UAE banks have emerged among the most advanced lenders in artificial intelligence across the Middle East and Africa, with Dubai-based Emirates NBD leading the regional rankings as financial institutions accelerate investment in digital transformation and cybersecurity.
According to the 2026 Evident AI Index for Banks – Middle East and Africa edition, three UAE lenders secured places among the region’s top 10 most mature banks in artificial intelligence. The ranking assessed 25 banks across the region, measuring AI workforce strength, long-term investment in innovation and research, leadership focus on artificial intelligence, and commitments to responsible AI practices.
Emirates NBD topped the regional list, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a growing centre for financial technology and digital banking. Other institutions featured among the leading banks included Standard Bank Group, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Nedbank Group, FirstRand, Capitec Bank, Absa Group, Bank Leumi le-Israel, Al Rajhi and Mashreq.
The findings highlight increasing competition among Gulf financial institutions as banks seek to integrate artificial intelligence into core operations and customer services.
Shayne Nelson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Emirates NBD, said the bank’s strategy centres on making AI part of its institutional culture while improving customer experience and workforce capabilities.
“Our approach is to embed AI deep within our culture, ensuring our technology directly empowers our workforce and simplifies the banking experience for our customers,” Nelson said. He added that the bank plans to continue investing in talent and innovation as part of its wider transformation strategy.
Across the UAE and Gulf region, banks are deploying AI in areas such as digital onboarding, personalised customer engagement and advanced risk analysis. Analysts say these technologies are becoming increasingly important as financial institutions compete to modernise operations and respond to changing customer expectations.
Alexandra Mousavizadeh, co-founder and chief executive of Evident, said Gulf lenders are entering a critical phase where early adoption could provide long-term advantages.
“The GCC is entering a narrow and highly competitive window where early movers can establish clear advantages before AI capabilities become more broadly distributed,” she said.
The report comes amid growing regional investment in artificial intelligence. Research firm Precedence Research estimates Gulf countries invested more than $30 billion in AI-related projects by early 2025, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for most of the spending.
Cybersecurity is emerging as one of the strongest drivers of AI investment within the banking sector. Colin Gilbert, Vice President of Intelligence at Evident Insights, said banks increasingly view cyber protection as an evolving technological competition rather than solely a compliance requirement.
As lenders move more customer onboarding, payments and lending services online, cybersecurity has become central to AI strategy, particularly in rapidly digitising markets such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The Evident report suggests that for banks across the Gulf, artificial intelligence is no longer an experimental technology but an increasingly important component of future growth and resilience.
