Bank Leumi has been recognized as Israel’s leading bank for AI adoption by the Evident AI Index for Banks – MEA, a benchmark tracking AI capabilities across major financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa. Leumi is the only Israeli bank ranked in the regional top ten and ranks second for innovation in the region.
The Evident Index assesses banks based on four pillars: talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. Rankings are derived from millions of publicly available data sources, measuring each institution’s AI maturity and implementation.
In recent years, Bank Leumi has accelerated the development and deployment of advanced AI tools as part of its strategy to lead Israel’s business-sector AI transformation. Over the past year, the bank established an AI Center reporting directly to CEO Hanan Friedman. The Center oversees all AI activities and manages a wide range of AI-based products for customers.
Leumi’s AI implementation has contributed to operational efficiency, with the bank consistently reporting the best efficiency ratio in Israel and among the world’s best. In Q1 2026, Leumi recorded an efficiency ratio of 29.1%. With a market capitalization of approximately NIS 100 billion (USD 36 billion), Leumi remains Israel’s largest and leading bank.
Hanan Friedman, CEO of Bank Leumi, said: “Bank Leumi has been a pioneer in Israel’s AI revolution. I am proud that our investment in AI is bearing fruit and receiving international recognition. AI enables us to deliver real-time, personalized responses to our customers’ financial needs and to transform our cost structure, doing much more with far fewer resources.”
Alexandra Mousavizadeh, co-founder and CEO of Evident, added: “Bank Leumi is the highest-ranked Israeli bank in the Evident AI Index, excelling in innovation where it ranks second globally. Its comprehensive AI ecosystem, including ‘Garage Ventures,’ a dedicated investment arm for AI and data startups, secures its position among the top ten leaders in the Middle East and Africa.”
Founded more than 120 years ago, Bank Leumi serves millions of customers across all segments, combining a nationwide physical presence with advanced digital capabilities. Its ongoing technological transformation has improved operational efficiency and positioned the bank among the world’s most efficient financial institutions.
Evident is an intelligence platform that benchmarks AI adoption in financial services, offering real-time insights, rankings, and data across banking, insurance, and payments.