Emirates NBD Becomes First MENA Bank to Deploy OpenAI GPT Models via In-Country Infrastructure

Emirates NBD has formed a strategic partnership with OpenAI to run GPT models using AI infrastructure located within the UAE. This allows the bank to use advanced AI while following strict regional rules about where data is stored and how it is protected. The move is an important step toward developing AI systems that meet local requirements in the Middle East's financial services industry.

What was announced

Emirates NBD has announced a new business partnership with OpenAI. It is the first financial institution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to use OpenAI's GPT models with AI processing infrastructure located inside the UAE. This setup is designed to meet the banking industry's strict rules for security, oversight and compliance by keeping data handling in line with local privacy and data storage requirements. Running AI within the country allows the bank to use advanced technology across its business while helping keep its operations reliable.

The bank plans to use these models in several parts of its business. It wants to improve customer service through digital channels and help its risk and compliance teams analyze information more effectively. The technology will also automate work that requires handling large amounts of knowledge and help employees get more done.

Emirates NBD will also connect OpenAI's models directly to its internal systems, APIs and business data. This is intended to help the bank build new digital services faster, tailor services more closely to individual customers and make engineering work more efficient. It also aims to improve risk monitoring and controls against financial crime. The project supports the UAE's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, which aims to build world-class AI infrastructure and encourage the responsible use of AI in important industries.

"Artificial Intelligence is central to the future of banking. Through our collaboration with OpenAI and access to in-country inference in the UAE, we are embedding frontier AI capabilities directly into our operating model. This ensures we can innovate at speed while maintaining the highest standards of governance, security and regulatory alignment. AI is not an experiment for us, it is a core capability that will define how we build, serve and scale."

Miguel Rio-Tinto, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at Emirates NBD

The companies involved

Emirates NBD is a major banking group serving the Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye and South Asia (MENATSA). It is an important part of the UAE's financial sector and has often been among the banks leading digital change in the region. The bank focuses on using technology to serve its wide range of customers through both digital and traditional channels.

OpenAI is a global artificial intelligence company known for developing advanced models such as GPT. It plays a major role in the growing use of generative AI across industries, including finance, healthcare and technology. Through its operations in the MENA region, OpenAI is increasingly working to give large organizations AI tools that meet specific regulatory requirements. Its partnership with Emirates NBD is a strategic step toward expanding its technology infrastructure in the Middle East. This helps make its models available to organizations that need strong control over their data and support from infrastructure located in their own country.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed Emirates NBD's growth across the region. It recently reported on how Emirates NBD Egypt and EFG Hermes Expand Wealth Management with New Equity Fund Access. It also covered the UAE financial sector's move toward digital assets and advanced technology in its report Zodia Custody Secures ADGM Approval to Launch Digital Securities Custody in Abu Dhabi.

On competition in the AI market, FF News reported a change in market trends when Anthropic Overtakes OpenAI in UK Small Business AI Spending Surge. This highlights why large business partnerships, such as OpenAI's deal with Emirates NBD, may be important for OpenAI as it competes with other AI companies.

What this means

The announcement shows how global AI companies are changing the way they serve industries with strict rules. By offering AI processing within the country, OpenAI is addressing a major obstacle to AI use in banking: keeping control over where data is handled and stored. This may put pressure on other banks in the region to move beyond small AI trials and make AI a core part of their operations. It also raises questions about whether other AI providers can offer infrastructure based in the Middle East. As locally controlled AI becomes more important for competition, the next stage of the region's financial technology development will likely depend on combining advanced AI with local laws and regulatory requirements.

Original Press Release

Emirates NBD, a major banking group serving the Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye and South Asia (MENATSA), and OpenAI have announced a new business partnership. Under this agreement, Emirates NBD will become the first bank in the MENA region to run OpenAI's GPT models using AI processing infrastructure located within the UAE.

Banks operate in one of the world's most heavily regulated industries. They must meet strict requirements for security, oversight and compliance. Running AI within the country allows financial institutions to use advanced AI across their businesses while supporting local rules on data storage, privacy and reliable operations. This announcement is an important step toward building AI capabilities for financial services in the UAE that meet local requirements.

Scaling AI enterprise-wide

Emirates NBD will use OpenAI's models in several areas of its business. These include improving customer service across digital channels, helping risk and compliance teams analyze information, automating work that requires substantial knowledge and helping employees work more efficiently.

The bank will also connect OpenAI's models to its internal systems, APIs and business data. This will help it develop new digital services faster, offer more personalized customer experiences, improve engineering and day-to-day operations, and strengthen risk monitoring and controls against financial crime.

The project supports the UAE's goal of building world-class AI infrastructure and encouraging the responsible use of AI in important industries. It also supports the UAE's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. The partnership reflects the growing availability of AI systems that organizations can use while meeting local rules for oversight and regulation.

Miguel Rio-Tinto, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “Artificial Intelligence is central to the future of banking. Through our collaboration with OpenAI and access to in-country inference in the UAE, we are embedding frontier AI capabilities directly into our operating model. This ensures we can innovate at speed while maintaining the highest standards of governance, security and regulatory alignment. AI is not an experiment for us, it is a core capability that will define how we build, serve and scale.”

Farouk El Hamzawi, Head of Enterprise at OpenAI MENA, commented: “With this first-in-region approach, Emirates NBD is setting a benchmark for how financial institutions can deploy AI securely and responsibly at scale. We are proud to support that ambition with OpenAI models, tools and UAE-based inference, helping the bank meet regulatory requirements. We look forward to deepening our partnership to boost productivity, drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences.”