Emirates NBD Tops Inaugural Evident AI Index as UAE Banks Lead MEA Region in AI Maturity

Two UAE-based lenders have set the benchmark for artificial intelligence adoption across the Middle East and Africa, with Emirates NBD claiming first place and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) ranking third in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks in the MEA region, published on 2 June 2026.

The index, developed by London-based market intelligence firm Evident, is the first independent, data-driven benchmark of AI maturity in the banking sector. It evaluated 25 of the region's largest financial institutions across four weighted pillars: Talent, Innovation, Leadership and Transparency. Talent carried the heaviest weighting at 45 per cent.

Emirates NBD, the Dubai-headquartered banking group, achieved the top ranking on the strength of its performance across all four categories. Alexandra Mousavizadeh, co-founder and CEO of Evident, said the bank had laid the foundations for genuine AI transformation, citing "the highest AI talent volume of Middle Eastern banks, particularly in software implementation and product management."

Shayne Nelson, Group Chief Executive Officer at Emirates NBD, described the recognition as a reflection of a deliberate, long-term strategy. "Our approach is to embed AI deep within our culture, ensuring our technology directly empowers our workforce and simplifies the banking experience for our customers," he said. "As we advance our AI-enabled transformation, we will continue to invest in our talent, innovation and the future of banking."

FAB, the UAE's largest bank by assets, ranked third with particularly strong scores in transparency and leadership. The study noted that both institutions' strategies are tightly aligned with the region's broader digital ambitions, encompassing smart onboarding, AI-powered customer engagement platforms and enhanced risk analytics.

Mashreq Bank, another Dubai-based institution, placed tenth. Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank was the only other Gulf institution to break into the top ten, ranking ninth. The broader top 25 included Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Qatar National Bank, National Bank of Kuwait, Riyad Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Kuwait Finance House, Saudi National Bank and Saudi Awwal Bank.

Colin Gilbert, Vice President for Intelligence at Evident, said the findings point to a wider structural shift. "Responsible AI is growing in importance across banking in MEA," he noted, adding that the strategies of the leading UAE institutions are measurably accelerating adoption through ecosystem-level support.

The index covered financial institutions across nine countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Evident has tracked 50 banks globally since 2023, surveying more than 100 companies including insurers and payments processors.

For enterprise technology and AI strategy leaders across the GCC, the findings offer a practical benchmark. The index's weighting of talent above all other metrics signals that sustainable AI performance in financial services depends far less on tooling and far more on the depth of in-house expertise built over time. The UAE's lead position in MEA reflects years of deliberate investment in digital workforce development, a pattern that other regional financial institutions will be looking to replicate.