Dubai banks attracted nearly AED 56 billion in new deposits during the first quarter of the current year, maintaining their position as the most appealing local banks for deposits for the fourth consecutive month. According to the Central Bank, they account for the largest share of 46.3% of the total bank deposits in the UAE, with a cumulative balance of AED 1.36 trillion at the end of March 2025.
Data indicated that the total balance of deposits in Dubai banks rose by 11.5% year-on-year, as the banks attracted approximately AED 140 billion in new deposits during the past year.
During the year, Dubai banks added over AED 185 billion in new assets to their portfolios, showing an annual growth of nearly 10%, bringing their total assets to AED 2.079 trillion in March compared to the same period in 2024.
According to the reports, the assets of banks in the emirate grew quarterly by about 3% in the first three months of this year, while on a monthly basis, they increased by 1.3% in March compared to February.
The share of banks in the emirate reached 39% of the total banking investments in the country, with a cumulative balance of AED 295.8 billion at the end of March.
The credit provided by Dubai banks increased by approximately AED 68 billion over the year, achieving an annual growth rate of around 6.5% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, with a total credit balance rising to AED 988.5 billion by the end of March. The monthly credit continued to grow by 1.3% compared to February of this year.
Banking Indicators
Investments by banks operating in the UAE exhibited steady growth in recent months, reaching about AED 763.8 billion by the end of March 2025. According to the banking indicators issued by the Central Bank, bank investments witnessed a year-on-year growth rate of 14.9%, with a 3.9% increase since the beginning of the year, and a monthly increase of 1%.
Bank investments are distributed among various instruments, with securities representing debts to others amounting to AED 343.2 billion, while investments in bonds held until maturity reached around AED 345.3 billion. Investments in stocks totaled AED 18.7 billion, and other investments accounted for approximately AED 56.6 billion.
Alongside the growth in investments, total banking credit rose to AED 2.24 trillion, achieving an annual growth rate of 9.4%. Local credit amounted to AED 1.868 trillion, with private sector loans reaching AED 1.377 trillion and individual loans totaling AED 505.9 billion.
Total bank deposits across the country reached about AED 2.936 trillion, consisting of AED 2.687 trillion in resident deposits and AED 248.6 billion in non-resident deposits.
Banks in the UAE
The data revealed that the assets of Abu Dhabi banks reached AED 2.257 trillion, with investments rising to AED 399 billion and deposits increasing to AED 1.329 trillion.
Furthermore, banking indicators regarding the distribution of banks by location, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other emirates, indicated a 4.1% increase in total assets of banks operating in Abu Dhabi since December, reaching about AED 2.26 trillion by the end of March 2025. Banks in other emirates registered a 4.3% growth, totaling AED 381.7 billion.
Concerning total credit, Abu Dhabi banks exceeded AED 1.05 trillion, reflecting a growth of 2.6% since the end of last year, while banks in other emirates provided AED 197.9 billion in credit, with a growth of 3.9%.
Bank deposits in Abu Dhabi reached nearly AED 1.33 trillion, while those in other emirates amounted to AED 247 billion. The total assets of banks in the other emirates stood at AED 381.7 billion, the deposit balance remained at AED 247 billion, and credit totaled AED 197 billion, with investments reaching AED 69.4 billion by the end of March this year.