The UAE economy continues its upward trajectory and strengthens its global position in 2026.

The UAE economy

The UAE economy continues its upward trajectory and strengthens its global position in 2026.

 The UAE economy continued its upward trajectory during the first months of 2026, with the financial and banking sector strengthening and foreign trade and investment indicators rising, according to official data and local and international reports.

The UAE economy has strengthened its sustainable leadership at the regional and global levels, and has proven to be a model of stability and resilience in the face of various changes and challenges.

The Monetary and Banking Developments Report for February 2026, issued by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, showed that total banking assets rose by 1.1% to exceed AED 5.472 trillion, compared to AED 5.414 trillion in the previous January.

Total credit rose by 1.2% to AED 2.63 trillion, supported by an increase in domestic credit of AED 20.6 billion, while bank deposits grew by 1.9% to AED 3.4 trillion, with resident deposits increasing by 1.7% to AED 3.098 trillion.

The UAE financial sector enjoys advanced levels of stability, with the capital adequacy ratio reaching 17% at the beginning of last March, while the liquidity coverage ratio exceeded 146.6%, which is above international and regulatory standards.

UAE banks have strengthened their presence in Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s best banks 2026, with the list including a number of the country’s most prominent financial institutions such as First Abu Dhabi Bank, Commercial Bank International, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, and Commercial Bank of Dubai.

For its part, the Ministry of Finance announced that Moody’s credit rating agency completed a periodic review of the credit ratings of the United Arab Emirates on March 30, 2026, during which the suitability of the current rating was reassessed, which remained unchanged at “Aa2” with a stable outlook.

In this context, S&P Global Ratings affirmed the United Arab Emirates’ sovereign credit rating at AA/A-1+ for both local and foreign currencies, with a stable outlook.

The agency explained that the UAE economy is based on high levels of financial and economic resilience, supported by consolidated net government assets estimated at about 184% of GDP in 2026, while government liquid assets amount to about 210% of GDP.

The UAE continued to strengthen its foreign trade strategy, which it is implementing under the umbrella of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements program, which aims to raise the value of non-oil trade to AED 4 trillion by 2031.

During the first quarter of 2026, the country signed agreements with the Philippines, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Gabon.

The UAE economy has topped prominent international indicators, with the country entering the list of the top ten globally in merchandise exports for the first time, ranking ninth according to the World Trade Organization report.

The report indicated that the UAE’s total foreign trade recorded AED 6 trillion in 2025, a growth of 15% compared to 2024, while trade in services reached AED 1.14 trillion for the first time, and trade in non-oil goods increased by 27% to reach AED 3.8 trillion.

Mubadala Investment Company strengthened its investment portfolio, with assets under management reaching AED 1.4 trillion and a cumulative return exceeding 10% over five and ten years. ADNOC also entered the list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands, maintaining its position as the UAE’s most valuable brand for the eighth consecutive year, with its value increasing by 11% to reach $21.13 billion, representing growth of over 350% since 2017.

Dubai recorded its highest ranking in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), advancing to seventh place, reflecting its rise as one of the world’s leading financial centers.

The UAE has achieved remarkable growth in the number of companies registered in the economic register, which reached more than 1.45 million companies by the end of last February.

In this context, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce recorded the joining of 2,709 new companies in March 2026, while the Sharjah Economic Development Department revealed a 1% growth in the number of licenses issued and renewed during the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2025. Similarly, the Ajman Economic Development Department issued 1,617 new licenses during the first quarter of 2026, and 8,777 renewed licenses, an indicator reflecting the stability of the business environment and the continued activity of establishments in the emirate, after the number of renewed licenses increased by 7% compared to the same period in 2025.

Regarding treasury bonds, the auction of UAE dirham-denominated government treasury bonds (T-Bonds) for March 2026 was a great success, with a total issuance volume of AED 1.1 billion.

The auction witnessed strong demand from banks dealing in the tranche of Treasury bonds due in September 2027 and the tranche due in January 2031, with the total value of bids submitted reaching AED 4.85 billion, equivalent to about 4.4 times the size of the issue