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Dubai, UAEJune 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial hub in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA), has released the second report in its 2026 “Future of Finance” series.
DIFC
The report, titled “Transforming the Banking Landscape: Building Resilience in a Changing World,” highlights that for banks navigating a wave of industry transformation, long-term success hinges on resilience rather than scale or legacy. It examines how global banks must adapt their operating models to withstand shocks, continuously evolve, and maintain resilience amid AI, digital-native challengers, and shifting global demands.
Challenger banks, leveraging AI-driven, cloud-first, and asset-light models, have set new standards in speed, personalization, and cost efficiency, exposing the limitations of traditional operating models. Their rapid rise is forcing incumbent institutions to accelerate innovation to remain competitive. Without decisive transformation, industry-wide profit pools could shrink by $170 billion by 2030, with many institutions falling below the cost of capital.
His Excellency Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, stated: “Global banking is undergoing its most significant transformation in nearly two decades. As AI, digital assets, and shifting global market dynamics reshape the financial industry, institutions must embrace innovation, build resilience, and enhance adaptability to thrive. At DIFC and in Dubai, we are committed to supporting this transformation by fostering a future-ready ecosystem, helping global players access high-growth opportunities in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, while enabling banks to build the agility and resilience needed for the future.”
The report notes that banks that act decisively and early will not only protect profitability but also tap into new customer segments, expand into new regions, and explore frontier asset classes, thereby capturing a larger share of global finance.
As a bridge between East and West, Dubai’s strategic location allows banks to connect with emerging fintech innovation resources, link global capital, and access high-growth markets in Asia, the Gulf, and Africa.
Banks tend to favor jurisdictions with favorable regulatory policies, piloting new services, testing model accuracy, and governance capabilities in controlled environments before scaling regionally. As the world’s first AI-native financial center, DIFC is embedding intelligence into regulatory processes and market infrastructure, enabling firms to build, test, and scale AI-driven financial services.
The report also highlights that entrepreneurs, family offices, and women are influential banking clients whose unique and evolving financial needs remain underserved.