Banks in the Mena region are currently facing increasing structural challenges, including tighter liquidity, rising funding costs and a demand for more sophisticated, risk-aware solutions from clients. While these challenges are not new, the pace and scale of the necessary strategic changes have intensified over the past six months. 

This transformation is occurring against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, policy uncertainty and uneven economic growth. Factors such as cross-border tensions, shifting trade alignments and renewed tariff risks are reshaping capital flows and investor sentiment. 

Energy price volatility is adding further strain, even as Gulf infrastructure projects like Saudi Arabia’s megaprojects and the UAE’s transport expansions continue to progress. Additionally, growth in tourism and energy-linked investments in Oman, Qatar and Egypt is creating new opportunities while intensifying competition for funding and talent. For banks, this means they must make faster decisions, shorten planning cycles and implement contingency frameworks that can adapt in real time. 

A key theme emerging from industry discussions is the importance of executional discipline. While innovation continues to advance, it is now anchored in stronger governance, sharper capital allocation and strategies tailored to local risk profiles and regulatory environments. The era of rapid growth through adaptation is giving way to carefully considered, locally defined models. 

These shifts were key topics at MEED’s CXO Leadership Think Tanks held alongside the awards, where senior executives, economists, technologists and academics examined how to navigate the overlapping pressures from global tariff shifts, dollar dependency, regional liquidity constraints and the need to integrate geopolitical risk into strategy planning. The consensus among participants was that banks require more agile operating models, enhanced board oversight and resilience metrics that extend beyond mere compliance to assess true operational flexibility. 

The institutions featured in this report have adopted varied approaches. Some are restructuring their credit and capital advisory services to better manage more volatile lending conditions. Others are building larger liquidity buffers, enhancing stress tests and implementing forward-looking risk tools in anticipation of regulatory tightening. 

Collectively, these actions signify a redefinition of leadership, one that is based on clarity, accountability and control. 

The CXO Leadership Think Tanks highlighted a growing consensus that regional banks are no longer adapting global templates. Instead, they are developing new ones rooted in local regulation, institutional priorities and market realities. This report captures that transformation. It offers practical insight into how the region’s most forward-thinking banks are responding and what their approach signals for the future of corporate and investment banking in the region.