Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain: Under the Presidency of the Kingdom of Bahrain of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2026, the fifth meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the GCC Central Bank Governors’ Committee was held today, in Manama. The meeting chaired by Mrs. Hesa Abdulla Al Sada, Executive Director of Central Banking & Macro-Prudential Oversight at the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), representing the country of presidency, with the participation of representatives of the member countries of the Preparatory Committee, and HE Khalid bin Ali Al Sunaidi, Assistant Secretary‑General for Economic and Development Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Mrs. Al Sada commended the role and responsibilities of the Preparatory Committee, noting that it serves as a key pillar for the thorough preparation of the GCC Central Bank Governors’ meetings. She highlighted its role in following up on the implementation of decisions and recommendations issued by the Governors, as well as in proposing joint topics and initiatives related to monetary and banking affairs.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Al Sada emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in line with the directives of the GCC Central Bank Governors and their recommendations and stressed the significance of exchanging expertise and developing effective policies to build strong and resilient financial systems. She also added that these discussions will contribute to the current and future initiatives under the collaborative GCC work within the field of work of the GCC Central Bank Governors’ Committee.

In this regard, their Excellencies, the members of the Preparatory Committee, also discussed a number of important topics related to cooperation among the GCC member countries, including the recommendations of committees and working groups concerned with payment systems, supervision and oversight of the banking sector, and financial technologies in the GCC. The Committee further discussed the exchange of cybersecurity information for the banking sector and the efforts undertaken by GCC member countries in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing.