QNB Group Takes Gender Diversity and Green Bond Honors at MEED MENA Banking Awards 2026

QNB Group won Best Bank for Gender Diversity and Best Bank for Green and Social Bond/Sukuk Issuance at the MEED MENA Banking Excellence Corporate & Investment Awards 2026, Gulf Times reported on November 3, 2026. QNB Group is the largest bank in the Middle East and Africa, majority-owned by Qatar Investment Authority, operating across 28 countries with QR1.41 trillion ($382 billion) in assets.

QNB's Gender Diversity and Green Bond Wins

The gender diversity award recognizes QNB's work to build an inclusive workplace and support women at every level of the organization. The bank has placed gender diversity within its governance, leadership development, talent management and employee engagement frameworks.

Women represented 49% of QNB Group's workforce at the end of 2025, including 20% of executive management, 27% of senior management and 37% of revenue-generating management roles. Women accounted for 48% of all promotions across the group during the year, and women represented 65% of Qatari employees.

The green and social bond award highlights QNB's activity in sustainable capital markets. Through its Sustainable Finance and Product Framework, the bank has built a platform for green, social, sustainable and transition finance aligned with internationally recognized standards and backed by governance and external verification. During the assessment period, QNB issued a €750 million green bond, the largest euro-denominated green bond issued by a GCC bank at the time of issuance, alongside social and climate-transition bond issuances through its international network.

Najla Ibrahim al-Mutawa, executive vice president, Group Strategy and Business Development at QNB Group, said: "We are honoured to receive these prestigious awards from MEED, which reflect QNB Group's unwavering commitment to inclusive growth and sustainable finance."

QNB's Recent Sustainable Finance Record

According to akta.pro company records, QNB issued the largest blockchain-enabled digital bond in the Middle East and Africa at $500 million in November 2025, powered by HSBC's Orion platform and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The same records show a post-IPO debt round of $750 million in January 2026 and a post-IPO debt round of $2.5 billion in October 2026. QNB's net profit before Pillar Two Taxes rose 10% year-on-year in 2025 to QR18.4 billion ($5.1 billion), with operating income increasing 8% to QR44.8 billion.

QNB's Funding and Partnership Deals Before the Awards

QNB closed a $2.5 billion senior unsecured term loan facility syndication in October 2026, twice oversubscribed with 25 banks, Gulf Times reported. The same month, QNB completed its second riyal-denominated Shogun bond issuance, raising QR750 million from Japanese investors, in a three-year deal it described as the largest riyal Shogun issuance to date. In October 2026, QNB also won seven Global Finance digital bank awards, including regional and country-level recognitions for UX design and integrated consumer banking.

MEED's Upcoming Projects Awards

MEED confirmed 10 special awards for its 16th MEED Projects Awards 2026, with winners to be revealed at a gala dinner on November 10 in Dubai, EIN Presswire reported. The awards cover areas such as heritage, decarbonisation and energy security, alongside 17 MENA category winners.