CBUAE Sets Out 2027 Regulatory Priorities at Supervisory Roundtable With Bank and Insurance CEOs
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has just told the sector where its attention goes next year. On 4 November 2026, it set out its 2027 regulatory priorities in front of bank and insurance CEOs. No new rulebook landed. But the direction is clear: governance, cyber resilience, fraud and AI. That’s your 2027 review list. Our risk advisory team breaks down what to do about it.
CBUAE Convenes the UAE Financial Sector Supervisory Roundtable on Financial Resilience
The CBUAE organised the roundtable in Abu Dhabi on 4 November 2026 under the theme “Fostering Financial Resilience and Prosperity”.
Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama Puts Financial Stability and Risk-Based Supervision First
Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama opened the session. Financial stability, he said, stays at the front of the Central Bank’s priorities, alongside work on regulatory frameworks and risk-based supervision. His definition of resilience was practical: financial soundness, plus the ability to anticipate risks, absorb disruption and recover fast.
UAE Banks Federation Chairman Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Delivers the Keynote
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the UAE Banks Federation, gave the keynote. Three sessions followed, chaired by Ahmed Saeed Al Qamzi, Assistant Governor for Banking and Insurance Supervision.
2027–2029 Strategy, Suitability Framework and FSAP Updates Lead the Agenda
Session one sets the frame. The CBUAE presented its 2027–2029 strategy, its regulatory and supervisory framework, and its priorities for 2027.
Suitability Framework and Stronger Governance in Financial Institutions
The Central Bank also covered work on the suitability framework and on stronger governance inside financial institutions. No new requirements were published. So what does it tell you? Accountability at board and senior level isn’t going away. It’s a good moment to test how your corporate governance arrangements hold up under questioning.
Financial Sector Assessment Program Updates Presented to CEOs
CEOs also heard updates on the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), the IMF’s in-depth review of a country’s financial system. It follows an IMF staff visit in July 2026 that noted strong capital and liquidity in the banking sector.
Operational and Cyber Resilience Move to the Centre of Supervision
Session two was about operational resilience and cyber resilience. When disruption hits, how fast can you recover, and can you prove it? That’s the question supervisors keep asking. Our cyber risk advisory work starts from the same place.
Role of the Financial Sector Security Operations Centre in Banking Resilience
Speakers covered the Financial Sector Security Operations Centre (FSOC) and its impact on banks. The CBUAE has been building security capacity for the sector for years, having announced a Networking and Cyber Security Operations Centre in November 2021.
Anti-Fraud Operations Centre and the Sector-Wide Anti-Fraud Platform
Fraud got its own slot. The session covered emerging prevention trends and updates on the Anti-Fraud Operations Centre (CAFOC) and the anti-fraud platform. Media reports in May 2026 described CAFOC as a central hub for real-time monitoring and faster incident response. The practical read: fraud detection services in the UAE will be judged on data and speed, and your bank fraud control framework needs to keep up. Our CBUAE anti-fraud framework implementation guide shows how.
Thematic Reviews Target Digital Assets, AI, Insurance Resilience and Climate
Session three covered thematic supervisory reviews. For banks: digital assets and artificial intelligence. For insurers: resilience, digitalisation and climate.
AI Thematic Reviews Follow the February 2026 Guidance Note on Responsible AI
The AI focus follows the CBUAE’s guidance note of 23 February 2026 on responsible use of AI and machine learning, which applies to all licensed financial institutions. Its principles: governance and accountability, fairness, transparency, effective human oversight, and data management and privacy. Expect reviewers to test them in practice. For a grounded look, read our piece on human vs AI fraud prevention.
Insurance Market Reviews Cover Resilience, Digitalisation and Climate
Insurers heard the same message. The session covered market developments and supervisory reviews on resilience, digitalisation and climate. Show your working. That’s the theme across insurance regulations in the UAE too.
Roundtable Follows the End of the New CBUAE Law Transition Period
There is a specific timeline here that matters just as much as anything else. It’s best the dates are made clear:
Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 Fully Applies From 16 September 2026
Timing matters here. Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 took effect on 16 September 2025, with a one-year transition for in-scope entities that ran to 16 September 2026. The law lets the CBUAE extend it for specific entities, so confirm your own position. Our note on new CBUAE guidance for financial institutions covers the detail.
Roundtable Signals Supervisory Direction Rather Than New Rules
The CBUAE announced no new CBUAE regulations at the roundtable. Treat it as direction. New requirements will arrive through the CBUAE Rulebook, so keep watching it.
ADEPTS View: Areas Banks and Insurers Should Review Before the 2027 Supervisory Cycle
Start with people. The suitability and governance work, plus the CBUAE’s draft guidance on individual conduct for board members and staff, points to personal accountability. Can every senior role-holder show how they meet fit-and-proper expectations? Do your MLROs understand their own exposure? CBUAE enforcement against an MLRO shows why it matters.
Cyber, Fraud and AI Controls Ready for Thematic Review
Refresh your fraud risk assessment. Map cyber incident recovery to your operational resilience targets. List every AI use case and test it against the February 2026 principles. A fraud risk management programme that evidences each step is what a thematic review asks for.
ADEPTS Supports Licensed Financial Institutions With Regulatory and Risk Reviews
Reading supervisory direction is easy. Turning it into evidence is harder. ADEPTS helps banks and insurers with:
- Gap reviews against CBUAE expectations
- Fraud and cyber risk assessments
- AI governance reviews
- Independent internal audit
Talk to our risk advisory team.
The 2027 message is steady: be resilient, be accountable, prove it. With CBUAE enforcement active, as a foreign bank branch fine shows, documentation matters. Start your review now.
References
- CBUAE, CBUAE Outlines 2027 Regulatory Priorities and Discusses Ways to Strengthen Financial Sector Resilience (4 November 2026): https://centralbank.ae/media/e03fxn5w/cbuae-outlines-2027-regulatory-priorities-and-discusses-ways-to-strengthen-financial-sector-resilience-with-banks-and-insurance-companies-en.pdf
- CBUAE Rulebook, Guidance Note: Consumer Protection and Responsible Adoption and Use of AI:
https://rulebook.centralbank.ae/en/rulebook/guidance-note-consumer-protection-and-responsible-adoption-and-use-artificial-intelligence - CBUAE, CBUAE Establishes Networking and Cyber Security Operations Centre (2 November 2021):
https://www.centralbank.ae/media/xztniuhx/cbuae-establishes-cyber-security-operation-centre-en_0.pdf - CBUAE, Financial Stability Report 2025:
https://centralbank.ae/media/44ianby2/financial-stability-report-en-2025.pdf - CBUAE Rulebook: https://rulebook.centralbank.ae
- Central Bank of the UAE: https://www.centralbank.ae
- UAE Legislation portal (Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae
- UAE Government Portal: https://u.ae
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