First Abu Dhabi Bank reported a 6 per cent annual jump in its third-quarter profit, as net interest income and fee and commission income grew during the period on the back of strong business activity.
Net profit attributable to shareholders of the bank for three months to the end of September climbed to 5.73 billion ($1.5 billion), the largest lender in the UAE by assets said in a statement on Thursday to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares trade.
Net interest income for the quarter rose nearly 7 per cent year-on-year to Dh4.8 billion, while net fee and commission income increased 16 per cent to Dh1.4 billion.
The Abu Dhabi-based lender’s nine-month profit grew 3 per cent to Dh16.4 billion.
“This performance reflects sustained growth across our businesses, the strength and scale of our diversified platform, and the continued expansion of our global franchise,” group chief executive Hana Al Rostamani said. “It also highlights our ability to deliver consistent returns while maintaining a strong financial position.”
Net impairment charges for third quarter reached Dh1 billion, from the Dh850 million reported for the same period of last year.
General, administration and other operating expenses stood at Dh2.1 billion compared to Dh2 billion for the third quarter of last year.
Customer deposits for the three-month period grew 4 per cent year-on-year to Dh885 billion, while loans and advances also increased by 14 per cent to Dh679 billion.
Total assets grew 9 per cent to Dh1.47 trillion, according to the bank's financial statement.
“Our diversified business model, international footprint, and strong financial position provide the resilience and flexibility to navigate potential headwinds, capture emerging opportunities,” Ms Al Rostamani said.
The results come as the UAE's economy continues to grow strongly despite Iran war-driven uncertainty.
In the first half of 2026, the UAE's real gross domestic product grew 0.4 per cent annually to Dh961.9 billion, driven by non-oil business activity.
The non-oil sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product during the six-month period increased by 1.8 per cent to 79.2 per cent, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre said this month.
Trade topped contributions to non-oil GDP at 16.2 per cent, followed by financial and insurance (15.2 per cent), construction (13.1 per cent), manufacturing (11.8 per cent) and real estate (7.9 per cent).
