Dubai International Financial Centre has launched the second report in its 2026 Future of Finance series, arguing that long-term success in banking will depend more on resilience and operating model change than on size or legacy. The report, The Changing Face of Banking: Building Resilience Through Change, says banks must adapt to artificial intelligence, digital-native competitors and shifting demand patterns. It warns that without decisive transformation, industry profit pools could fall by USD 170bn by 2030, leaving many institutions below their cost of capital, and identifies AI as the main route to productivity gains and next-generation operating models. The report says challenger banks built on AI-driven, cloud-first and asset-light models are raising expectations on speed, personalization and cost efficiency, increasing pressure on established firms to innovate faster. It also points to supportive jurisdictions as places where banks can pilot AI-based services and test model accuracy and governance before scaling, and highlights underserved client segments including entrepreneurs, family offices and women as areas where AI-enabled insights and tailored offerings could open new revenue pools. This is the second of four Future of Finance reports that DIFC plans to publish over 2026.

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