The investments of banks operating in the country amounted to 528 billion dirhams ($143.7 billion) at the end of last year 2022, achieving the highest level in its history, according to the latest statistics of the UAE Central Bank.
Central Bank statistics, issued in the banking indicators report today, showed an increase in the investments of banks operating in the country on an annual basis, by 11.5 percent, to reach 527.7 billion dirhams at the end of last December, an increase equivalent to 54.5 billion dirhams (14.8 billion dollars), compared to about 473.2 billion dirhams. ($119 billion) in December 2021.
Bank investments increased on a monthly basis by 3.25 percent, or the equivalent of 16.6 billion dirhams (4.52 billion dollars), compared to 511.1 billion dirhams (about 139 billion dollars) in November 2022.
According to the statistics of the UAE Central Bank, securities representing debts to others, debt bonds, acquired the largest share of bank investments by about 49 percent, reaching 258.5 billion dirhams ($70.3 billion) at the end of last December, an increase on a monthly basis by 3.03 percent, compared to About 250.9 billion dirhams ($68.3 billion) at the end of November 2022.
The share of banks’ investments in securities held to maturity amounted to about 39.6 percent of total investments, reaching 208.9 billion dirhams ($56.8 billion) at the end of last December, an annual increase of 77.3 percent, and a monthly increase of about 4 percent.
Banks' investments in stocks reached 12 billion dirhams ($3.27 billion) at the end of last December, a month-on-month decrease of about 1.6 percent.
According to the Central Bank’s statistics, other investments of banks amounted to about 48.3 billion dirhams ($13.15 billion) at the end of last December, an increase on an annual basis of 13.4 percent, compared to 42.6 billion dirhams ($11.6 billion) in December 2021, an increase on a monthly basis of 2.3 percent.
