Kareem Abdel-Rahman, Head of Global Transaction Banking, QNB Egypt

In the run-up to the MENASCF25 conference in Dubai this November, Michael Bickers sat down with Kareem Abdel-Rahman,...

In the run-up to the MENASCF25 conference in Dubai this November, Michael Bickers sat down with Kareem Abdel-Rahman, to explore how sustainability can be woven into the future of banking and trade across the MENA region.

The discussion focused on the role of banks in Egypt and beyond in integrating sustainability principles into international transaction banking and trade finance solutions. Abdel-Rahman examined the challenges corporates and SMEs face in aligning cross-border trade with ESG standards, and how financial institutions can support them.

He also assessed the potential of emerging technologies such as digitisation and blockchain in driving transparency and efficiency for sustainable trade and infrastructure financing. Finally, he outlined practical steps that regional banks and investors could take to channel more capital into green projects and sustainable trade flows across Egypt and the wider MENA region.