Dubai’s biggest bank by assets, Emirates NBD, announced on Monday that a 4 percent surge in full-year net profit, citing record lending growth driven by “accelerating domestic and international demand.”
According to mean estimates compiled by LSEG, in a statement, Emirates NBD reported its net profit at 24 billion dirhams ($6.53 billion) in the previous year, exceeding analysts’ expectations of 22.8 billion dirhams. The bank, which is majority-owned by the government of Dubai, offered an ordinary dividend of 100 fils per share.
The increase in credit demand has been an advantage to UAE banks in recent years as governments in the region spend on other economic sectors, including tourism and infrastructure, to diversify their economies beyond oil revenues.
S&P Global Ratings stated in a note on Emirati banks on Monday, “Strong credit growth, lower provisioning requirements, and high interest margins supported banks’ strong profitability in 2025, while liquidity improved as a result of deposit growth outpacing new lending.”
Emirates NBD reported that total gross loans had increased 24 percent to 658 billion dirhams by the end of December, with markets such as Saudi Arabia, where the bank intends to extend its network further, which is projected to grow to 24 branches by the first quarter of 2026.
Emirates NBD Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in the statement, “We will accelerate development across our international network, with an emphasis on advancing our strategic investment in India and deepening our presence in high-potential regional markets.”
The Dubai lender announced last year that it plans to invest $3 billion to acquire a 60 percent stake in India’s RBL Bank, the largest cross-border acquisition in India’s financial sector.
The deposits of Emirates NBD increased by 18 percent to a total amount of 786 billion dirhams last year, which helped to bring total assets to 1.16 trillion dirhams.
