Abu Dhabi will be hosting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's Annual Meetings in 2029, highlighting the growing role of the UAE on the global economic stage.
The meetings will be held in October of that year, and a formal signing of the hosting will be held in the Bangkok edition later in 2026, the World Bank said in a statement on Friday.
The summit will also mark the return of the key event to the Emirates after more than a quarter-century, after Dubai hosted the meetings in 2003.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said on X that the UAE's hosting of the meetings "reflects international confidence, affirms the UAE's entrenched financial status and embodies the efficiency and capabilities of its people".
"These global meetings ... represent a key platform for shaping global financial stability policies and crafting the future of the international economy," Sheikh Mohammed said.
The World Bank-IMF annual meetings are traditionally at their headquarters in Washington DC, and every third year a member country is selected to host them.
The event convenes top ministers, the leaders of central banks and the private sector, and members of academia, civil society and the media, alongside observers from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the Financial Stability Board.
The meetings discuss "the most pressing issues facing the global economy, including global economic financial stability, job creation and poverty eradication", the World Bank said.
"The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund look forward to Abu Dhabi hosting the 2029 Annual Meetings in the spirit of international co-operation and dialogue that underpins the work of both institutions," it added.
The Annual Meetings are one of two major events hosted by the World Bank and IMF during a year, with the other being the Spring Meetings, traditionally held in April; the 2026 edition of the latter kicks off next week.
At both events, governors tackle global economic challenges and decide on major policy issues, which would set the course for future action by the World Bank and IMF's respective executive boards.
Participation continues to grow, with more than 10,000 in-person and virtual attendees being welcomed at each event. Country group meetings, civil society forums, and press conferences with the World Bank president and IMF managing director are also held.
London was the first city outside the US to host the meetings in 1947, while the UAE and Turkey remain the only countries in the Middle East to have hosted them.
Meanwhile, the UAE economy continues to grow on the back of robust sectors and resilience against geopolitical challenges.
The UAE's economy grew 5.1 per cent on an annual basis in the first nine months of 2025 to reach Dh1.4 trillion ($381.2 billion) as the country's non-oil sector expanded, data from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre showed in February.
