• Home
• Banks

His Excellency Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), has been named among the world’s top-performing central bank governors for 2026, earning an "A-" grade in the prestigious annual Central Banker Report Cards published by New York-based magazine Global Finance. The recognition reflects his leadership in anchoring monetary and financial stability, fostering market confidence, and enhancing public trust across the financial system.

Key Evaluation Criteria & Achievements

The coveted international rating highlights the CBUAE's track record across pivotal operational and macroeconomic benchmarks, which include:

Inflation Control: Successfully containing price pressures in line with macro targets.

Monetary & Currency Stability: Safeguarding the stability of the national currency and optimizing interest rate management strategies.

Economic Growth: Aligning monetary policy frameworks with national sustainable growth targets.

Institutional Independence: Maintaining rigorous independence in policy-making and execution.

The Global Finance assessment evaluates central bank governors across nearly 100 key countries, territories, and regional monetary unions, with an "A-" representing one of the highest tiers awarded in the global rankings.

Advanced Regulatory & Supervisory Frameworks

The rating underscores the UAE's prominent standing within the global financial architecture and affirms the resilience of its banking ecosystem against international economic headwinds. Key drivers include:

Robust Oversight: Implementation of world-class prudential and regulatory supervisory frameworks aligned with global best practices.

Systemic Resilience: Strengthening banking sector capitalization, liquidity buffers, and financial risk mitigation.

Infrastructure Modernization: Continuous investment in modern digital and financial market infrastructure to enhance agility and responsiveness to macroeconomic shifts.

Report Publication

Published annually since 1994, the Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards grade leaders on a scale from "A" to "F" based on quantitative and qualitative measures of monetary stewardship. The full 2026 report and rankings will be officially published in the print and digital editions of the magazine's upcoming October 2026 issue.