The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has hosted its first Strategic Financial Dialogue with the Kingdom of Bahrain as part of the executive plan to activate the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries.
Organised by the UAE Ministry of Finance, the Strategic Financial Dialogue was attended by Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Finance, and Ali Abdullah Sharafi, Assistant Undersecretary for International Financial Relations. The Bahraini delegation was led by Yousif Abdullah Al Humood, Undersecretary for Financial Affairs at the Bahrain Ministry of Finance and National Economy.
The Strategic Financial Dialogue aimed to strengthen financial cooperation and integration while advancing bilateral relations through four pillars: structured policy dialogue, expertise exchange and technical cooperation, joint initiatives and programs, and ongoing implementation and evaluation.
Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Finance, said that the first Strategic Financial Dialogue marks a key step in deepening the partnership between the two countries and advancing financial integration. He noted that it reflects a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation through a sustainable framework for collaboration.
AlKhoori emphasized that the dialogue will help align policies, address common challenges and support future ambitions, while the exchange of expertise aims to set a regional benchmark in financial and economic management, enhance competitiveness and strengthen resilience to global challenges.
The Undersecretary further stressed that sustained cooperation depends on stronger institutional capacity, achieved through continued investment in human capital, innovation and digital transformation in support of development goals.
HE Younis Haji AlKhoori Undersecretary Ministry of Finance – UAE
“The joint initiatives and programs will be built on clear foundations to ensure the effective implementation of the executive plan, activating the memorandum of understanding signed between our two countries, while maintaining continuous communication and evaluation. This approach will contribute to the development of a long-term roadmap that further cement financial relations between the two countries.”
Yousif Abdullah Al Humood, Undersecretary for Financial Affairs at Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance and National Economy, praised the longstanding fraternal ties between Bahrain and the UAE, particularly in the financial and economic sectors. He thanked the UAE for its hospitality and the strong preparation of the first Strategic Financial Dialogue, describing it as a key step in advancing financial cooperation.
Al Humood also highlighted the impact of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development–financed projects in sectors including health, housing, energy, water, infrastructure and transport, noting their contribution to Bahrain’s economic development.
Image credits: BNA | Cropped by GBN
The Bahraini Undersecretary reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to deepening economic integration and advancing the strategic partnership with the UAE, with a focus on finance, mutual investment, artificial intelligence and financial technology.
During the Strategic Financial Dialogue session, participants explored the implementation framework of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which is built around four main tracks.
Track 1: Regular policy dialogue
The first track focuses on regular dialogue sessions between officials to enhance financial integration and strengthen bilateral relations. These sessions coordinate fiscal and monetary policies, share expertise, and address challenges across sectors such as taxation, customs, investment, and financial technology.
Image credits: BNA | Cropped by GBN
Held annually or semi-annually on a rotating basis between the UAE and Bahrain, they are chaired by the Finance Ministers or their representatives and include senior officials from key financial, economic, trade, investment, tax, and customs authorities.
Track 2: Expertise exchange and technical cooperation
The second track covers expertise exchange and technical cooperation in financial legislation, tax, debt management, financial technology, government procurement, and economic studies. It includes coordination on regional and international financial matters, shared services, and efficiency frameworks.
It also promotes training, AI-driven capacity building, best practices in property and real estate management, joint investment opportunities, and the use of advanced technologies in financial systems, operations, cybersecurity, and international cooperation.
Track 3: Joint initiatives
The third track promotes joint initiatives to strengthen institutional capacity through shared training in financial policy, public financial management, and regional and international cooperation. It also covers a joint media plan to showcase bilateral cooperation and collaboration on digital transformation initiatives.
Image credits: BNA | Cropped by GBN
Track 4: Implementation and evaluation
The fourth track focuses on implementation and evaluation, establishing a coordination team to monitor progress, prepare performance reports, and submit them to the relevant ministers. The plan will be reviewed annually and updated as needed, based on mutual agreement.
As part of the program, the Strategic Financial Dialogue showcased a video on UAE-Bahrain financial relations. The UAE delegation presented the Digital Government Procurement Platform, the Virtual Mona Project, and AI in the Digital Economy, while Bahrain highlighted its financial inclusion initiatives.
