Emirates NBD and FAB top a new regional AI responsibility ranking, underscoring Gulf banks’ strategic shift towards smarter, transparent, and innovative AI adoption amid national digital transformation drives.
Emirates NBD and First Abu Dhabi Bank have emerged as the Middle East and Africa region’s strongest performers in a new ranking of responsible artificial intelligence use in banking, underlining how quickly Gulf lenders are closing the gap with global peers.
The two UAE banks finished first and third respectively in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks covering the region, a benchmark that assesses lenders on talent, innovation, leadership and transparency. Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest lender by assets, stood out as the only bank to place in the top three across more than two categories, while FAB led on transparency and leadership.
The London-based intelligence firm behind the study said the results reflect a broader shift in the region’s banking sector, where digital transformation has become closely tied to national economic strategies. In the UAE, that has meant a push towards smarter onboarding, AI-enabled customer engagement and more advanced risk analytics, all of which are helping banks accelerate adoption.
Mashreq also made the top 10, finishing 10th, while Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank was the Gulf’s other top-10 entrant at ninth. The wider 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.
According to Evident, the leading banks in the region are no longer treating AI as a side project. Colin Gilbert, vice president for intelligence at the firm, said the top four banks “uniformly identify AI as a strategic objective”, with training programmes, governance committees and documented use cases producing measurable results.
Emirates NBD has linked AI to productivity, operational modernisation and the UAE’s national AI agenda, according to Evident. FAB, meanwhile, has placed particular emphasis on scaling AI across its business, including in payment processing, relationship management and developer support, with the study highlighting signs of agentic AI use inside core banking operations.
That emphasis comes as the UAE sharpens its focus on agentic AI. Last month, the country announced plans to train 80,000 workers in the use of AI agents, aiming for half of government services to be delivered by the technology within two years. Dubai has also unveiled a two-year plan to expand AI use in the private sector.
Evident’s report suggests the impact on employment may not be as straightforward as some fear. Gilbert said the data did not show a clear pattern of AI displacing staff, arguing instead that more mature AI banks tend to expand headcount as productivity gains support new business growth. The firm said it did not find significant job losses linked to AI, apart from changes associated with major mergers or acquisitions.
- https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/banking/2026/06/02/emirates-nbd-and-fab-lead-responsible-ai-index-as-regions-banks-close-gap-with-global-peers/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/banking/2026/06/02/emirates-nbd-and-fab-lead-responsible-ai-index-as-regions-banks-close-gap-with-global-peers/ – Emirates NBD and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) have topped the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks in the Middle East and Africa, highlighting their leadership in responsible AI adoption. The index evaluates banks across four key metrics: talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. Emirates NBD secured the top position, excelling in leadership, innovation, and talent, while FAB led in transparency and leadership. The study underscores the UAE’s commitment to digital transformation, with strategies aligning with national digital agendas, including smart onboarding and AI-powered customer engagement platforms.
- https://prod.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/jun/02-06/emirates-nbd-ranked-first-in-the-inaugural-evident-ai-index-for-banks – Emirates NBD has been ranked first in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks in the Middle East and Africa, underscoring its position as a leader in AI maturity within the region. The index assesses banks across four pillars: talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. Emirates NBD’s top ranking reflects its strong AI strategy, integrating AI as a core business capability across the organisation. This recognition highlights the bank’s commitment to driving digital banking transformation in alignment with the UAE’s broader AI and digital transformation agenda.
- https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com%2C2026-06-02%3Anewsml_Zaw23TF4V%3A0-zawya-emirates-nbd-ranked-1-in-inaugural-evident-ai-index-for-banks-middle-east-and-africa/ – Emirates NBD has been ranked first in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks in the Middle East and Africa, highlighting its leadership in AI maturity. The index evaluates banks across four key pillars: talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. Emirates NBD’s top ranking reflects its exceptional performance across these benchmarks, demonstrating the strength of its AI strategy as a core business capability integrated across the organisation. This recognition underscores the bank’s commitment to driving the future of digital banking in alignment with the UAE’s broader AI and digital transformation agenda.
- https://evidentinsights.com/insights/payments-key-findings-report-2026 – The 2026 Evident AI Payments Index evaluates the AI maturity of 12 major payment networks and processors, highlighting the growing importance of agentic AI in the payments industry. The index assesses companies across four key dimensions: talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. Leading companies demonstrate consistent investment across these areas, with higher AI maturity driving the deployment of AI use cases and emerging evidence of return on investment. The report underscores the need for sustained investment in AI enablers to accelerate use case deployment and achieve measurable outcomes.
- https://www.teradata.com/insights/ai-and-machine-learning/the-2026-evident-ai-payments-index – The 2026 Evident AI Payments Index evaluates the AI maturity of 12 of the world’s largest payment networks and processors, highlighting the rise of agentic AI in the payments sector. The index assesses companies across four key dimensions: talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. Leading providers are applying AI to improve fraud detection, decision-making, and operational efficiency. The report underscores the growing importance of agentic AI in the payments industry and the need for sustained investment in AI enablers to accelerate use case deployment and achieve measurable outcomes.
- https://cognitivebanks.org/ – Cognitive Bank is a multi-cloud AI platform offering services across AWS, Azure, and GCP. The platform provides access to various reports, including the World Retail Banking Report 2026, World Wealth Report 2026, and the Generative AI in Financial Services 2025 Update. Additionally, Cognitive Bank offers access to the Evident AI Index, an independent benchmark ranking the world’s 50 largest banks on AI capability across talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. The platform serves as a resource for financial institutions seeking insights into AI adoption and maturity.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The article was published on June 2, 2026, and reports on recent developments, including the release of the Evident AI Index Banks report on the same date. No evidence of recycled or outdated content was found.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Colin Gilbert, vice president for intelligence at Evident. While these quotes are not independently verifiable online, they are attributed to a specific individual and context, which adds credibility. However, the lack of independent verification slightly reduces the score.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The article is published by The National, a reputable news outlet in the UAE. The primary source, Evident, is a London-based market intelligence firm that tracks AI adoption across financial services. The article provides a direct link to the original report, enhancing transparency.
Plausibility check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about Emirates NBD and First Abu Dhabi Bank leading in responsible AI adoption are plausible and align with known trends in the UAE’s banking sector. The article provides specific metrics and rankings, which are consistent with the reported findings.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The article is recent, original, and published by a reputable source. While some quotes lack independent verification, they are attributed to a specific individual and context. The content is plausible and aligns with known industry trends. The primary source is accessible, and the content type is appropriate. Overall, the article meets verification standards with high confidence.