The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Finance, together with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), participated in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Group 2025 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. Discussions centred on regional economic challenges amid global uncertainty and the IMF’s role in supporting stability and sustainable, inclusive growth, with the UAE highlighting the need for enhanced regional coordination and structural reforms. Against a backdrop of rising protectionism, geopolitical tensions and debt pressures, the meeting noted IMF projections of slower regional growth in 2025 and 2026. The UAE’s Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, called for continued cooperation with the IMF and advocated expanding the use of the Resilience and Sustainability Trust to cover additional priorities including job creation, youth empowerment, non-oil sector growth and digital transformation. He also underscored strengthening the institutional capacities of financial entities in the region, investing in local talent, and reinforcing multilateral partnerships with flexible, country-tailored policy responses.

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