FAB achieves 9M’26 operating income of AED 29.71 billion and profit before tax of AED 20.22 billion

Abu Dhabi, 29 October 2026: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s global bank and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions, delivered a strong performance for the first nine months of 2026. Group operating income increased 7% yoy to AED 29.71 billion, while profit before tax rose to 5% to AED 20.22 billion. Net profit reached AED 16.46 billion, up 3%, with Return on Tangible Equity (RoTE) at 18.6%, above the Group’s medium-term guidance of over 16%.

FAB maintained strong momentum in the third quarter, with profit before tax increasing 9% yoy to AED 7.01 billion, supported by healthy business activity, solid revenue generation and disciplined cost management.

Balance-sheet growth remained broad-based, as loans and advances grew 10% year-to-date to AED 679 billion, while customer deposits increased 5% to AED 885 billion. Total assets reached AED 1.47 trillion, representing a 7% rise since the start of the year.

Net interest income rose 11% yoy to AED 16.98 billion, driven by higher business volumes and improved margins. Non-interest income increased 3% yoy to AED 12.73 billion, contributing 43% of Group operating income. Operating profit grew 8% yoy to AED 23.32 billion, reflecting FAB’s diversified earnings model and continued cost discipline.

Asset quality remained solid, with the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio declining to 2.1% compared with 2.6% a year earlier. Capitalisation and liquidity remained comfortably above regulatory requirements. The CET1 ratio strengthened to 14.0%, and the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) stood at 140% as at September-end 2026.

FAB continues to hold AA- or equivalent credit ratings with stable outlooks from Moody’s, Fitch and S&P, reflecting its strong financial position, prudent risk management and diversified business model.

Hana Al Rostamani, Group Chief Executive Officer of FAB, said: “FAB’s performance in the first nine months of 2026 reflects the strength of our franchise and the consistent execution of our strategy. Group operating income rose 7% year on year to AED 29.71 billion, while profit before tax exceeded AED 20 billion. Return on tangible equity reached 18.6%, remaining above our medium-term guidance. This performance reflects sustained growth across our businesses, the strength and scale of our diversified platform, and the continued expansion of our global franchise. It also highlights our ability to deliver consistent returns while maintaining a strong financial position.

The UAE’s next phase of growth presents significant opportunities, driven by ambitious investment programmes, economic diversification and deeper integration across global markets. FAB is well positioned to support these ambitions, leveraging our scale, structuring expertise and international network to finance strategic sectors and connect clients with opportunities globally.

We continue to invest in the future of banking, expanding the use of artificial intelligence and advancing our capabilities in digital assets and tokenisation. The successful completion of our live tokenised deposit initiative, a first for any bank in the Middle East and Africa, represents an important milestone in bringing innovative, more efficient digital transaction solutions to our clients. Together, these advancements reflect our focus on harnessing innovation to deliver more personalised banking experiences.

Looking ahead, our focus remains on translating structural opportunities into sustainable, high-quality growth, underpinned by disciplined execution and agility in an evolving global environment. Our diversified business model, international footprint, and strong financial position provide the resilience and flexibility to navigate potential headwinds, capture emerging opportunities, and further strengthen FAB’s position as the UAE’s global bank, while creating long-term value for our shareholders and the wider economy.”

Lars Kramer, Group Chief Financial Officer of FAB, added: “FAB delivered another strong quarter in Q3, with operating profit up 11% year on year, driven by sustained business momentum, robust income generation and industry-leading efficiency.

Margins remained resilient, with NIM at 1.93%, up 5 basis points year on year, underpinned by our diversified business mix and structural funding advantage. We delivered strong lending growth of 10% year-to-date, driven by continued momentum across our wholesale and retail franchises as we supported clients, businesses and economic activity across key sectors. Our high-quality deposit franchise, which grew 5% year-to-date, together with broad access to global capital markets, enabled us to maintain pricing discipline in a competitive environment. The recent issuance of AED 1 billion of Digitally Native Green Notes further broadened our funding capabilities inline with our focus on financial innovation.

Sustainability remains central to our strategy. We reinforced our leadership in sustainable finance with an AED 100 billion blue finance target and became the first bank in MENA to sign the UN Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, reaffirming our commitment to sustainable growth.

Our Group CET1 of 14.0% and Liquidity Coverage Ratio of 140% provide a solid foundation as we continue to advance our strategic priorities.”

Key 9M’26 Highlights

Strengthening the franchise through effective execution and measured growth.

• Investment Banking & Markets delivered sustained growth, with revenues increasing by 4% yoy to AED 9.33 billion. Loans grew 22% year-to-date, while the division reinforced its leadership across key league tables, ranking first in MENA Bonds & Sukuk and Loan Agency categories. The franchise executed several landmark transactions across sectors in both domestic and international markets. Product capabilities expanded, while Global Markets transaction volumes increased 45% yoy, reaching a new high, reflecting strong client activity and sustained demand for financing, risk management and capital markets solutions.
• Wholesale Banking delivered another strong performance, with revenues increasing 13% yoy to AED 5.14 billion. Loans grew 14% year-to-date, reflecting a disciplined approach to supporting strategic investments across the energy, infrastructure, and industrial and trade sectors. Growing activity across key Middle East-Asia corridors drove demand for project finance, guarantees, working capital and liquidity solutions. Continued investment in transaction banking capabilities deepened client engagement and was further supported by the expansion of FAB's flagship corporate digital banking platform into new markets.
• Personal, Business, Wealth & Privileged Client Banking Group revenues rose 4% yoy to AED 10.00 billion, with deposits up 10% year-to-date. The business strengthened its position as the UAE’s second-largest credit card issuer, advanced digital onboarding capabilities, and continued to grow FAB Business as a leading SME banking platform. Assets under management grew 11% year-to-date, underpinned by strong client inflows and the continued momentum of strategic wealth and investment management initiatives.
• The international franchise continued to be a key growth driver, with revenues up 31% year on year and representing 22% of Group revenue. Lending grew 3% sequentially, while customer deposits rose 8%. A continued focus on higher-return sectors, liquidity mobilisation and cross-border client activity further enhanced FAB’s ability to connect clients, capital and opportunities across its network.

Harnessing AI and innovation to drive growth, efficiency and customer engagement

• Continued scaling of enterprise-wide AI capabilities continued to scale, with over 6,000 employee-developed agents.
• Recognised by Gartner with the 2026 Enterprise AI Breakthrough of the Year award for advancing AI integration across the Group's business and operating model.
• Delivered measurable business value at scale through AI-enabled workflows, including over 70% reduction in trade document processing turnaround times and supporting over 80% growth in business banking new-to-bank onboarding volumes.
• FAB became the first bank in the Middle East and Africa to execute live USD transactions at scale with Citi using tokenised deposits on Swift Ledger, advancing 24/7 programmable cross-border payment capabilities.

Operating from a position of strength, with sustainable finance leadership.

• To date, FAB has facilitated AED 417 billion in sustainable and transition financing, achieving 83% of its AED 500 billion 2030 target, in line with its commitment to drive meaningful impact across the financial ecosystem.
• Established an AED 100 billion blue finance target in September 2026 to support water and blue economy-related financing between 2026 and 2035.
• FAB secured first place in the Financial Services category at the 19th Arabia CSR & Sustainability Awards, recognising the strength of our approach to corporate social responsibility and the positive impact of our initiatives across the communities we serve.
• MSCI reaffirmed FAB's AA ESG Rating, reflecting improved performance across environmental and social key issues and industry-leading management of financing-related ESG risks.
• FAB was recognised by Global Finance as the safest commercial bank in the Middle East in 2026, reflecting the bank’s financial strength, resilience and ability to effectively navigate an evolving risk environment.