Emirates NBD is the first MENA bank to deploy OpenAI inside the UAE
Here is your banking that already runs on AI, and you may not notice when that changes. Emirates NBD has become the first MENA bank to deploy OpenAI, running the company’s GPT models on computing infrastructure based inside the UAE. The bank and OpenAI announced the enterprise collaboration on Monday. It makes Emirates NBD the […]
What the new UAE e-invoicing accreditation rules mean for providers now
The UAE e-invoicing accreditation rules changed on October 1, and existing service providers now have 30 days to comply. A direct accreditation process from the UAE Ministry of Finance e-invoicing programme replaced the preliminary approval stage used during development and testing. Ministerial Decision No. 168 of 2026 took effect on October 1. It repealed Decision […]
Sharjah Islamic Bank’s $500 million Sukuk clears at 5.85 percent final yield
The Sharjah Islamic Bank’s $500 million Sukuk drew an order book of US$1.3 billion, giving the lender demand equal to 2.6 times the amount on offer. Investors placed those orders across a five-year deal that priced at a final yield of 5.85 percent. That yield sat 105 basis points above five-year US Treasury securities, the […]
Hasnae Taleb spells out a governance test for women in finance in the GCC
Women in finance in the GCC have more access to capital, senior networks and decision rooms than when Hasnae Taleb began her career. The investor and market commentator told ICN Business the progress is real. Then she moved the conversation from headcount to control. The harder question, she said, is who “holds the pen.” In […]
Education as Economic Infrastructure in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates has progressively transformed higher education from a conventional academic service into a strategic component of its economic infrastructure. Today, universities across the UAE are developing Emirati talent, attracting international students and academics, supporting scientific research, producing advanced professional skills and strengthening the country’s ability to compete in knowledge-intensive industries. This transformation […]
How the CBUAE base rate increase affects UAE mortgages, loans and savings
The CBUAE base rate increase takes the UAE base rate to 3.9%, a quarter-point step up from 3.65% that landed on Thursday, September 17. It applies to the Overnight Deposit Facility, the tool the Central Bank uses to set a floor for short-term money in the country. The Central Bank also kept the cost of […]
EXCLUSIVE: How GCC fund managers test startups, pick sectors and follow crisis money
GCC fund managers have no shortage of capital to place. The harder question is what deserves it. One Stride Ventures report puts GCC venture capital funding at about $3.3 billion across 541 deals in 2025, up 14 percent on the year. Saudi Arabia and the UAE took most of that total. Hasnae Taleb has a […]
Revolut’s US banking license clears first OCC hurdle for 2027 bank launch
The Revolut US banking license took a real step forward this week. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted the British neobank conditional approval for a national bank charter. That approval lets the firm form Revolut Bank US, a federally regulated entity based in Stamford, Connecticut. Founder and CEO Nik Storonsky called it […]
UAE at the G20 finance meeting backs future skills and global debt action
The UAE at the G20 finance meeting brought a clear message to Asheville: economies grow when people gain new skills. Its Ministry of Finance took part in the second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors gathering, held in North Carolina on 31 August and 1 September 2026 under the United States G20 Presidency. Behind […]
UAE’s First Transition Finance Framework by Emirates NBD Opens New Funding Route for Carbon-Heavy Industries
UAE’s first transition finance framework has arrived, and it changes how carbon-heavy companies in the country can access funding for their shift away from fossil-heavy operations. Emirates NBD built the framework specifically for corporate and institutional clients whose businesses cannot yet meet the strict criteria of green finance, but who are taking real, measurable steps […]
HNWI Wealth 2026 Trends: Global Millionaire Count Reaches 25.3 Million
HNWI wealth 2026 trends center on a record year, with global high-net-worth individual wealth rising 8.7 percent in 2025 to USD 98.3 trillion. Capgemini Research Institute published the figure in the 30th edition of its World Wealth Report 2026. High-net-worth individuals, or HNWIs, hold at least USD 1 million in investable assets, not counting a […]
UAE Islamic finance strategy targets Dh2.56 trillion in assets by 2031
The UAE Islamic finance strategy sets a target of Dh2.56 trillion in local Islamic bank assets by 2031, part of a wider effort to root Shari’ah-compliant finance deeper in the national economy. Islamic banking assets in the country stood at Dh1.4 trillion as of June 2026, and 43 Islamic financial institutions now hold licences. The […]
