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The Central Bank of the UAE convened a meeting with chief executive officers of banks operating in the country on October 5, 2026, in the presence of assistant governors and senior officials. Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama led discussions that covered the central bank’s key initiatives and projects as well as progress on the Financial Institutions Resilience Package announced on March 17, 2026. A statement from the Central Bank of the UAE said participants reviewed the latest developments in implementing the package, which aims to strengthen the resilience of financial institutions and support continued business growth.
Central Bank of the UAE indicators at the end of August 2026 reflected the continued strength of the banking sector, the statement said. Banking assets increased by 12.9 percent year-on-year to reach AED 5.7 trillion compared with the same period in 2025. Total bank loans expanded by 18.8 percent year-on-year while deposits grew by 13.0 percent, according to the Central Bank of the UAE, demonstrating sustained confidence in the financial system.
Asset quality in the banking sector continued to improve, Central Bank of the UAE data showed. The non-performing loans ratio declined to 2.6 percent while the net non-performing loans ratio improved to 1.2 percent by the end of August. The central bank attributed these outcomes to effective risk management practices and supervisory frameworks aligned with international best practices and standards.
The Financial Institutions Resilience Package has provided tangible support including payment deferrals and the waiver of commissions and fees on loans amounting to AED 15.9 billion up to the end of August 2026, the Central Bank of the UAE reported. Around 156,000 clients benefited from repayment deferrals under the measures. In addition, 849 private sector companies received support worth AED 10.7 billion while 6,441 small and medium-sized enterprises obtained deferrals amounting to AED 2.9 billion, according to the statement.
Participants at the October 5 meeting commended the positive outcomes and success of the measures introduced by the Central Bank of the UAE. The package was launched to bolster the resilience of the national economy backed by the central bank’s assets. A separate Central Bank of the UAE quarterly economic review for the second quarter of 2026 had placed total banking system assets at AED 5.594 trillion with capital adequacy and liquidity remaining well above regulatory requirements.
The latest gathering follows a similar meeting in April 2026 during which the Central Bank of the UAE discussed digitalisation projects including the domestic card scheme Jaywan and expansion of the Open Finance Platform Al Tareq and Instant Payments Platform Aani. Those initiatives are intended to deepen the UAE’s position as a global financial hub. The UAE banking sector comprises 62 banks, consisting of 24 national banks and 38 branches of foreign banks, according to Central Bank of the UAE statistics.
