UAE launches new programmes to train next generation of financial leaders

Programmes will cover leadership, AI, financial analysis, strategy and advisory skills

Last updated: August 18, 2026 | 13:35

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

2 MIN READ

UAE launches new programmes to train next generation of financial leaders

Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Finance has partnered with DIFC Academy to launch two specialised programmes aimed at developing the next generation of financial leaders and advisers across federal entities.

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The Certified Chief Finance Director Programme and Certified Financial Consultant Programme will focus on leadership development, artificial intelligence, financial analysis and strategic planning, and financial advisory.

The agreement was signed by Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, and Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority.

AI and financial decision-making in focus

The programmes are designed to strengthen leadership and advisory capabilities while equipping participants with advanced knowledge and practical skills to support strategic financial decision-making.

Both programmes will include modules covering AI technologies and AI assistants, including their use in analysing complex financial data, generating intelligent reports, automating financial processes and improving predictive forecasting.

Participants will also receive training covering data governance and the responsible and ethical use of emerging technologies.

Our strategic partnership with the DIFC’s Academy represents a key milestone in advancing leadership and advisory capabilities across the financial sector and reflects the Ministry of Finance's vision of building a more efficient, sustainable and innovation-driven public financial ecosystem.

Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance

Flexible learning model

Training will be delivered through face-to-face, virtual and hybrid formats, allowing professionals across federal entities to combine the programmes with their existing responsibilities.

The curriculum will be structured around four core learning pillars covering leadership development, artificial intelligence, financial analysis and strategic planning, and financial advisory.

DIFC Academy plans to educate more than 50,000 learners annually by 2030, according to the announcement.

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Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series. Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question. When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.

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