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Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates

Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates News

GCC interest rates

Gulf central banks follow US Fed by lifting key rates 

Most GCC central banks have increased their interest rates in line with the US Federal Reserve decision to hike rates by a quarter of a percentage point. The Fed raised its rate by 25 basis points (bps) on Wednesday, the highest US central bank policy rate in 16 years due to elevated inflation. The central […]

UAE tax revenues

Tax revenues fail to offset $4bn drop in UAE federal balance

The UAE federal government’s balance sheet decreased by nearly $4 billion, or 38 percent, year on year in the first quarter of 2023, even though tax revenues rose 12 percent. Data from the UAE Government Finance Statistics Report for the first quarter of 2023, published on Tuesday by the UAE Ministry of Finance, found that […]

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met at Abu Dhabi in July

UAE and India agree to settle trade in local currencies

The central banks of the UAE and India have signed a framework to promote using the rupee and dirham for cross-border transactions. The agreement was signed during a visit by Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, to the Gulf state on Saturday. The two countries also decided to set up a real-time payment link to facilitate […]

Luxury Skyscraper In Dubai

UAE changes bank rules for Emirati mortgage holders

The Central Bank of the UAE has introduced new mortgage repayment rules for citizens this week as a response to rising interest rates. Customers who have a monthly income of AED40,000 ($10,890) or more will now have their mortgage repayments capped at 60 percent of their present salary. Banks were previously only allowed to deduct […]

UAE’s 2023 economic outlook remains ‘positive’ says IMF

The UAE’s economic outlook remains ‘positive’, underpinned by strong domestic activity, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.  The country’s GDP is slated to grow at 3.6 percent in 2023, with non-hydrocarbon growth of 3.8 percent driven by continued tourism activity and higher capital expenditure, the Washington-based fund said in a statement. The outlook remains […]

City, Urban, Downtown

Gulf central banks mirror US Fed by halting rate hike

The Central Bank of the UAE and Qatar Central Bank have decided to maintain interest rates after the US Federal Reserve board announced it will keep the key borrowing rates unchanged. The UAE’s central bank will hold the base rate applicable to the overnight deposit facility steady at 5.15 percent as of Thursday 15 June, the […]

Visitors at a Dubai souq. The tourism sector's 'robust recovery' should help government-related entities to repay debt, said S&P

Dubai’s debt burden set to tumble to 51% of GDP

Dubai’s government debt is forecast to fall to 51 percent of GDP this year, according to S&P Global Ratings, after the emirate repaid some of its outstanding bonds and loans. The figure is down 27 percentage points from a 2020 peak, the ratings agency wrote in a report published on Monday. Yet broader public sector […]

US Fed rate

Fed may pause rate hikes after latest increase

The US Federal Reserve has hinted that it may be time to pause interest rate hikes after announcing its tenth consecutive increase since March 2022. As widely expected the Fed has raised its target interest rate by 25 basis points (bps), with the majority of Gulf central banks, whose currencies are pegged to the US […]

The bonds in various currencies are part of the Egyptian government’s efforts to diversify its financial strategy

UAE to sell first dirham T-sukuk worth nearly $300m

The UAE will sell AED1.1 billion ($299.6 million) of Islamic treasury sukuk (T-sukuk) for the first time in the local currency, state-run WAM news agency reported. The T-sukuk will be issued with tranches maturing in two, three and five years, followed by a 10-year bond at a later date. Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, minister […]

Shoppers at a supermarket in Sanaa, Yemen. In the UAE, inflation in the cost of staples such as flour is slowing

Relief for online shoppers as food price inflation slows

The price of consumer staples bought online increased in 2022, but shoppers in the UAE are now beginning to see costs plateau. The most significant rise was in the price of tea, which increased by almost 26 percent year-on-year in Q1 2023, according to the UAE Ecommerce Consumer Price Index compiled by consultancy Pattern. The […]