Dubai-it Awards: How Emirates NBD became a leader in digital banking and global expansion

Dubai: From becoming the UAE's highest-ranked banking brand to moving millions of customer transactions online, Emirates NBD's growth and digital transformation have earned it the Dubai-it Award for Institutions in the Field of Economy. The award recognises the bank's ability to turn transformation into an institutional capability, growing at speed, building at scale and strengthening Dubai's position as a regional and global financial gateway. In recent years, Emirates NBD has achieved significant business growth, reaching the number one position in the UAE for revenue, deposits and profitability. The banking group, which serves more than 25 million active customers across 13 countries, had total assets of Dh1.3 trillion as of June 30, 2026. It is also the UAE's leading financial services brand, with a brand value of $6.1 billion. Digital transformation at scale A key achievement highlighted by the Dubai-it Award is Emirates NBD's digital transformation. The bank achieved a digital adoption rate of 91 per cent, moving millions of customer transactions online and providing access to more than 220 digital services. According to the group, 97 per cent of all financial transactions and requests are now conducted outside its branches. Emirates NBD also operates Liv, its lifestyle digital bank, which has close to half a million users and is described by the group as the fastest-growing bank in the region. Expanding investment opportunities Emirates NBD has also launched investment programmes spanning digital investing, fractional bonds and sukuk, digital assets, and gold and silver bullion. The bank's international expansion has seen it extend its services across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, India, Singapore and Türkiye. Today, its wider network includes 1,425 branches and 4,948 ATMs and smart deposit machines, with operations across the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Sustainability and community engagement Beyond its financial growth, Emirates NBD has also undertaken initiatives in sustainability and community engagement. The group became the first bank globally to publish an IFRS S1 and S2-aligned report, along with assurance of financed emissions. Emirates Islamic also issued a $500 million Sustainability-Linked Financing Sukuk, described as the world's first of its kind and fully aligned with ICMA guidelines. Meanwhile, Emirates NBD's Exchanger volunteer programme completed 10 years in 2025, contributing more than 160,000 hours to social causes and benefiting over 1.1 million people. Reflecting the Dubai-it philosophy Together, these achievements demonstrate Emirates NBD's ability to transform at speed and scale, combining business growth, digital innovation and international expansion. The Dubai-it Award recognises how the bank has translated these achievements into institutional capabilities, while contributing to Dubai's position as a global financial hub.