The UAE Banks Federation confirmed that UAE banks deal flexibly with the affected sectors, by postponing installments and rescheduling when needed.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Banks Federation, Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, said in statements to Emirates Today, on the sidelines of a media briefing held by the Federation in Dubai yesterday, that banks allow affected customers to postpone financing installments until the end of June 2026, provided that the extent of the need to extend the postponement period will be reconsidered again, stressing that Emirati banks are witnessing a decline in bad debts to their lowest levels historically.
In detail, Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Banks Federation, said that UAE banks deal flexibly with the affected sectors, by postponing installments and rescheduling when needed, in a way that ensures business continuity and does not harm customers affected by temporary circumstances.
Al Ghurair explained to “Emirates Today” – on the sidelines of a media briefing held by “Al-Ittihad” in Dubai, yesterday, on “growth prospects in the UAE, the region and the global economy” – that banks allow affected companies and individuals to postpone financing installments until the end of next June, provided that the extent of the need to extend the postponement period will be reconsidered again, indicating that banks do not consider affected customers to be defaulters immediately, as they take into account their previous credit history.
Al Ghurair explained that the goal is to help companies and individuals overcome the repercussions of the events, especially since the current allocations at banks are sufficient, and there are no indicators that call for concern about default, stressing that there is a decline in the rates of default in the banking sector, which indicates the strength of the economic sector in the country, and the stability of individuals’ businesses.
Al Ghurair stressed that the banking sector understands the changes that appear in every field, and provides appropriate support to customers, whether through facilities such as postponing installments or others, noting that the volume of support provided by banks to the commercial sector during the recent period amounted to about 6.5 billion dirhams, which is significantly less than what was provided during the period of the “Corona” pandemic, which confirms the strength of the economic sectors in the country, and their lack of need for greater support.
Al Ghurair said that the UAE’s economy is strong and likely to record growth rates that exceed expectations and global indicators by the end of this year, expecting growth to range between 4% and 5%, at a rate higher than what international institutions expected following the events in the region.
He indicated that recording growth rates that may be lower than expectations is a positive calculation of the strength of the national economy in the face of various variables, because they are still higher than global rates, whether in Europe or the markets of other developed countries.
He added that the UAE economy, under the directives of the wise leadership, has proven to the world that it emerges stronger, more prepared, and more efficient after all the challenges and crises, which was evident after the “Corona” pandemic, stressing that the UAE economy is still one of the fastest growing in the world.
During the briefing, Al Ghurair pointed out that the banking sector in the country is characterized by strong foundations that enhance the sustainability of its growth, explaining that the assets of UAE banks amounted to 5.4 trillion dirhams at the end of 2025, while the credit portfolio recorded a growth of 17.9%, and deposits increased by 16.2%, while continuing to maintain high levels of capital adequacy and liquidity that exceed regulatory requirements and international standards.
He said that the results of UAE banks in the first quarter of this year were record, whether through growth in profits and an increase in deposits, or an improvement in capital adequacy, in addition to a decrease in bad debts to their lowest levels historically, which are considered good indicators.
In turn, the Director General of the UAE Banks Federation, Jamal Saleh, said that the Federation of Banks is keen to coordinate with the various concerned authorities and member banks of the Federation to support innovation, accelerate digital transformation, enhance cybersecurity, and enable financial technology, which contributes to consolidating the UAE’s position as a global center for banking services.
He added that the banking sector continues to achieve exceptional results in the Emiratization file, as the union’s member banks exceeded Emiratization targets for the year 2025 by 160%, after exceeding the targets by 152.9% in 2024, pointing out that this achievement confirms the banking sector’s commitment to developing national competencies through talent development and training programs, qualifying leaders, and enhancing their participation in specialized banking jobs.
Representation of the state on the Board of Directors of “SWIFT”
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Banks Federation, Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, confirmed that the UAE plays a major role in global remittances, and is among the 20 largest countries in the world, while it ranks seventh globally in trade-related remittances.
He said that the federation seeks to obtain representation for the UAE on the Board of Directors of SWIFT, which reflects the advanced position of the country in the global financial system and its growing role in international transfers and trade.
