Abu Dhabi: The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has been named ‘Risk Manager of the Year 2026’ at the prestigious Central Banking Awards. Presented by the UK- based Central Banking publication, the award recognises central banks that demonstrate exceptional excellence and adopt world-class methodological practices in risk management.

This global award serves as a testament to the CBUAE’s pioneering role in advancing operational risk management from traditional assessment models to a forward-looking, artificial intelligence (AI) enabled ecosystem. By strategically fusing artificial intelligence with a robust Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) framework, the CBUAE has developed a proactive, holistic 360-degree view of risk flows across its entire value chain.

A key milestone in this transformation is the deployment of an in-house AI Risk Agent, which has delivered a significant reduction in manual risk identification time and enabled the early detection of ‘compound risks’ at critical process stages.

These advancements are now formally embedded within the CBUAE’s five‑year strategy, guided by the principle of ‘Resilience by Design’, thereby reinforcing risk maturity as a fundamental pillar of how the CBUAE operates and innovates.

Commenting on the results, the award’s judging committee praised the CBUAE’s unified and comprehensive risk vision, describing the CBUAE approach as an ‘inspiring model’ for global peers. It noted that, while many institutions make incremental improvements, the CBUAE has implemented a more radical approach: a single integrated view of risks across the organisation, already delivering tangible results. The awards will be officially presented during the Central Banking meetings in London in June 2026.

This recognition reflects CBUAE’s commitment to integrating advanced technologies with established methodologies, ensuring the early detection of emerging and complex threats and precision in decision-making, and further strengthening its position among the world’s leading central banks in maintaining monetary and financial stability.

Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, stated, “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.”

He added, "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. At the CBUAE, we don’t only uphold the highest international standards; we aim to shape the future of global regulatory practices to promote monetary and financial stability.”