Top 100 Arabs 2025

68. Khaled Mohammed Balama

Governor, Central Bank of the UA

Origin: UAE

Residence: UAE

Sector: Finance

2024 Rank: 67

Balama has a robust 30-year track record in leading various government entities in the UAE, he has been on the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) since 2008.

Under his leadership, CBUAE achieved record financial results in 2024 across all indicators.

Total assets are estimated to reach approximately Dhs896bn, driven by increased net inflows into the national economy, compared to Dhs721bn in 2023.

The CBUAE also implemented initiatives to support national housing programmes by providing flexibility in applying certain mortgage requirements.

Support provided through national housing funds reached Dhs6.1bn in 2024.

Hesham Al Qassim

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah