Manama, Bahrain – 1 October 2026: Under the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Presidency of the 46thSession of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the chairmanship of HE Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy, HE Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (“CBB”), participated in the joint meeting of GCC Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors with Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (“IMF”), held under the theme “Economic Prospects and Policy Challenges: Enhancing Resilience to Geopolitical Shocks”.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 126th Ministerial Meeting of the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee. The annual meeting serves as a platform for Their Excellencies the Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors of the GCC member states, alongside senior IMF officials IMF, to discuss the region’s economic outlook and key policy priorities, while exploring opportunities to further strengthen regional integration and enhance IMF–GCC cooperation.
During the meeting, HE CBB Governor participated as a lead discussant in the roundtable discussion, where he highlighted the opportunities digital assets present in enhancing cross-border payments, financial innovation and capital market development, while emphasizing the importance of robust regulatory frameworks to support innovation and safeguard financial stability.