Maktoum bin Mohammed meets with CEO of Barclays Group

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance, today received C S Venkatakrishnan, Group Chief Executive of Barclays, one of the world’s leading financial institutions. The meeting was held at His Highness’s office in Dubai.

During the discussions, HH Sheikh Maktoum highlighted the UAE’s goal to further enhance its financial ecosystem to ensure it remains one of the world’s most innovative, resilient, and competitive. The meeting explored how enhanced collaboration with Barclays could unlock new growth opportunities, particularly by capitalising on the emirate’s strengths in infrastructure, regulations, and digital transformation. He also emphasised Dubai’s role as a strategic base for international financial institutions seeking to expand their reach in regional and emerging markets.

“We are focused on cultivating long-term strategic partnerships with global financial institutions like Barclays that advance the UAE’s financial ecosystem and accelerate our broader economic objectives. We are also committed to supporting them in expanding their business in regional and international markets using the UAE as a strategic platform. This strategy is aligned with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to double the city’s GDP and position it among the world’s top three urban economies and top four global financial hubs by 2033,” His Highness said.

Barclays is a transatlantic consumer, corporate and investment bank offering products and services across personal, corporate and investment banking, credit cards and wealth management. With over 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs approximately 85,000 people. The company’s Middle East hub is based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC),

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai; His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of Dubai Finance; His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; and His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre.

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