Khaled Mohamed Balama — who holds the central bank governorship and represents the country at the International Monetary Fund — indicated that output across the UAE economy is forecast to reach around 10 per cent expansion by 2027, a pace well above the 1.6 per cent anticipated for 2026, with diversification efforts, infrastructure spending, and gains in oil production capacity all cited as contributing factors, even as geopolitical pressures in the region and broader global uncertainty continue to weigh on the wider outlook.

At a gathering in Bangkok, Thailand, where central bank governors and finance ministers from the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan convened alongside the IMF, Balama drew attention to the UAE's underlying economic strengths and its capacity to absorb pressures originating beyond its borders. Kristalina Georgieva, who holds the position of Managing Director at the IMF, took part in the gathering convened under the banner of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group.

Hamed Ali, chief executive of Dubai Financial Market, told attendees that the UAE's economy has consistently doubled in size across each ten-year period, a pattern he attributed to the country's pursuit of diversification rather than reliance on any single sector — though he presented this trajectory as established fact rather than projection — and went on to outline what he described as the country's role as a connector between Eastern and Western markets, while calling for clearer economic forecasting tools, deeper stakeholder engagement, and a wider array of financial instruments to navigate an accelerating pace of global change.

Financial institutions were called on to stay flexible and treat shifting conditions as a platform for expansion rather than a barrier to it.

Expanding activity outside the oil sector, alongside sustained infrastructure investment, forms the backbone of what Balama described as a favourable growth trajectory for the UAE economy. Expanded output capacity tied to oil production, set to follow the UAE's exit from OPEC, was cited as a factor behind projections of firmer economic growth by 2027.

Characterising the UAE as a strong example of structural economic resilience, the Governor pointed to what he described as effective diversification efforts, stable economic frameworks, and ongoing investment in both technology and human capital. Pointing to the country's contained debt load, sizeable sovereign reserves, and a government balance sheet in sound shape, Balama outlined the foundations he sees underpinning the UAE's economic steadiness.

Those underlying strengths, he noted, have kept both investor and market confidence intact even as pressures mount across the broader region. Flexibility in adapting to disruption carries as much weight as the size of foreign reserves, the Governor argued — an economy's capacity for rapid adjustment being a measure that stands alongside its financial buffers.

Interconnected disruptions across the world economy are putting financial systems and broader economic stability under strain, Balama noted. Building up fiscal reserves ahead of time and keeping policy structures flexible enough to handle unforeseen shocks were among the priorities he put forward. Pointing to the UAE's path, he argued that spreading economic activity across sectors and channelling investment into technology and workforce development tends to build durability over time.

Balama put forward a push for nations to deepen their collaborative efforts in tackling the economic strains tied to geopolitical friction. Worldwide economic vulnerabilities remain at an elevated level, he conveyed, with joint action across borders presented as the preferred path toward sustaining growth and easing price pressures.

In remarks delivered during the session, the Governor pointed to the IMF's contributions toward maintaining financial stability and fostering economic development throughout the region.