Bank Muscat, the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate of Oman, is pleased to announce that it has recently received the Sustainability Award in the ESG category at the Oman Sustainability Week Awards (OSW) ceremony held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (OCEC). The event was hosted under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, who handed over the award to Afaf Ali Moosa, Assistant General Manager, Large Corporates, Bank Muscat, with the presence of a number of senior officials and executives from various public and private sectors. The Oman Sustainability Week Awards came in existence to raise public awareness on sustainability. It also represents a medium to enhance corporate responsibility for implementing strategic plans and embarking on sustainable and ESG practices which contribute to national development and sustainable economic growth. The event was organized to recognize the institutions that play a pioneering role in implementing sustainability and ESG practices.
The Oman Sustainability Week Awards event represents a national platform aiming to highlight Bank Muscat’s role in the field of sustainability and the Sultanate’s commitment to implementing innovative strategies and sustainable practices conducive to the development of the nation, as strategized in Oman Vision 2040 and in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking on this achievement, Afaf Ali Moosa, Assistant General Manager, Large Corporates, Bank Muscat, said, “We are delighted to receive the Sustainability Award at the glittering OSW Awards ceremony, which reaffirms Bank Muscat’s strategy of promoting sustainability through its endeavors of utilizing and investing in renewable energy to expand sustainable projects as an integral pillar for creating national sustainable economy. The Bank has undertaken many initiatives to promote sustainability, including the development of its ecofriendly green finance product. The launch of this product came with the aim to allow customers to install solar panels on their rooftops and use solar energy for a large part of their household energy requirements. Bank Muscat is committed to implementing recent technologies to reduce water and electricity consumption rates, reduce gas emissions that lead to global warming, and decrease paper waste.
Afaf Ali Moosa further added: “It is a matter of great pride that the Bank also implements a strategic plan to take advantage of the potential opportunities to enhance the Sultanate’s economic growth in as strategized in Oman’s Vision 2040. As the leading financial institution in the country, the Bank constantly upholds its dedication to sustainability and community service through the ongoing launch of sustainable programmes and initiatives.
Throughout its journey of over 40 years, Bank Muscat has been showing strong and excellent presence in the fields of sustainability as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this regard, the Bank has been setting strategic plans to further enhance its pioneering role in CSR and running a number of sustainable initiatives that aim to serve the community. Examples of the Bank’s sustainable initiatives comprise the annual Green Sports Programme that has so far benefitted 203 teams with over 70,000 team members across the Sultanate, the Tadhamun Programme set to support social welfare and low-income families and which has served until today over 2200 families since its launch in 2013, and the Al Wathbah SME Academy which equips the Omani entrepreneurs with the skills necessary to support their businesses. In addition to the Bank’s other community-driven initiatives, Bank Muscat has recently contributed to establishing a public park in Al Koudh in the Wilayat of Seeb in cooperation with the Muscat Municipality.
