Abu Dhabi, UAE – The banking sector in the UAE continued to lead the Arab and Gulf countries with assets worth AED 5 trillion and 413.6 billion.
This was at the end of January 2026, compared to 5 trillion and 340 billion dirhams at the end of December 2025, a monthly increase of 73.6 billion dirhams, equivalent to a growth of 1.4%.
Data issued by the Central Bank showed that bank deposits grew during the monitoring month, reaching 3 trillion and 336.8 billion dirhams at the end of January 2026.
This compares to 3 trillion and 307 billion dirhams at the end of December 2025, a monthly increase of 29.8 billion dirhams, equivalent to a growth of 0.9%.
Increase in resident deposits
The Central Bank attributed the increase in total deposits to the increase in residents’ deposits by 1.2%, reaching 3 trillion and 46.1 billion dirhams.
While non-resident deposits decreased by 2.4%, reaching AED 290.7 billion.
According to Central Bank data, total credit increased by 1.1%, reaching two trillion and 598.2 billion dirhams at the end of last January.
Compared to two trillion and 570.3 billion dirhams, a monthly increase of 28 billion dirhams.
The Central Bank said that the growth in total credit is due to the growth of domestic credit, which increased by 27.9 billion dirhams.
Due to a 0.6% increase in credit to the private sector, and a 2.5% increase in credit to the government sector.
The data indicated that the state’s monetary base increased by 0.6% at the end of last January, reaching 900.8 billion dirhams, compared to 895.7 billion dirhams at the end of December 2025.
With a monthly increase of 5.1 billion dirhams.
Rise in foreign assets
The data also showed that the Central Bank’s total foreign assets amounted to 1.084 trillion dirhams at the end of last January, compared to 1.058 trillion dirhams at the end of December 2025, a monthly increase of 26 billion dirhams.
According to the Central Bank «Central Bank», these assets include bank balances, deposits with banks abroad worth 285.5 billion dirhams, foreign securities worth 740.9 billion dirhams, and other foreign assets worth 58 billion dirhams.
Statistics also showed that the Central Bank’s total budget on the assets side recorded, at the end of last January, one trillion and 119.2 billion dirhams, offset by liabilities of the same value.
