In brief
A WAM release on 2 November 2026 announced that more than 70% of firms in the Dubai International Financial Centre now employ AI, including 64% that use generative models. Emirates NBD has earmarked about half its technology budget for AI, developing over 50 use cases and reporting a 15% productivity lift in a debt‑collection trial. DFSA chief executive Mark Steward highlighted the rapid rise in adoption and foresees further growth in the sector next year.
Artificial intelligence use has now crossed the 70% threshold among companies operating in the Dubai International Financial Centre, with the emirate’s largest bank, Emirates NBD, allocating about half of its technology budget to new AI products, a report from the Emirates News Agency (WAM) published on 2 November 2026 said.
Mark Steward, chief executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), told WAM, citing a DFSA survey that AI uptake in the DIFC had jumped from 30% a year ago to 70% today; 64% of the firms now employ generative AI models and he expects the trend to accelerate next year.
Emirates NBD’s group head of strategy, Neeraj Makin, said the bank has committed roughly 50% of its technology outlay to AI over the last 12 months and will maintain the same level of investment. The bank is rolling out more than 50 AI use cases, ranging from fraud detection to customer service, and a trial that split 4,000 debt‑collection accounts between AI and human agents recorded a 15% productivity gain for the machine‑managed side.
WAM’s report also noted that the UAE’s financial sector is being positioned as a global innovation hub, with other firms, such as the MultiBank Group’s MB.io, reporting increased trading volumes and enhanced interbank operations as a result of AI integration.
Overall, the rise in AI adoption in the DIFC points to a broader push toward greater cyber resilience, efficiency and attracting sustainable investment in the region.
