Dubai's New Blueprint: Forging a Finance Hub with Elite Credentials

DUBAI, UAE – December 08, 2025 – In a move that signals a significant step in the region's financial maturation, the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) has announced a partnership with PwC Academy Dubai. The collaboration will bring in-person preparation courses for the prestigious Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) credential to the heart of the Middle East's burgeoning economic center. While on the surface this is an educational initiative, it represents a crucial piece of infrastructure in Dubai's ambitious blueprint to cement its status as a top-tier global financial hub.

This isn't merely about offering another professional course. It's about strategically importing and embedding a global standard of excellence to cultivate the sophisticated local talent required to manage and sustain a complex, rapidly expanding economy. The partnership is an intersection of global standards, regional ambition, and the enduring value of hands-on expertise—a convergence that will shape the future of finance in the Gulf.

Fueling Ambition: The Race for World-Class Talent

Dubai's economic narrative has long been one of bold vision and rapid transformation. With a stated goal of becoming one of the world's top four financial centers, the emirate is aggressively diversifying away from its oil-based origins. The results are striking. The UAE's banking sector assets soared to AED 4.56 trillion in 2024, and with the central bank projecting real GDP growth to accelerate to 4.7% in 2025, the momentum is undeniable.

This growth isn't just in traditional banking. Dubai has become a magnet for FinTech innovation and foreign investment, with venture-capital-backed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) surging by 39% in 2024 alone. However, this hyper-growth creates a critical challenge: a widening gap between the market's demand for highly specialized financial skills and the available local talent pool. Roles in corporate treasury—the nerve center of a company's financial health, responsible for liquidity, capital, and risk management—are becoming increasingly complex and vital.

This is where the AFP and PwC collaboration becomes a strategic intervention. It directly addresses this skills mismatch by providing a clear, accessible pathway for local professionals to attain an elite, globally recognized qualification. "As one of the fastest-growing regions for the CTP certification, the Middle East has demonstrated a clear demand for world-class treasury expertise and professional development," noted Pat Culkin, President & CEO of AFP. The partnership, he explained, ensures practitioners in Dubai can meet the credential's rigorous standards, strengthening the profession at a "pivotal moment."

The Gold Standard Arrives: What the CTP Means for the Region

In the alphabet soup of financial certifications, the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation stands apart. With over 35,000 professionals having earned the credential, it is widely regarded as the global gold standard specifically for corporate treasury. Unlike broader certifications in investment or financial analysis, the CTP focuses on the critical operational functions that ensure a company's financial stability and efficiency.

For professionals, earning the CTP is a powerful career catalyst. Research indicates that treasury analysts holding the certification can earn up to 14% more than their non-certified peers. More importantly, it provides a level of credibility and marketability that is increasingly sought by multinational corporations. Companies like Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer often list the CTP as a preferred or required qualification for their treasury roles, viewing it as a reliable benchmark of competency in managing corporate assets, capital, and risk.

The CTP curriculum is comprehensive, covering everything from cash flow forecasting and working capital management to complex risk mitigation and capital structure optimization. By bringing the official preparation for such a rigorous exam to Dubai, the partnership elevates the entire financial ecosystem. It equips local talent with the same language and best practices used in financial capitals like New York, London, and Singapore, fostering greater trust and seamless integration with global markets.

Bridging Global Standards with Local Expertise

Simply making an exam available is not enough to build a skilled workforce. The true innovation in this partnership lies in its delivery model. PwC Academy Dubai, the talent and skills development arm of PwC Middle East, serves as the crucial bridge between the AFP's global standard and the specific needs of the regional market.

PwC Academy brings a decade of experience in developing the region's financial workforce, with a robust portfolio of preparation courses for other top-tier certifications like the ACCA, CPA, and CFA. Their role is not just to host classes, but to contextualize the material. Their instructors, who are industry practitioners themselves, can translate the CTP's traditionally US-centric content into a curriculum that resonates with the products, services, and regulatory nuances of the GCC region. This localization is key to effective learning and practical application.

"Developing skilled finance and treasury professionals is critical for sustained growth," said Taimur Mir, PwC Partner and Head of Professional Qualifications at PwC Academy. "Our collaboration with AFP expands access to high-quality CTP preparation and supports the region's growing talent pool." This synergy between a global standard-setter and a deeply embedded regional expert creates a powerful learning environment that generic, non-official training providers in the competitive Dubai market cannot easily replicate.

The Enduring Power of the Classroom in a Digital Age

In an era dominated by remote work and online learning, the decision to offer these courses in-person is a deliberate and strategic one. For a high-stakes certification like the CTP, which deals with the intricate and often high-pressure world of corporate treasury, the benefits of face-to-face learning are immense. The classroom environment fosters a level of dynamic interaction, peer-to-peer problem-solving, and direct mentorship that is difficult to achieve through a screen.

Participants can engage in nuanced discussions on real-world case studies, challenge assumptions in real time, and build a strong professional network with their cohort—a network that will serve them throughout their careers in the region. This hands-on, collaborative approach is particularly effective for complex topics where understanding context and application is just as important as memorizing theory. The move acknowledges that for the highest levels of professional development, the human element of education remains irreplaceable.

Ultimately, the AFP-PwC partnership is far more than a new course listing. It is a calculated investment in human capital, designed to equip Dubai's financial professionals with the tools they need to compete on a global stage. By localizing a world-class standard, the initiative not only empowers individuals but also strengthens the entire financial infrastructure, ensuring the region has the expertise to navigate the complexities of modern global finance. As global markets become more interconnected, these localized bridges for elite talent are no longer just an advantage—they are the foundation upon which future economic leadership is built.