The new CFO agenda: transformation, trust and talent in the UAE

Skip to content
Skip to navigation

Grant Thornton UAE’s inaugural CFO report reveals how finance leaders are redefining strategy, risk and talent in a rapidly changing environment.

The findings highlight a shift from transactional delivery towards strategic foresight, where technology, governance and people are central to long-term value creation.

The video is playing. This video is playing in mini-player mode.

98%

of surveyed CFOs

say they’re driving transformation, but the nature and depth of that change tell a far more nuanced story.

37%

have ESG frameworks

highlighting how uneven ESG readiness remains across the market.

83%

expect to raise funds

at a time when governance expectations from lenders are rising.

"The UAE CFO report reveals that, due to increasing regulatory complexity, heightened stakeholder expectations and ongoing economic volatility, the finance community is operating under greater responsibility while stepping into broader leadership roles. Across all six themes, one message is clear: the CFO remains the organisation’s strategic anchor, balancing short-term business-as-usual with long-term direction.”

Hisham Farouk CEO, Grant Thornton UAE

Today’s CFOs in the UAE are balancing digital transformation, regulatory change and evolving expectations from boards and stakeholders.

From systems to strategy: technology is redefining finance

Cloud adoption, AI and automation are reshaping core finance activities, and over half of UAE CFOs now directly influence technology decisions as data governance becomes a critical foundation for future-ready finance.

Resilience in economic uncertainty: balancing growth, liquidity and cost

With 83% of CFOs planning to raise new funding in a higher cost environment, finance leaders are sharpening capital discipline, stress testing decisions and treating liquidity management as a strategic lever rather than a short term fix.

Beyond compliance: turning risk into strategic advantage

Risk management is shifting from traditional controls to predictive analytics, with CFOs strengthening oversight across cyber, data, AI-related risks and PDPL-driven governance expectations.

The ESG readiness gap: from compliance to competitive edge

Only 37% of CFOs have dedicated ESG processes, highlighting uneven maturity as organisations prepare for ISSB aligned reporting and increased scrutiny of the data, controls and assurance behind sustainability disclosures.

People power: talent and change management are persistent pain points

Skills shortages and change fatigue — each cited by 43% of CFOs — are pushing finance leaders to modernise team structures, strengthen capability building and create clearer progression pathways to sustain transformation momentum.

From finance to foresight: the CFO’s expanding role

CFOs are increasingly relied upon to interpret market signals, guide technology and ESG decisions, and shape long term direction, cementing the role as a strategic anchor for UAE organisations.