ADIB Appoints Pedro Uria-Recio as Chief AI Officer to Drive Vision 2035 Strategy

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has appointed Pedro Uria-Recio as Chief AI Officer, a strategic hire designed to accelerate the bank’s Vision 2035 transformation. For fintech professionals, this move signals a shift from experimental AI to enterprise-wide deployment within Islamic finance, focusing on risk management, operational efficiency, and hyper-personalized customer experiences.

What was announced

ADIB has formally integrated the role of Chief AI Officer into its leadership structure to spearhead the next phase of its AI strategy. Pedro Uria-Recio joins the institution with a mandate to build the governance, infrastructure, and internal capabilities necessary to scale artificial intelligence across the entire Group. This appointment is a cornerstone of the bank’s Vision 2035 strategy, which aims to position ADIB as the most innovative Islamic bank globally.

The scope of the new role covers the responsible deployment of AI technologies to enhance customer journeys and provide bank staff with advanced analytical tools. The strategy focuses on translating complex data into measurable business outcomes, particularly in the realms of decision-making and risk mitigation. ADIB currently operates from a high digital baseline, with over 94% of its transactions occurring through digital channels. The bank serves more than 2.7 million customers and demonstrated significant momentum in the first half of 2026 by adding 125,000 new users. Uria-Recio will oversee the transition from these digital foundations into an AI-first operating model, ensuring that human judgment and accountability remain central to the bank's technological evolution.

"Artificial intelligence is not simply a technology initiative; it is one of the principal transformation enablers of our strategy and our ambition to become the world’s most innovative Islamic bank."

Mohamed Abdelbary, Group CEO of ADIB.

The companies involved

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) is a prominent Islamic financial institution headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. It has established itself as a regional leader in digital banking through its mobile platforms and open banking ecosystem. The bank is currently navigating a long-term strategic roadmap, Vision 2035, intended to modernize Sharia-compliant banking for a global audience.

Pedro Uria-Recio joins ADIB from CIMB Bank in Malaysia, where he served as Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer. During his tenure at CIMB, he was responsible for the deployment of generative AI and agentic AI solutions across Southeast Asia. His professional background includes senior leadership roles at True Corporation, Axiata Group, and McKinsey & Company. Uria-Recio holds a BSc in Telecommunications Engineering and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, bringing a blend of technical engineering expertise and corporate strategy to the Middle Eastern banking sector.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely tracked ADIB’s aggressive digital expansion and its role within the broader UAE financial ecosystem. In July 2026, we reported that ADIB Becomes First Global Bank to Deploy Visa Threat Intelligence Platform for Proactive Fraud Prevention, highlighting the bank's early adoption of AI-driven security. We also covered the bank's efforts to support the local economy through the ADIB and Dubai DET Launch 'SME in a Box' to Accelerate Business Growth in the UAE initiative. Furthermore, our coverage of the regional markets, such as ADX Market Cap Hits 2.8 Trillion Dirhams as Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Drives H1 2026 Growth, underscores the high-growth environment in which ADIB is currently operating.

What this means

The appointment of a dedicated Chief AI Officer at ADIB is a clear signal that the "wait and see" period for AI in Islamic finance is over. By recruiting a veteran from the Southeast Asian market—a region known for rapid fintech iteration—ADIB is looking to leapfrog traditional digital banking hurdles. This puts immediate pressure on regional competitors to formalize their own AI leadership or risk falling behind in operational efficiency. The focus on "agentic AI" and "governance" suggests ADIB is moving toward autonomous banking processes, which will be the next major battleground for customer retention in the Middle East.