About the Rihla Initiative

The Bourse & Bazaar Foundation (B&BF) launched the Rihla Initiative for Green Economic Growth in February 2025 to advance cooperation on climate transition and sustainable economic development among policy, commercial, and technical leaders from the Gulf and the Global South. The initiative seeks to position the Gulf 3—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—as leaders in green industrial policies, leveraging investment to drive green economic growth across the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundation, the initiative is driven by high-impact partnerships with regional institutions to organize convenings, generate research, and engage policymakers and industry leaders.

The Rihla Initiative derives its name from the 14th-century travelogue of Arab explorer Ibn Battuta, The Rihla, symbolizing the historical ties between the Gulf and the Global South while mapping new pathways for climate transition and economic prosperity. The initiative is founded on the principle that young professionals are uniquely positioned to drive an ambitious climate agenda for the Gulf 3 and countries in the Global South.

The Rihla Initiative serves as a dedicated platform for the Gulf states to collaborate at multiple levels of engagement. The initiative achieves this by providing a policy framework for these countries to align their green investment strategies, build regional synergies, and establish a unified Gulf 3 approach to sustainable economic growth. Additionally, the initiative will act as a central platform for regional dialogue on green initiatives and climate diplomacy to reinforce the Gulf’s leadership in shaping the future of sustainable finance in the Global South.

The Rihla Initiative establishes a network of young professionals from the Gulf 3 and the Global South through two councils: the Policy Council and the Implementation Council. Each council consists of four regional hubs as well as a Gulf Committee. The regional hubs will engage in a sequence of structured activities, including virtual workshops, simulation exercises, and public panels— all of which culminate in the forums. Throughout its two-year duration, the initiative will deliver ten virtual workshops, ten public panels, eight simulation exercises, two in-person convenings, and a final summit, producing one edited volume, two reports, ten issue briefs, and a series of insight articles.

The two major in-person forums will bring together more than 50 participants for two days of meetings. This will include regional workshop sessions, a custom-designed simulation exercise providing participants with hands-on experience, cross-regional sessions, as well as high-profile public panels. The Rihla Summit in September 2026 will serve as the initiative’s capstone event, engaging policymakers, industry leaders, and Gulf 3 representatives. The summit will facilitate regional collaboration, ensure alignment with international sustainability frameworks, and present a unified Gulf 3 vision for green transition investments.