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Central Bank of the UAE figures show foreign assets reached AED 1.084 trillion by the end of January 2026, up from AED 1.058 trillion a month earlier. The authority broke down the total into AED 285.5 billion in current account balances and deposits with foreign banks, AED 740.9 billion in foreign investments and AED 58 billion classified as other foreign assets. This expansion added to the monetary authority’s international holdings as part of routine reserve reporting.
The same Central Bank of the UAE data placed the bank’s balance sheet above AED 1.119 trillion at that time. Liabilities consisted of AED 533.4 billion in current and deposit accounts together with AED 306 billion in monetary bills and Islamic certificates of deposit. Notes and coins in circulation accounted for AED 177.4 billion, other liabilities for AED 24.9 billion and capital and reserves for AED 77.6 billion, completing the liability side of the ledger.
On the assets side, the Central Bank of the UAE listed cash and balances with banks at AED 224.2 billion, deposits at AED 76.2 billion, investments at AED 767.6 billion and other assets at AED 51.3 billion. These categories summed exactly to the reported balance sheet total. The investment holdings formed the largest single component within the structure.
Trading Economics data shows UAE foreign exchange reserves subsequently hit a record AED 1,095.58 billion in February 2026 before moderating to AED 1,001.54 billion by April. CEIC Data reported reserves at $261.8 billion in April 2026, marking substantial growth from $185 billion registered in 2023 according to Focus Economics assessments. Such trends illustrate the steady accumulation of buffers over recent years.
A March 2026 quarterly economic review from the Central Bank of the UAE pointed to banking sector assets climbing 17.1 percent year on year to AED 5.34 trillion by the close of 2025. Net foreign asset inflows of AED 71.1 billion bolstered system liquidity in the fourth quarter, the review stated. The document also noted the base rate held at 3.65 percent into January in alignment with global monetary adjustments.
S&P Global Ratings projected in a March 2026 assessment that UAE external liquid assets would exceed external debt by more than 170 percent of current account payments on average between 2026 and 2029. The International Monetary Fund separately forecast 3.1 percent real GDP expansion for the UAE in 2026. These outlooks incorporate the role of accumulated central bank reserves in supporting overall economic stability.
