UAE Signs Agreement to Host 2029 World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Abu Dhabi
BANGKOK — The United Arab Emirates has signed the agreement to host the 2029 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Abu Dhabi, the World Bank announced on October 18, 2026. The agreement was signed at the conclusion of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.
The agreement was signed by Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE and the UAE Governor to the IMF. Representing the two international institutions, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva also signed the agreement, in the presence of senior officials.
Commenting on the occasion, Al Hussaini said the signing translates the UAE leadership's vision into action by advancing the resilience and competitiveness of the country's economic model, expanding international partnerships and promoting multilateral cooperation. “The signing of the agreement marks a significant milestone, reflecting the international community's enduring confidence in the UAE's readiness, the efficiency of its infrastructure and financial system, and its ability to host major international events of strategic importance,” he said. The World Bank said the agreement reinforces the UAE's position as a global financial hub.
The Annual Meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector leaders, and stakeholders across civil society, media and academia to discuss global economic and financial stability, job creation and poverty eradication. The meetings are usually held for two consecutive years at the institutions' headquarters in Washington, D.C., and every third year in a member country. The last time the Annual Meetings were held in the UAE was in 2003, in Dubai.
Source: World Bank Group press release, October 18, 2026
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Abu Dhabi 滨海大道天际线。Photo by giggel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
