In line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Central Bank of the UAE's (CBUAE) Board of Directors, the CBUAE launched its Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme to accelerate the digital transformation in the financial sector as part of a wider strategy aimed at enabling the CBUAE to be among the top central banks globally.

The programme aims to support the CBUAE's mission of enhancing monetary and financial stability and consumer protection through robust financial infrastructure and the adoption of digital technologies, which contributes to promoting digital transactions and enabling the competitiveness of the UAE to become the financial and digital payment hub and a centre of excellence for innovation and digital transformation. The full integration set for 2026, will create an important platform to support the country's "We the UAE 2031" vision and the National Digital Economy Strategy.

The FIT programme comprises the implementation of nine key initiatives. The first stage includes the launch of a Card Domestic Scheme, an Instant Payments Platform, and the issuance of Central Bank Digital Currency for cross-border and domestic uses. In the next stage, a number of digital infrastructures will be developed and implemented, including the establishment of Financial Cloud, eKYC and Open Finance Platforms. These digital infrastructures will improve regulatory compliance, reduce the cost of operation, enhance innovation and customer experience, and strengthen their security and operational resilience.  In addition, they will drive financial inclusion through digital payment initiatives, promote payment innovation, and achieve a cashless society.