ABU DHABI, 14th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), led the UAE delegation to the 87th meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Central Bank Governors’ Committee, held today in Manama, Bahrain.
The meeting was chaired by Khalid Ebrahim Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, with the participation of Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, to discuss developments in joint GCC cooperation in the monetary and banking sectors.
The CBUAE delegation included Ebrahim Obaid Al Zaabi, Assistant Governor for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability, and Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking Operations and Support Services, along with a number of senior CBUAE officials.
The committee discussed monetary and financial developments in GCC countries, current and future initiatives under the joint GCC work programme for central banks, and ways to enhance international cooperation and exchange experiences and practices in the monetary and banking sectors. It also discussed the joint meeting between GCC Central Bank Governors and the People’s Bank of China.
The governors reviewed key recommendations on payment systems, banking supervision and regulation, and anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, alongside the latest developments regarding the agreement to link payment systems among GCC countries, in support of more efficient and resilient financial systems.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Khaled Mohamed Balama, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gulf Payments Company, chaired the company’s 23rd Board meeting, which discussed updates on the company’s activities and the Gulf Payments System “AFAQ”, and reviewed the work of its committees.