The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has been named ‘Risk Manager of the Year 2026’ at the Central Banking Awards, recognizing its pioneering shift to an AI-enabled, forward-looking operational risk management ecosystem.
The Risk Manager of the Year 2026 award, presented by the UK-based Central Banking publication, recognizes central banks that demonstrate excellence and adopt world-class risk management practices.
By integrating artificial intelligence with a robust Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) framework, the CBUAE has built a proactive 360-degree view of risk flows across its value chain.
A major milestone in this transformation is the launch of an in-house AI Risk Agent, which has significantly reduced manual risk identification time and enabled early detection of compound risks at critical stages. These capabilities are now embedded in the CBUAE’s five-year strategy under the principle of ‘Resilience by Design’, strengthening risk maturity across the organization.
The judging committee praised the CBUAE’s unified risk vision, calling it an ‘inspiring model’ for global peers and highlighting its integrated, organization-wide approach that is already delivering tangible results. The Risk Manager of the Year 2026 awards will be presented at the Central Banking meetings in London in June 2026.
HE Khaled Mohamed Balama Governor – CBUAE
“This international achievement embodies the unlimited support of our wise leadership and translates the aspirations and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CBUAE, to establish the Central Bank as a global benchmark in financial and regulatory excellence. We have succeeded in establishing an advanced regulatory ecosystem that integrates digital innovation with robust methodologies. Embedding Artificial Intelligence into the core of our operational risk management has enabled us to enhance our capabilities and transition toward proactive supervision in the face of global financial shifts and emerging risks.”
The recognition as Risk Manager of the Year 2026 underscores CBUAE’s commitment to combining advanced technology with proven methodologies to detect emerging risks early, enhance decision-making precision, and reinforce its role in safeguarding global monetary and financial stability.
