Emirates NBD closed 2025 with its strongest financial performance on record, posting a profit before tax of AED 29.8 billion, as demand for loans surged across the UAE and key regional markets. The result reflects a year in which businesses borrowed to expand, households spent with confidence, and the bank leaned into growth rather than caution.
Net profit rose to about AED 24 billion, while total income climbed 12% year-on-year to AED 49.3 billion, helped by higher net interest income and steady fee-based revenue. For the bank, the numbers tell a broader story: an economy that kept moving despite global uncertainty and customers who continued to seek credit.
One of the year’s most visible milestones came when Emirates NBD’s total assets crossed the AED 1 trillion mark, ending the year at around AED 1.16 trillion. Gross lending jumped by AED 129 billion, or roughly 24%, driven by corporate borrowing, retail demand, and financing linked to government and infrastructure activity.
Deposits followed a similar trajectory, rising AED 119 billion over the year. Growth in low-cost current and savings accounts helped the bank manage funding costs at a time when competition for deposits intensified across the region. For customers, it meant a bank with deeper liquidity; for investors, it meant resilience built into the balance sheet.
Behind the headline growth, the bank continued to tighten operations. Operating profit rose to AED 34.3 billion, while the cost-to-income ratio improved to about 30.5%, reflecting scale benefits and years of investment in digital systems that quietly reduced friction across branches and apps.
Asset quality also improved. The non-performing loan ratio fell to 2.4%, supported by recoveries and stable economic conditions, even as the bank maintained prudent provisions.
Emirates Islamic, the group’s Shariah-compliant arm, recorded its highest-ever profit before tax of AED 3.9 billion, while overseas operations, especially in Saudi Arabia, added momentum.
For shareholders, the board proposed an ordinary cash dividend of 100 fils per share. With capital and liquidity buffers well above regulatory requirements, Emirates NBD heads into 2026 with room to grow, and the confidence that comes from a year when both customers and numbers showed up.