Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Central Bank of the UAE, Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank, inaugurated the “Middle East and North Africa Financial Inclusion Leaders Summit.” This two-day event is hosted in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Arab Monetary Fund and the World Bank, during which the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2026-2030 was launched.
The summit, organized for the first time in the UAE, was attended by Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the UAE Banks Federation, and Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, Vice Chairman of the Central Bank, along with Younis Haji Al Khouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance and a board member of the Central Bank.
Also present were Dr. Ali Mohamed Bakheet Al Rumaithi, board member of the Central Bank, deputy governors, as well as senior officials from central banks and regulatory bodies in the MENA region, government representatives, and regional and international financial organizations.
The summit, themed “Shaping Regional and Global Agendas,” addressed strategic issues contributing to the development of inclusive, responsible, and sustainable financial systems. Key topics discussed included:
- Digital innovation
- Consumer protection
- Gender equality
- Financial health
In his opening remarks, Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama emphasized the nation’s strong commitment to enhancing financial inclusion as a fundamental pillar for sustainable development and economic resilience.
He noted that the UAE is steadily solidifying its position as a global model for financial and economic innovation and comprehensive development, driven by a bold national agenda represented in the UAE Vision 2031 and the UAE Centennial 2071. This vision directs efforts toward creating a more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable financial ecosystem.
On the first day of the summit, various national and international initiatives aimed at supporting financial inclusion were launched, including the unveiling of the UAE National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2026-2030, developed by the Central Bank with the support of international partners such as the World Bank, OECD, and the Arab Monetary Fund, alongside contributions from over 70 relevant national entities.
Fatima Al Jabri, Assistant Governor of the Central Bank for Anti-Financial Crimes, Market Behavior, and Consumer Protection, confirmed that the strategy aims to achieve several key objectives by 2030, including increasing the percentage of individuals with financial accounts and boosting the number of users benefiting from digital payment technologies.