Financial institutions in the UAE have experienced significant activity with non-resident clients, witnessing an increase in financing by approximately 55% over the year, alongside a 20% rise in deposits from this demographic.
Recent data from the central bank indicates that the cumulative balance of financing for non-residents surged by over AED 164.7 billion, climbing from a cumulative total of AED 302.1 billion in September 2024 to AED 466.8 billion by the end of the third quarter of last year.
Additionally, banks in the country attracted AED 91 billion in new deposits from non-residents, boosting their total balance from AED 203.5 billion to AED 294.5 billion by September of last year.
Financing Trends
According to the figures, non-banking financial institutions represent the largest market for UAE banks in terms of financing for non-residents, holding a total of AED 130.5 billion, which constitutes about 28% of the overall financing balance. This sector has been a key driver of financing growth, accounting for 28% of new financing this year, equating to about AED 46 billion.
The cumulative financing balance for the transportation and telecommunications sectors for non-residents increased by more than AED 15.1 billion in new financing during this period, bringing its total balance to over AED 57.8 billion. Governments were the third largest sector receiving financing from non-residents, with their financing balance climbing to AED 54.2 billion, reflecting an increase of AED 23.3 billion in new funding.
Financing for the electricity and energy sector rose by about AED 23 billion in additional funding, surpassing a total of AED 44.1 billion. Similarly, financing for industrial activities increased by approximately AED 12.4 billion during the same period, leading to a cumulative balance exceeding AED 39.9 billion for this sector.
In the commercial sector, various types of activities secured around AED 9.7 billion in new financing throughout the year, raising their cumulative financing balance to more than AED 34.8 billion.
Moreover, financing for real estate activities, including purchases and construction, also rose by approximately AED 8.5 billion, reaching AED 30.7 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
In contrast, the total cumulative balance of personal loans provided by banks to non-residents increased by around AED 3 billion in new financing, now totaling AED 10 billion. In terms of personal financing distribution, the financing granted by banks varied by purpose, with the cumulative amount for consumer loans for non-residents escalating to AED 7.2 billion by the end of September 2025. Meanwhile, loans aimed at establishing businesses grew by approximately AED 300 million, rising from AED 2.4 billion last year to AED 2.7 billion by mid-last year.