Saudi, UAE central banks work on joint digital currency plan

The central banks of Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced on Sunday plans to jointly develop a new digital currency. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 29 November 2020
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Saudi, UAE central banks work on joint digital currency plan

  • The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) launched the ‘Aber’ project
  • The project seeks to evaluate the feasibility of issuing a digital currency for use between the two banks

DUBAI: The central banks of Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced on Sunday plans to jointly develop a new digital currency.

In a joint statement the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) launched the ‘Aber’ project, which seeks to evaluate the feasibility of issuing a digital currency for use between the two central banks.

The aim is to develop a cross-border payment system that will reduce transfer times and costs between banks in the two Gulf states.

The banks plan to develop a technology, such as distributed ledgers, which can be used to manage digital currencies between the two central banks and banks participating in the initiative in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

SAMA and the CBUAE “expressed their satisfaction with the achieved results, the visions shared, and the valuable lessons learned,” so far as part of the ‘Aber’ project.


The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

Updated 18 January 2026
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The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Family Office, one of the Gulf’s leading wealth management firms, will host its exclusive investment summit, “Investing Is a Sea,” from Jan. 29 to 31 on Shura Island along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

The event comes as part of the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 initiative, reflecting efforts to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for investment dialogue and strategic economic development.

The summit is designed to offer participants an immersive environment for exploring global investment trends and assessing emerging opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Discussions will cover key themes including shifts in the global economy, the role of private markets in portfolio management, long-term investment strategies, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies on investment decision-making and risk management, according to a press release issued on Sunday.

Abdulmohsin Al-Omran, founder and CEO of The Family Office, will deliver the opening remarks, with keynote addresses from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

The press release said the event reflects the firm’s commitment to institutional discipline, selective investment strategies, and long-term planning that anticipates economic cycles.

The summit will bring together prominent international and regional figures, including former UK Treasury Commercial Secretary Lord Jim O’Neill, Mohamed El-Erian, chairman of Gramercy Fund Management, Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, chairman of the editorial board at Al Arabiya, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Dr. Amer Bisat, economist Nouriel Roubini of NYU Stern School of Business, Naim Yazbeck, president of Microsoft Middle East and Africa, John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, co-founder of Stemettes, SRMG CEO Jomana R. Alrashed and other leaders in finance, technology, and investment.

With offices in Bahrain, Dubai, Riyadh, and Kuwait, and through its Zurich-based sister company Petiole Asset Management AG with a presence in New York and Hong Kong, The Family Office has established a reputation for combining institutional rigor with innovative, long-term investment strategies.

The “Investing Is a Sea” summit underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global center for financial dialogue and strategic investment, reinforcing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objective of fostering economic diversification and sustainable development.