Communicating B2B ESG in the Middle East

Estimated read time: 6 minutes 

Our recent whitepaper, Marketing ESG in 2024: Risks, Rewards & Riddles, lifted the lid on what marketeers and comms professionals really thought about ESG in their roles. In this follow-up, we take a look specifically at the Middle East data from the wider research.  

The original survey polled 418 senior marketing decision makers across the energy, financial services and technology sectors, split evenly across the APAC, Middle East, UK and US Markets. 

Attitudes to Middle East B2B ESG Communications: What do comms and marketing professionals think? 

Professionals in the Middle East have strong opinions on whether ESG poses more of a risk or an opportunity from a comms perspective. Eighteen percent see it as mainly a risk with little upside opportunity – behind only the US (20 percent). On the other hand, 20 percent see it as more of an opportunity with little risk – more than elsewhere.  

Yet, we don’t see the same strong responses when asking whether ESG is incorporated into the organization’s comms strategy. Nineteen percent apiece report it is either a core strategic priority or a non-core priority theme, but the largest group is lukewarm: 22 percent communicate around ESG to some extent, but feel they could do more.  

However, the overall picture is that ESG is being included. The Middle East ranks above average for all of these response options (see Figure 2), which can be broadly grouped as positive. It ranks below average for professionals saying they avoid the topic wherever possible. 

However, beyond the comms and marketing function, only 14 percent of professionals in the Middle East report ESG as a core strategic priority for their organization, with a further 11 percent saying it is a non-core strategic priority, and 14 percent saying it is important but not a strategic priority. For all of these responses, the Middle East lags below the average, yet it has the most respondents of our regions describing ESG as a ‘nice to have’ at the organizational level (26 percent). It also has the most respondents (18 percent) saying it is not important at all. 

What are we to make of this tension between the fact that professionals report above average engagement with ESG in the communications strategy, but below average in the overall organizational strategy? 

Astrid French, Head of Middle East at Aspectus, warns against jumping to quick conclusions: “While in European markets, for example, there are a host of regulations making ESG a firm business priority, in the Middle East, these regulations are at an earlier stage. As a result, we’re often seeing marketing and comms leading the way in bringing ESG to the table, though in the coming years it will climb the corporate agenda too.” 

Indeed, there seems to be a strong undercurrent of enthusiasm for ESG in the region. On a personal level, 24 percent of our respondents say they care deeply about all aspects of ESG, and 22 percent say they care deeply about at least some aspects. Another 24 percent care a little about ESG, and only 19 percent don’t really care at all. That’s 70 percent who care about ESG to at least some extent on a personal level versus 19 percent who don’t, giving every indication that ESG will become more prominent in the region. 

Care and consequences: Are Middle Eastern professionals properly supported? 

We also asked whether B2B ESG communications and marketing professionals feel adequately supported in communicating around ESG. In this respect, 37 percent believe they have a good degree or all of the resources they need to do their job effectively, while 43 percent believe the opposite. Middle Eastern professionals are broadly in line with their international peers in this respect, with the largest group considering themselves to have some resources and support, but not enough. 

To communicate messages around ESG that professionals do not feel are fully appropriate or justified can introduce very real reputational risk. Professionals must be given all the support and resources they need to avoid these situations. 

French comments: “As ESG gains momentum in the region, dedicated resources for comms and marketing teams will follow, with investments in this space already underway. In the interim, an effective route can be to partner with a third-party who is experienced in the space.” 

Facing the future: Is ESG here to stay? 

According to 47 percent of our global respondents, ESG is a passing trend that will disappear, or at least subside. Middle Eastern professionals have a different view. 

Less than a third (32 percent) of Middle East B2B ESG communications professionals think ESG has a limited shelf life – fewer than anywhere else. And though about an average proportion (eight percent) thinks it will endure in its current incarnation, the most widely held view in the Middle East is that it will evolve rather than disappear (41 percent versus 28 percent average). 

Furthermore, though Middle Eastern professionals are more likely to say that ESG will evolve as a concept than their peers elsewhere, they are actually more comfortable with the term itself. 

Forty-two percent of professionals say they think the term ESG works well, which splits into 20 percent who are satisfied with the term as-is, and 22 percent who think it works but needs better messaging. This compares to 38 percent in the US and 40 percent in APAC (the UK figure is also 42 percent). Just 17 percent – fewer than elsewhere – say ESG needs a new name. 

Therefore, barring a significant minority who don’t think we should talk about ESG at all (17 percent – curiously higher than elsewhere), Middle Eastern professionals are as satisfied as anyone with the phraseology around ESG. In that case, it stands to reason that the expected evolution refers more to the application of the concept than its definition and description. 

French concludes: “ESG is on the ascendancy in the Middle East and I think, as more professionals embrace it, enthusiasm and commitment will grow. The essential thing is to make sure that appropriate resources then follow.” 

Want to know more about the practical and strategic considerations for effectively communicating your ESG efforts? Download our ESG whitepaper. 

Key takeaways: 

Do Middle East B2B ESG communications and marketing professionals think of ESG as more of a risk or opportunity? 

Respondents are polarized: more professionals are bullish on the opportunities than elsewhere, but the region also has the second highest proportion saying the opposite (behind only the US). 

Do Middle Eastern communications and marketing professionals care about ESG? 

At least 70 percent care about ESG to at least some extent, highlighting its growing importance in the region. 

Do Middle East communications and marketing professionals have enough resources and support to communicate around ESG? 

Across the board, our respondents report needing greater support and resourcing to communicate effectively around ESG. Middle Eastern professionals are no different, with the largest group saying they have some support but not enough. 

Do Middle Eastern communications and marketing professionals think ESG is here to stay? 

Fewer Middle Eastern professionals think ESG will subside or disappear than elsewhere, with a large proportion believing it will undergo some sort of evolution in the future. 

About the author: 

Chris Bowman is an Associate Director at Aspectus and co-leads Aspectus’ ESG services. His experience is primarily in the energy and financial services sectors, and Chris specializes in brand strategy and messaging. He recently completed a short course on Sustainability Communication Strategies from the LSE. 

Read more from this series:

Communicating ESG in B2B Financial Services & Capital Markets: what professionals really think

Communicating ESG in B2B Energy: what professionals really think 

Communicating ESG in B2B Tech: what professionals really think

Communicating ESG in the UK: what professionals really think

Communicating ESG in APAC: what professionals really think