The Arab Monetary Fund, in collaboration with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the World Bank, opened the Financial Inclusion Leaders Summit for the Middle East and North Africa 2025 at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi under the theme “Shaping Regional and Global Action Agendas”, alongside the launch of the Abu Dhabi Declaration on Digital Financial Inclusion. The two-day summit brings together Arab central bank governors and senior representatives of regional and international financial institutions and focuses on financial health, access to financial services, women’s economic empowerment, and financial literacy. The Abu Dhabi Declaration reflects a joint commitment by the Arab Monetary Fund, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, and the World Bank to accelerate digital transformation in the financial sector, foster sustainable growth opportunities, and strengthen the safety and stability of financial systems in the region. In a keynote address, Arab Monetary Fund Director General Dr. Fahad M. Alturki highlighted the macroeconomic backdrop of slowing global growth and rising public debt, and pointed to the Fund’s financial inclusion initiatives including the Arab Financial Inclusion Task Force (2012), Arab Financial Inclusion Day (27 April), the Financial Inclusion Initiative for the Arab Region (2017), and the Arab Instant Payment System Facility launched in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; he also cited inclusion rates of around 80% in several Arab countries by end-2024. The summit runs from 17–18 November.

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