UBF nominee joins Swift Supervisory Board

By the Editorial Team · Monday, October 12, 2026

Ahmed Abdelaal, group CEO of Mashreq, has been appointed to the Supervisory Board of SWIFT, representing the UAE as the only new member from the Middle East and Africa. This appointment highlights the UAE’s expanding influence in global payment systems and its commitment to advancing financial innovation and cybersecurity under evolving international standards.

Ahmed Abdelaal, group CEO of Mashreq and a member of the UAE Banks Federation (UBF) CEO Advisory Council, has been appointed to the Supervisory Board of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift), the UBF announced on October 13. The appointment underscores the international financial community’s confidence in the United Arab Emirates’ expanding role in the global payments landscape.

The UBF, which represents the banking sector in the UAE, nominated Abdelaal for the role. The UAE is the only country to secure a new representative on the Supervisory Board and is the sole representative from the Middle East and Africa regions. This marks a significant milestone for the UAE’s financial industry as the country continues to develop its payments ecosystem in alignment with global standards.

Swift unveiled the new Supervisory Board following a revision of its governance structure aimed at enhancing oversight and strategic direction. The board is responsible for guiding the organisation’s next phase, focusing on resilience, trust, and innovation within international payment systems. It comprises a chair, four independent directors, and ten shareholder-affiliated directors selected from Swift's global community. The Supervisory Board works alongside a Management Board and a 25-member Swift Council.

As digital transformation accelerates in global finance, the board’s mandate includes steering the adoption of emerging technologies such as post-quantum computing and frontier artificial intelligence. Strengthening cybersecurity measures and ensuring the stability of cross-border financial transactions are key priorities for the new governance framework.

AbdulAziz Al-Ghurair, chairman of the UBF, highlighted Swift’s role in facilitating secure communication and information exchange for over 12,500 financial institutions in more than 200 markets. He emphasized how the platform supports robust financial and commercial interactions worldwide.

Jamal Saleh, director-general of the UBF and chairman of the UAE Swift Users Group, noted that Abdelaal’s appointment reflects the UAE’s growing influence in modernizing payment infrastructures and deploying cutting-edge technologies under the guidance of the Central Bank of the UAE. The development signals the country’s commitment to advancing global financial connectivity and innovation.

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