Egypt is demonstrating regional leadership in its efforts to nurture and accelerate its transition to a more sustainable country resilient to the impacts of climate change. Egypt’s banks are similarly responding to the call for action, led by the country’s largest private sector lender.

World governments, multilateral development banks, NGOs, corporates and financial institutions, will soon gather in Sharm El Sheikh for the UN’s 27th annual Climate Change Conference. In an interview, Hussein Abaza, chief executive and managing director of Egypt’s Commercial International Bank, describes the significance of COP27 for the country, the continent, and what he hopes it will achieve.

Improving financial inclusion is a key objective of CIB’s African expansion – a strategy that is already gaining momentum outside Egypt.

With many obstacles facing women's financial inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, addressing them is a key priority for the Egyptian government. In an interview, Hussein Abaza, CEO and managing director of CIB discusses how Egypt's financial sector has taken steps to promote gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the country.