Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has appointed Pedro Uria-Recio as Chief AI Officer as the bank accelerates the use of artificial intelligence across its operations under its Vision 2035 strategy.
The appointment is aimed at strengthening ADIB’s AI leadership and capabilities as the bank seeks to become the world’s most innovative Islamic bank.
Uria-Recio will lead the next phase of the bank’s AI strategy, focusing on the responsible deployment of AI to improve customer experiences, strengthen risk management, enhance operational efficiency and provide employees with advanced tools and insights.
His mandate will also include developing the capabilities, governance and infrastructure needed to scale AI across the group while maintaining human oversight, accountability and trust.
“Pedro’s appointment reinforces our commitment to Vision 2035 and reflects the scale of our ambition for the future of ADIB,” said Mohamed Abdelbary, Group CEO of ADIB.
“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.”
Abdelbary said the bank aims to embed AI across its operations to deliver measurable value for customers and employees, while strengthening decision-making and risk management.
“Our objective is to embed AI across ADIB in ways that deliver tangible value: making banking simpler, faster, and more personalised for our customers, giving our colleagues better tools and insights, strengthening decision-making and risk management, and improving the way we operate,” he said.
“Pedro brings deep expertise and a proven track record of translating AI, data and technology into measurable business and customer outcomes. His leadership will be instrumental as we accelerate AI adoption across the Bank responsibly and at scale, while preserving the trust, human judgement and accountability that remain fundamental to banking.”
Uria-Recio brings more than 20 years of experience in technology, data and AI. Before joining ADIB, he was Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer at CIMB Bank in Malaysia, where he led the bank’s AI strategy and oversaw the deployment of generative AI, agentic AI and advanced analytics solutions across Southeast Asia.
He has also held senior leadership positions at True Corporation, Axiata Group and McKinsey & Company, advising organisations on technology, digital transformation and innovation. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BSc in Telecommunications Engineering.
“I am delighted to join ADIB at a defining stage of its transformation. Vision 2035 sets a clear and ambitious direction for the Bank, and AI will be one of the key enablers of delivering that ambition,” Uria-Recio said.
“My focus will be on turning that potential into tangible outcomes for customers, colleagues, and the Bank: deploying AI responsibly at scale, building strong internal capabilities and creating solutions that make banking more intelligent, personalised, and efficient. I look forward to working with teams across ADIB to help deliver its ambition to become the world’s most innovative Islamic bank.”
ADIB enters the next phase of its AI strategy with an established digital banking infrastructure. More than 94% of transactions are conducted through digital channels, supported by its mobile banking platform, digital onboarding capabilities and open banking ecosystem.
The bank currently serves more than 2.7 million customers and added 125,000 new customers in the first half of 2026. Under Vision 2035, ADIB plans to build on this digital foundation through continued investment in technology, data, AI and talent.