The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) — the supervisory and regulatory authority of the UAE’s banking and insurance sector, responsible for monetary and financial stability and consumer protection — is seeking a highly distinguished economist to serve as Director — Research and Publications, supporting the Chief Economist and Head of the Research and Economic Analysis Department (READ). This senior leadership role requires a PhD in macroeconomics, monetary economics, or financial economics, a strong peer-reviewed publication record, and a minimum of 12+ years of professional experience at a central bank, Ministry of Finance, or international financial institution. You will lead forecasting frameworks, high-frequency monitoring, structural economic studies, and flagship CBUAE publications, while managing and mentoring a team of economists in Abu Dhabi.
Position Overview
About CBUAE — Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates
Institution: Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) — Supervisory & Regulatory Authority | Banking & Insurance Sector | UAE
Mandate: Promoting monetary and financial stability · Consumer protection · Supervision of licensed financial institutions · Prudent reserves management
Digital Focus: Robust financial infrastructure · Adoption of digital technologies in financial services
READ Department: Research and Economic Analysis Department — responsible for policy-informing economic research, forecasting, and flagship publications
Team: Interdisciplinary and multinational team from diverse backgrounds — dynamic environment with leading financial and regulatory experts
Why This CBUAE Director Research Role Is a Career-Defining Opportunity
National Economic Leadership: Directing the CBUAE’s research agenda means shaping the economic analysis that informs UAE government policy decisions, monetary strategy, and regulatory frameworks — a level of national economic influence that very few research careers can match
Central Bank Prestige: The CBUAE Research Director credential is one of the most respected and recognized economic leadership titles in the GCC and broader Middle East financial sector — a career-defining appointment for any senior economist
GCC Regional Influence: Building collaborative economic relationships across the GCC and with international financial institutions — IMF, World Bank, BIS — provides unmatched professional network access and regional policy influence
Tax-Free Abu Dhabi: Highly competitive senior central bank leadership compensation — zero personal income tax in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Position Overview
This Director — Research and Publications role at CBUAE in Abu Dhabi is a full-time, senior leadership position in the Research and Economic Analysis Department (READ), reporting to and supporting the Chief Economist. You will lead the CBUAE’s research agenda by carrying out publication-quality economic research, contributing rigorous analysis across a wide range of macroeconomic and financial policy issues, examining macro-financial linkages in an increasingly globalized world, contributing to and implementing the CBUAE’s research strategy, building the Bank’s analytical and modelling capabilities through team mentoring and development, using advanced econometric techniques to analyze and forecast economic indicators, leading a team on detailed economic analysis and forecasting of UAE GDP, trade, and inflation, providing expert analysis of international trade and finance, coordinating with external institutions for economic data collection, building collaborative relationships across the GCC, preparing briefings and speeches for senior CBUAE management, and maintaining current best practices in economics and research guidance. This is a role for a senior economist who combines a distinguished publication record with central bank or international institution policy experience and the leadership capability to manage and develop a team of professional economists delivering the CBUAE’s most consequential research and analytical outputs.
Why This CBUAE Director Research Role in Abu Dhabi Is the Senior Economic Leadership Career of 2026: Senior economists with 12+ years of central bank, international financial institution, or academic research experience — who combine a PhD in macroeconomics or monetary economics with a strong peer-reviewed publication record, advanced econometric and quantitative modelling capability in Python, R, Stata, or MATLAB, GDP and inflation forecasting expertise, macro-financial linkages analysis experience, and the people leadership skills to manage and develop a team of professional economists — represent one of the most distinguished, most policy-consequential, and most professionally recognized talent profiles in the global economic research community. The CBUAE Director Research role in Abu Dhabi is simply one of the most prestigious and impactful senior economic leadership appointments available in the GCC and wider MENA region in 2026.
Key Responsibilities
Research Leadership — Publication-Quality Economic Analysis
- Carry out research that results in meaningful and impactful reports that inform CBUAE economic policy and meet the standard for publication in leading economics and finance journals — applying the rigorous research methodology, original analytical approach, and clear scientific communication that peer-reviewed publication in journals of international standing requires, ensuring that the CBUAE’s research output contributes meaningfully to the global economic and financial literature while simultaneously generating direct policy value for the UAE
- Contribute rigorous analysis across a wide range of macroeconomic and financial policy issues — providing expert economic analysis, policy design recommendations, and capacity development support across the monetary policy, financial stability, exchange rate, trade, and development economics dimensions of CBUAE’s policy responsibilities, drawing on deep academic and practical expertise to address the full breadth of economic policy questions that the UAE’s rapidly evolving economic environment generates
- Examine macro-financial linkages in an increasingly globalized world — analyzing the complex, dynamic connections between financial sector developments and the real economy in the UAE and globally, developing research and analytical frameworks that help the CBUAE understand and anticipate how global financial market conditions, capital flows, credit dynamics, and financial vulnerabilities translate into macroeconomic outcomes for the UAE
- Contribute to the development and implementation of CBUAE’s research strategy — ensuring that individual research programs and projects are aligned with the Bank’s overall strategic direction, maintain the creative and rigorous standards expected of a central bank research department of international standing, and generate the tangible policy influence and research impact that justify the Bank’s investment in research capacity
Forecasting, Econometric Modelling & Economic Intelligence
- Use advanced econometric techniques to analyze and forecast key UAE economic indicators — applying the full toolkit of modern macroeconomic modelling including structural VAR models, DSGE model development, factor models, machine learning-augmented forecasting approaches, and high-frequency monitoring frameworks to produce the accurate, well-calibrated economic forecasts that CBUAE leadership and UAE government decision-makers rely on for strategic planning and policy implementation
- Lead a team to conduct detailed economic analysis and forecasting of UAE GDP, trade relations, and inflation — managing the team’s analytical workflow across all major macroeconomic monitoring and forecasting functions, developing and maintaining the robust methodologies, data infrastructure, and model governance processes that ensure CBUAE’s economic forecasts are credible, timely, and methodologically consistent with international central bank best practices
- Coordinate with external institutions to collect economic data for forecasting UAE inflation and growth prospects over a five-year horizon — establishing and managing the data-sharing relationships with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre, and international organizations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) that provide the comprehensive, high-quality economic data that reliable medium-term forecasting requires
- Provide detailed analysis of international trade and finance — developing authoritative reports that identify the specific implications of global trade developments, financial market conditions, commodity price movements, and geopolitical shifts for the UAE economy, providing the international economic intelligence that keeps CBUAE’s leadership and UAE government policymakers accurately informed about external economic risks and opportunities
Team Leadership, Mentoring & Capacity Development
- Build CBUAE’s capacity to conduct robust analysis and develop modelling capabilities through mentoring and support of direct reports — developing the next generation of CBUAE economists by providing substantive research guidance, constructive analytical feedback, career development coaching, and the professional mentorship that translates academic economics training into the policy-relevant, institutionally grounded economic expertise that central banking requires
- Manage and develop a team of economists to deliver high-quality policy papers, briefing notes, and flagship publications in line with international best practices — establishing clear performance expectations, providing substantive editorial and analytical guidance, ensuring timely delivery of research outputs, and maintaining the quality control standards that make CBUAE publications credible and respected within the international central banking and economic research community
- Build collaborative relationships across the CBUAE, with key institutions and authorities across the GCC, and with international financial institutions — developing the professional network and institutional relationships that enable the CBUAE to access global economic expertise, participate in international monetary and financial discussions, and position the UAE as an engaged and credible participant in regional and global economic policy dialogue
Policy Support — Briefings, Speeches & Strategic Guidance
- Support CBUAE managers by preparing rigorous, clearly written briefings and speeches for external functions and events — producing the high-quality written economic content that represents the CBUAE’s analytical capability and policy positions to external audiences including UAE government, GCC central banking forums, and international financial institutions
- Support policy development at CBUAE by ensuring that research and analysis are underpinned by rigorous economic thinking consistent with evolving best practices — maintaining the intellectual bridge between the international economics literature and CBUAE’s practical policy challenges, ensuring that the Bank’s policy frameworks and supervisory approaches remain anchored in the most current and rigorous economic thinking available
- Advise the Chief Economist and Head of READ on economic policies, trends, and key development issues — providing the senior technical economic judgement and strategic analytical perspective that enables the Chief Economist to fulfill their advisory role to CBUAE’s Board and senior leadership with the depth of economic expertise and analytical rigor that the Bank’s mandate demands
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- PhD in macroeconomics, monetary economics, financial economics, or a closely related field from a recognized research university — the academic credential that provides the theoretical depth, methodological rigor, and research discipline that directing a central bank research department of international standing demands
- Strong peer-reviewed publication record in leading economics and finance journals — demonstrating the research quality, independent scholarly contribution, and international recognition that the CBUAE Director Research role requires
Experience Requirements
- 12+ years of relevant professional experience in a central bank, Ministry of Finance, international financial institution (IMF, World Bank, BIS, regional development banks), or comparable institution — with demonstrated progression into senior analytical and leadership roles with direct policy advisory responsibilities
- Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative modelling and econometrics for policy analysis — specifically including experience developing and using macroeconomic forecasting models, structural econometric models, and high-frequency monitoring frameworks in a central banking or policy economics context
- Strong expertise in statistical software packages (Python, R, Stata, MATLAB) for quantitative economic analysis — hands-on modelling capability rather than supervisory familiarity alone
About CBUAE & Central Bank Economic Research in Abu Dhabi 2026
The Central Bank of the UAE occupies a central and consequential role in the UAE’s economic governance architecture — responsible for maintaining the monetary and financial stability that underpins the country’s extraordinary economic development, supervising the financial system on which businesses and citizens depend, and managing the foreign exchange reserves that anchor the UAE’s international economic credibility. The Research and Economic Analysis Department is the intellectual engine of the CBUAE’s policy work — producing the rigorous economic analysis, well-grounded forecasts, and evidence-based policy recommendations that enable the Bank’s leadership to make well-informed decisions on the most consequential monetary and financial policy questions facing the UAE and the GCC. The Director who leads this department in 2026 will do so in a period of extraordinary economic complexity and opportunity — as the UAE navigates the global energy transition, deepens its non-oil economic diversification, expands its digital financial infrastructure, and strengthens its integration with global capital markets. For a senior PhD economist with the analytical depth, research distinction, and policy leadership experience this role demands — and the ambition to contribute to the economic future of one of the world’s most dynamic and strategically significant economies — the CBUAE Director Research role in Abu Dhabi is the professional appointment that defines the next chapter of a distinguished economic career.
Your Career Standing: Director Research & Publications → Chief Economist → Deputy Governor (Research & Policy) — a nationally significant, internationally respected, and professionally distinguished economic leadership career trajectory at the heart of the UAE’s monetary and financial governance framework.
Who Should Apply?
- Senior Central Bank Economists (12+ Years): With PhD credentials, strong publication records, and senior analytical leadership experience at the Federal Reserve, ECB, Bank of England, BIS, or regional central banks who want a senior research director role at the CBUAE in Abu Dhabi
- IMF / World Bank / BIS Senior Economists: With international financial institution research leadership experience, strong macroeconomic modelling capabilities, and peer-reviewed publication track records who want to transition into a central bank research director role in the UAE
- Academic Economists — Central Banking Policy Focus: With tenured academic positions at research universities, strong peer-reviewed publication records in macroeconomics or monetary economics, and engagement with central bank policy questions who want to transition into central bank research leadership at the CBUAE
- GCC Central Bank Senior Researchers: With senior economic research experience at the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), Kuwait Central Bank, Qatar Central Bank, or equivalent GCC monetary authority who want to advance to a research director role at the CBUAE in Abu Dhabi
- Quantitative Macroeconomists — DSGE / VAR Specialists: With deep econometric modelling expertise, GDP and inflation forecasting track records, and the policy communication skills to translate technical economic analysis into actionable central bank policy guidance
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