Bank investments in the UAE increased by 3.91 percent, or 17.8 billion dirhams, to 472.7 billion dirhams at the end of March last year, up from 454.9 billion dirhams in March 2021, according to the latest statistics released by the Central Bank of the Emirates (CBUAE).
Data revealed that national bank investments surged by 0.55 percent, or 2.6 billion dirhams, month on month, compared to 470.1 billion dirhams in February.
When compared to February and January figures, the balance of national banks’ investments recorded at the end of March is the highest since the beginning of this year.
According to CBUAE, debt securities accounted for 58.2 percent of bank investments, totaling 275.2 billion dirhams at the end of March.
Additionally, banks’ investments in securities held to maturity accounted for approximately 28.7 percent of total investments, reaching 135.7 billion dirhams at the end of March, a 12.3 percent increase year on year, compared to 120.8 billion in March 2021. This represents a 14 percent month-on-month increase from 119 billion dirhams in February 2022.
Furthermore, banks’ stock investments totaled 16.9 billion dirhams at the end of March, representing a 76 percent increase year on year, or the equivalent of 7.3 billion dirhams, compared to approximately 9.6 billion dirhams in March 2021. However, this represents a 0.6 percent month-on-month decrease compared to about 17 billion dirhams in February 2022.
