IBSi Middle East Banking Excellence Awards 2026

MEBX nominations open now!

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Shaping the Future of Banking in the Middle East

The Middle East Banking Excellence (MEBX) Awards 2026 celebrate the bold visionaries transforming the banking landscape in the Middle East. Backed by over 30 years of IBS Intelligence experience, we recognize outstanding achievements in technology, digital transformation, and innovation that redefine the future of banking.

Why Participate?

This is your chance to showcase your organization’s role in shaping the future of financial services. Whether you’re a bank, FinTech, or technology partner driving customer-first solutions, the MEBX Awards honor those leading the charge in digital innovation, AI, cloud technology, and more.

Who Should Enter?

Banks & Financial Institutions
Technology Vendors & Service Providers
FinTechs & Innovators
Technology Partners

If you’re pioneering digital banking or revolutionizing with AI, this is your platform to shine.

The Evaluation Process

Entries are judged by an independent panel based on:

Strategic Vision
Implementation Excellence
Innovation & Technology
Execution & Governance
Measurable Outcomes

This ensures we highlight only the most impactful and forward-thinking projects.

A Legacy of Excellence

With over 30 years of awards heritage, IBS Intelligence has evaluated 3,000+ banks, financial institutions, and technology providers across its flagship platforms, including the Global FinTech Innovation Awards (GFIA), Digital Banking Awards (DBA), and the Sales League Table (SLT).

Over the years, these programs have seen participation from 90+ countries, assessed 10,000+ technology deployments and vendor engagements and engaged thousands of senior bankers, CIOs, CTOs, and fintech leaders globally.

The MEBX Awards extend this legacy into the Middle East, applying the same rigorous, execution-focused evaluation standards to recognize innovation that delivers measurable impact.

Categories:
Pioneering Banking Platforms & Solutions

Core Banking Platform (Retail / Universal Bank)
Core Banking Platform (Digital-only Bank / Neobank)
Digital Banking Platform
Mobile App/ Super App
Digital Onboarding Solution
Loan Origination System
Loan Management System
Debt Collections System
Retail Payments Platform
Wholesale Payments / Hub Platform
Transaction Banking Implementation
Treasury & Capital Markets Solution
Wealth & Private Banking Platform
Investment / Fund Management Platform
Customer Experience Platform Implementation
Islamic Banking Implementation
Risk, Compliance & Cybersecurity Implementation
Testing & Quality Assurance Implementation

Digital Innovation & Disruption

Use of AI / ML for Customer Facing Initiative
Use of AI / ML for Internal Operations
Use of GenAI
Use of Agentic AI
Data Analytics
KYC or Identity Verification Rollout
API Model / API Management
Open Banking / Finance Implementation
BaaS Platform
Insurtech
No-code / Low-code Platform
Bank-FinTech Partnership
Scalable Cloud Deployment

Visionary Leaders in Banking

Retail Bank of the Year
Corporate Bank of the Year
SME Bank of Year
Islamic Bank of the Year
Sustainable Bank of the Year
Banking Technology Leader of the Year
Transformation Program Leader of the Year
Implementation Excellence – Technology Team of the Year
Innovation Team of the Year

Get Involved Now!

Deadline: Ensure your submission is in by 3^rd April 2026.

The awards will be unveiled at a prestigious gala event in Dubai in May.

Join the Future of Banking

Don’t miss your chance to showcase your transformative work on a global stage. The MEBX Awards are here to celebrate the trailblazers of Middle Eastern banking à will you be one of them?

FAQs

The MEBX Awards are open to banks, financial institutions, technology vendors, service providers, FinTech firms, and innovation partners driving strategic technology adoption in Middle Eastern banking.

Yes, joint nominations are encouraged. Each submission should represent a collaboration between a bank/financial institution and a technology provider, demonstrating the combined impact of their partnership.

The MEBX Awards are evaluated based on:

Strategic Vision and Objectives
Implementation Complexity and Timeliness
Technology and Best Practices Adopted
Governance and Execution
Measurable Outcomes

Winners are selected by an independent panel of industry experts who assess each project based on the evaluation criteria. The focus is on execution excellence and measurable business and customer impact.

Submit your nominations through the official MEBX Awards portal. Ensure that you provide the necessary project details, including the bank/financial institution’s contact and the technology partner’s contact.

Projects that have gone live or have been fully implemented between Jan 2024 – February 2026 are eligible. These can include digital banking transformations, AI or cloud solutions, regulatory compliance initiatives, and more.

Absolutely! You can submit multiple projects across different categories. Each nomination will be treated as a separate entry.

Yes, all projects must be live or implemented before February 2026 to qualify. The deadline to submit is Friday 3^rd April. Please ensure your projects meet this deadline.

IBS Intelligence may use submitted data for trend analysis, case studies, and insights articles. However, all submissions will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and consent will be sought for public use of specific data.

Yes. Shortlisted and winning entries may be featured across IBS Intelligence platforms, including insight articles, case studies, event showcases, and trend analysis reports, subject to participant consent. This provides extended regional and global visibility to recognized initiatives.