The Central Bank wins the award for the best central bank in risk management for the year 2026

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates won the “Best Risk Management Award for the Year 2026” in the Central Bank Awards granted by the specialized British magazine “Central Banking”.

The award is given in honor of central banks that achieve exceptional excellence in adopting systematic global risk management practices.

According to a press release issued by the Central Bank today, this honor comes as a culmination of the bank’s efforts, and in recognition of its pioneering role in improving operational risk management, and the qualitative shift from traditional evaluation models to a proactive system supported by artificial intelligence technologies, as the bank succeeded in establishing an integrated vision for risk management that ensures comprehensive coverage of all stages of the value chain, through the strategic integration of artificial intelligence technologies and an integrated framework for governance, risks and compliance.

The most prominent milestone in the transformation is the development of an internal “risk agent” based on artificial intelligence, which contributed to reducing the time it takes to identify risks and reducing reliance on manual procedures, which enabled proactive monitoring of complex risks in pivotal operational stages.

The innovations were officially included in the Central Bank’s five-year strategy, based on the principle of “flexibility through design”, to establish the maturity of risk management as a basic pillar of the work and innovation system.
On this occasion, the award jury praised the unified and comprehensive approach followed by the Central Bank in risk management, describing it as an inspiring model for its counterparts from central banks around the world.

The committee explained that while many institutions are satisfied with making incremental improvements, the UAE Central Bank implemented a more transformative and comprehensive approach, which represented the establishment of an integrated and unified vision of risks at the level of the entire institution, which helped achieve tangible results by reducing duplication of operations. The awards are scheduled to be officially handed over during the Central Banking meetings in London, June 2026.
This global recognition reflects the UAE Central Bank’s commitment to integrating modern technologies with solid methodologies, ensuring a proactive response to evolving and complex threats, and improving the accuracy of decision-making, which enhances the global leadership position of the Central Bank in supporting monetary and financial stability.

Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohammed Balama said that this international achievement reflects the great support of the wise leadership, and also reflects the aspirations, directives and diligent follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Presidential Office, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates in consolidating the bank’s position as a global reference for excellence and leadership in financial and supervisory work.

He added: We have succeeded in building an advanced supervisory system that integrates digital innovation with the methodological foundations of risk management, as establishing the foundations of artificial intelligence at the core of our management of operational risks has enabled us to strengthen our capabilities and move towards proactive supervision in the face of global financial transformations and emerging risks. We at the Central Bank of the Emirates are not only satisfied with adopting the highest international standards, but we are also seriously seeking to contribute to shaping the future of global supervisory practices, ensuring the sustainability of monetary and financial stability.