Arif Amiri, CEO of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority, has affirmed that the global banking sector stands on the threshold of an unprecedented structural transformation — the most significant since the 2008 global financial crisis — driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and digital assets that are reshaping banking business models, risk management practices, and the delivery of financial services.
In exclusive remarks to Al Bayan, drawing on the second 2026 report in the DIFC's Future of Finance series, Amiri said that Dubai provides the ideal environment for the growth of the next generation of financial institutions, benefiting from its advanced digital infrastructure and innovation-friendly regulatory frameworks, reinforcing its standing as a global hub connecting traditional and digital financial institutions with high-growth markets.
Amiri said the global banking sector is on the cusp of an unprecedented transitional phase, with the factors shaping its future more complex and intertwined than ever before, given the emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital assets that are redefining the traditional foundations of banking, transforming how value is generated, how risks are managed, and how customers interact with financial services.