for sustainable assets. Retail companies are reconfiguring store environments based on decision processes that guide sustainable purchasing. Energy companies are transforming communication strategies to reflect how communities process information about environmental impacts.

AI as Industrial Catalyst

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have established themselves as regional AI pioneers, with significant government-backed initiatives creating the infrastructure for cognitive-ESG integration. These initiatives aren’t developing AI and sustainability in parallel – they’re fundamentally interweaving them.

This integration is transforming industries. Retail environments employ cognitive mapping technologies that analyze consumer interactions with sustainable products in real-time.

Banking institutions utilize AI systems trained on regional behavioral data to design financial products that guide customers toward sustainable investments. Energy companies employ predictive modeling to design community engagement programs that align with local values.

The Collective Behavior Challenge

One significant obstacle to ESG implementation has been the gap between intentions and behaviors. Despite expressed support for sustainable practices, organizations and individuals often fail to translate these intentions into consistent actions.

Cognitive technologies deployed across GCC sectors are addressing this challenge by redesigning how organizations approach behavior change. Rather than simply providing information, these systems analyze the cognitive processes underlying collective action, allowing organizations to design interventions that work with natural decision processes.

The Multigenerational Business Ecosystem

What distinguishes the GCC’s approach is its recognition of unique regional business and social structures. Unlike Western markets built around individual consumer models, GCC markets function through complex family networks and community-based decision processes.

Smart industries are adapting accordingly. Banking institutions design sustainability programs that engage entire family business networks. Retail organizations develop messaging that targets specific members of family units who serve as environmental influencers. Real estate developers create community-centered sustainable environments that reflect how Gulf societies function rather than importing Western models.

Predictive Systems for Sustainable Development

The industrial applications are expanding rapidly. Behavioral prediction systems deployed across GCC municipalities can forecast how populations will respond to sustainability initiatives, allowing precise calibration of interventions.

These technologies enable industries to design sustainability programs as sophisticated systems of behavior change. Construction companies use these insights to design buildings that naturally encourage sustainable behaviors. Urban planners employ cognitive modeling to design public spaces that facilitate community engagement with environmental initiatives.

The Competitive Advantage

As ESG requirements intensify globally, GCC industries are positioning themselves at the forefront of a new approach to sustainable development – one built on sophisticated understanding of human cognition rather than purely technical solutions.

Organizations mastering this cognitive approach gain significant advantages: more effective stakeholder engagement, more consistent behavior change, more innovative product development, and ultimately more successful business models that thrive within planetary boundaries.

By integrating cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and sustainability imperatives, GCC industries aren’t just adapting to global ESG pressures – they’re pioneering new models of sustainable development that could reshape how industries worldwide approach the critical challenge of building truly sustainable economies.

The Gulf tells a different story. ESG remains closely tied to national strategies and regional ambition. From the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 target to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, sustainability features prominently in how governments and businesses describe the future. Big projects, bold goals, and global summits have helped position the region as a place of possibility. The backlash seen elsewhere hasn’t arrived here. But that doesn’t mean the region can afford to be complacent. In fact, it puts more responsibility on communicators to get the story right—before someone else tells it for them.

This isn’t just about terminology. The way ESG is communicated in the Gulf carries real consequences—for investment, for global perception, and for long-term trust. As companies in the region become more globally integrated, narrative coherence becomes as important as operational progress. The story needs to be ambitious, but also believable. Inspiring, but grounded. It needs to travel well—and hold up under scrutiny.

That’s a delicate balance. In a region where national identity and economic growth are tightly linked to bold transformation, sustainability is often communicated through scale and spectacle. Initiatives like NEOM or ADNOC’s net-zero strategy reflect this ambition. But they also show just how carefully the story needs to be told. When the messaging runs too far ahead of the underlying systems, people start asking tougher questions. And those questions don’t always stay local.

This is where communications professionals have a real opportunity—and a growing responsibility. Their role is changing. It’s no longer just about shaping a message; it’s about helping shape the thinking behind it. The most forward-looking communicators are already doing this. They’re sitting closer to strategy, asking harder questions, and recognising that ESG isn’t just something to explain—it’s something to interrogate, translate, and pressure-test.

In that sense, communications becomes a form of foresight. It helps identify inconsistencies. It pushes leadership to think more clearly. And it creates the space to say, with confidence: here’s where we are, here’s where we’re going, and here’s how we’re making that journey real. Doing that well means asking different questions: Do our commitments match our capabilities? Are we measuring what actually matters? Are we being transparent about what we’re still figuring out? These are not just communications questions—they’re questions about integrity and long-term credibility.

The Gulf is in a strong position to ask—and answer—those questions. Unlike in parts of the West, where ESG has become politically loaded, the region still has room to define its own terms. Public discourse hasn’t fractured along ideological lines. National priorities still include sustainability at the centre. There’s an opening here—a chance to shape an ESG story that reflects not just aspiration, but direction.

But that window may not stay open for long. Global attention is shifting. Expectations are rising. Investors, regulators, and civil society groups are looking more closely—not just at what companies say, but at what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. The more visibility the region gains, the higher the bar for credibility.

That’s not a threat. It’s an opportunity—to lead, rather than react. To connect ESG to innovation, competitiveness, and long-term resilience. To speak in a way that respects complexity, acknowledges trade-offs, and still earns trust. Communicators in the region are uniquely placed to drive that shift. They sit at the intersection of ambition and accountability, of national story and global reputation. When they’re given the mandate—and equipped to challenge assumptions—they can help ensure that ESG is not just a label, but a lens for the future.

The ESG narrative in the Gulf is still being shaped. That’s a privilege—and a responsibility. The region will be part of the global conversation either way. The real question is whether it chooses to lead the conversation—or lets others define it.