UAE Banks Federation (UBF) has commenced preparations to host to host Sibos 2029, the annual conference, exhibition, and networking event organised by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).
UBF started the preparations, consultations, and meetings with its strategic partners; Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), the main supporter, to ensure hosting this international event in a way that reflects UAE’s position as a global financial and banking centre.
UBF has also started engaging its members, especially the national banks, to discuss their plans for the SWIFT 2029 to raise the status of the UAE, banking and financial sector, CBUAE, and national banks.
These efforts, led by UBF, will kick off with the participation of several member banks in Sibos 2025, which will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, from 29th September to 2nd October 2025. The event will bring together more than 10,000 leaders of global financial institutions, bankers, CEOs of major fintech companies, and service providers from around the world under the theme “The next frontiers of Global Finance.”
Jamal Saleh, Director-General of UBF and Chairman of SWIFT User Group Steering Committee in the UAE, said, “The selection of the UAE to host Sibos 2029 reaffirms the global confidence in the country’s stature and its pivotal role in leading initiatives under the direct supervision of the CBUAE.”
He added, “The participation of our member banks in this year’s edition of Sibos in Frankfurt helps showcase the UAE’s achievements in the field of payments and its role in developing the financial services industry and global trade. This participation is also part of our preparations for hosting Sibos 2029 in Dubai, where we aim to introduce the global payments community to the progress of the UAE’s financial and banking industry.”
Since 1978, SWIFT has been organising Sibos annually in one of the international financial and banking centres that are selected from among major cities contending to host the conference and exhibition, which provides a global platform for leaders of financial and banking institutions, major economic institutions, and technology providers.
Saleh also highlighted the UAE’s pioneering role in payments, noting that the UBF has established the Steering Committee and National SWIFT User Group (NMG) as the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Since its establishment in 2021, NMG has been playing a central role in improving payment operations, strengthening the efficiency and security of banking transfers, and providing a platform for knowledge-sharing and decision-making support.
