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UAE and Hong Kong strengthen financial ties with new cross‑border market integration
The UAE and Hong Kong deepen financial cooperation as the CBUAE joins Hong Kong’s Central Moneymarkets Unit, expanding investor access and boosting regional market connectivity
- PUBLISHED: Thu 12 Feb 2026, 1:55 PM
The UAE and Hong Kong have taken another significant step toward deepening financial cooperation, as the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) convened their third high‑level meeting in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Governor of the CBUAE Khaled Mohamed Balama and HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue led the discussions, which focused on strengthening cross‑border market connectivity and advancing joint work in areas ranging from debt capital markets to digital assets and stablecoin regulation.
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The meeting follows the second round of talks held in Hong Kong in December 2024, and both sides described the new session as a continuation of their expanding institutional partnership. Senior officials and assistant governors from the two authorities also attended, underscoring what the statement described as their “shared commitment to advancing financial and technical cooperation to support the sector’s sustainable development.”
A major development came with the announcement that the CBUAE has formally joined Hong Kong’s Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU), the territory’s central securities depository for debt instruments. The move stems from a memorandum of understanding signed during the previous meeting and is designed to cement cross‑border debt market connectivity.
According to the statement, membership in the CMU gives the CBUAE and UAE‑based investors “direct and cost-effective access to Chinese Mainland’s capital markets and financial assets, leveraging Hong Kong’s established financial infrastructure.” Officials described the development as a “major step forward” in integration between the two financial centres.
Balama said the enhanced collaboration reflects a joint ambition to boost international financial linkages. “Our collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority reflects a shared commitment to strengthening cross‑border financial market connectivity and international partnership,” he said. The UAE’s entry into the CMU, he added, “enables access to Asian capital market and deeper engagement with other global financial centres,” helping diversify opportunities for domestic market participants and reinforce the UAE’s position “as a leading international capital market hub.”
HKMA’s Yue echoed that sentiment, highlighting the progress in building concrete channels for market access. “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,” he said. The step, he noted, “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.”
Yue added that the cooperation between the two central banks “demonstrates a clear vision for mutual growth and innovation,” and said he looks forward to continued collaboration on the initiatives outlined in their ongoing bilateral talks.
