The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) convened their third meeting on 11 February (Abu Dhabi time) in Abu Dhabi, chaired by H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, and Mr Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the HKMA. The meeting comes as part of the ongoing joint efforts to further strengthen collaboration and connectivity between the financial sectors of both jurisdictions, reflecting the depth of their institutional partnership and shared regulatory vision.
Building on the progress achieved from the second meeting held in Hong Kong in December 2024, the CBUAE and the HKMA conducted in-depth discussions covering several key areas. These included cross-border debt capital market connectivity; developments in digital assets, tokenisation, and central bank digital currency; as well as the development of regulatory frameworks for stablecoins; and supply chain financing.
The meeting was attended by Their Excellencies Assistant Governors and senior officials from both institutions, highlighting their shared commitment to advancing financial and technical cooperation to support the sector’s sustainable development and to promote institutional coordination at the strategic and operational levels.
The CBUAE has formally joined the Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU), Hong Kong’s core central securities depository for debt securities, following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding during the second meeting to establish debt capital market and the related financial market infrastructure connectivity. This provides the CBUAE and investors in the United Arab Emirates direct and cost-effective access to Chinese Mainland’s capital markets and financial assets, leveraging Hong Kong’s established financial infrastructure. It represents a major step forward in advancing market connectivity and deepening financial integration between the two regions.
H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, said, “Our collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority reflects a shared commitment to strengthening cross‑border financial market connectivity and international partnership. The CBUAE’s membership in the Central Moneymarkets Unit enables access to Asian capital market and deeper engagement with other global financial centres, which supports diversifying investment opportunities for market participants in the United Arab Emirates, and reinforcing the country’s role as a leading international capital market hub. We value this partnership and look forward to continued cooperation that contributes to more resilient and better-connected financial markets.”
Mr Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, added, “I am pleased to see the progress achieved to date in concretising our debt capital market connectivity, and am delighted to welcome the CBUAE as a member of the CMU. This underscores Hong Kong’s position as a leading offshore Renminbi business hub, and a premier gateway for international investors to tap into the broader China and Asia markets. The cooperation between the two central banks demonstrates a clear vision for mutual growth and innovation. We look forward to the continued collaboration with the CBUAE in advancing the key initiatives discussed during our ongoing bilateral engagements.”
Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates
12 February 2026
In the presence of H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (second right), and Mr Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (second left), H.E. Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, (first right) and Mr Howard Lee, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (first left) signed and exchanged an agreement on CMU Membership on 11 February (Abu Dhabi time) to further enhance cross-border debt capital market collaboration.
