Southbound:

Gulf Climate Finance and Sectoral Transformations in the Global South

Executive Summary

The Rihla Initiative for Green Economic Growth has mobilised a diverse network of policymakers, technical experts, and civil society leaders across the Gulf and the Global South. At its core, the Initiative is grounded in a single conviction: that Gulf capital can and must be deployed in ways that accelerate climate transitions while addressing regional development priorities, guided by the principles of justice, partnership, and long-term prosperity.

This edited volume brings together twenty-one policy briefs authored by members of the Rihla Policy Council across five geographies: the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Central Asia and the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The briefs map actionable strategies to enhance the role of Gulf climate finance in catalysing green growth across these regions, while also offering critical insights into governance, investment instruments, local partnerships, and shared priorities.

Structured as a practitioner-oriented policy compendium, the volume is not academic in tone, but it is rigorous in purpose. Each policy brief responds to real gaps in Gulf–Global South cooperation whether in sovereign green bond alignment, cross-border energy integration, climate innovation ecosystems, or just transition strategies for fragile states. Collectively, they offer a roadmap for Gulf institutions, sovereign wealth funds, development banks, and regional partners to build an ambitious but grounded climate investment agenda.

The Rihla Initiative takes its name from the Arabic word for “journey”—an homage to the 14th-century travels of Ibn Battuta, but more importantly, a metaphor for the shared transitions unfolding today across the Global South. This volume is both a reflection of that journey and a contribution to shaping its next steps.

Expected: 3 November 2025