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ABU DHABI / GULF TIME
The CEOs Advisory Council of the UAE Banks Federation (UBF), the sole representative and unified voice of UAE banks, held its first quarterly meeting on April 8, 2026, chaired by His Excellency Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of UBF, to review the banking and financial sector’s performance, and discuss developments, initiatives, and plans of UBF to develop the financial and banking sector during 2026.
The meeting commended the Comprehensive Financial Institution Resilience Package, approved by the Board of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CBUAE, reaffirming UBF’s commitment to working closely with all relevant stakeholders to enhance the resilience and capabilities of the banking and financial sector, and to reinforce its stability and strength.
His Excellency AbdulAziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of UBF, said: “Guided by the wise leadership vision, and supported by advanced strategies and policies, the UAE has consolidated its position as a leading financial and banking hub, distinguished by its ability to address challenges and transform them into opportunities for growth and prosperity. The Comprehensive Financial Institution Resilience Package reflects the confidence, support, and commitment of CBUAE to establishing the appropriate frameworks ensuring the banking and financial sector’s stability and enabling it to fulfil its role in driving socio-economic development, and advancing the UAE’s strategic priorities.”
H.E. added: “The banking and financial sector’s achievements underscore the strength and robustness of the foundations established by the UAE. We reaffirm our commitment to preserving these accomplishments and delivering a secure and seamless banking experience to all customer segments through prudent policies and procedures in risk management, business continuity, and cybersecurity, enhancing stability and readiness.”
The CEOs Advisory Council praised the strong performance and achievements of the banking sector during last year (2025), under the close cooperation between UBF and CBUAE, which is leading the sector’s efforts to support the national economy’s growth by establishing the necessary frameworks to ensure financial stability, strengthen monetary and regulatory legislation, and upgrade the financial, banking and insurance sectors.
The CEOs Advisory Council discussed UBF’s plans to develop the banking and financial sector and maintain its leading position, stressing the importance of continuing efforts and initiatives to support Emiratisation, sustainability, governance, financial inclusion and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The meeting also discussed CBUAE’s efforts to launch Takamul, a company specialising in artificial intelligence and big data analytics. Participants noted that this initiative represents a transformative step in shaping the future of financial services by leveraging AI to enhance resilience across all aspects of the national financial ecosystem, as part of Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) programme. They highlighted the importance of this project in developing AI-powered platforms and services, and its role in supporting and maintaining multiple infrastructures, including the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) infrastructure, Instant Payments Platform (Aani), Domestic Card Scheme (Jaywan), National Card Switch, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, and Open Finance (Nebras).
The CEO Advisory Council commended the banking sector’s ability to continuously raise standards of banking practices and strengthen trust and credibility through diverse initiatives to meet customer needs. These efforts have contributed to the UAE maintaining its global leadership in the Customer Trust Index (2025) for the third consecutive year, outperforming many advanced economies in the banking and financial sector.
The meeting discussed the latest developments and initiatives to keep pace with the accelerated developments in the global economy, digital transformation, digital infrastructure development plans, enhancing cybersecurity, raising awareness about financial crimes and advanced fraud methods and ways to combat them, stressing the importance of doubling down efforts to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, supervisory, guidelines, and following the highest standards of governance, transparency, and risk management.
Mr. Jamal Saleh, Director General of UBF, said: “Our banking and financial sector continues its growth and development trajectory, further cementing its leading position. This reflects the effectiveness of strategies and policies of CBUAE in supporting growth and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global financial and banking hub.”
He added: “At UBF, we reaffirm our commitment to ensure continuous development, and to strengthen the resilience, robustness, and adaptability of the banking sector to keep pace with global economic changes and achieve the UAE’s strategic objectives.
We continue deepening collaboration with all strategic partners and benefit from the extensive experience and knowledge of the members of the CEOs Advisory Council, the CEO Consultative Council, and technical and advisory committees, which include highly experienced leaders, to support informed decision-making and ensure the delivery of a seamless and secure banking experience for customers.”