Even as AI spending surges, few banks have established the necessary governance and guardrails – and nearly half misjudge their own AI readiness, says a study.
Mashreq Bank, one of the leading financial institutions in the MENA region, has delivered a strong first-quarter performance, with operating income growing to AED3.4 billion ($925.8 million) and net profit before tax increasing to AED2.3 billion ($626.28 million).
Qatari banks had strong capital and liquidity buffers, as well as provision coverage, before the Iran conflict, and asset-quality metrics were sound. But the country's banking sector operating environment could weaken under adverse scenarios for the Iran conflict, warned a top Fitch official.
Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has reported an operating profit of AED1.1 billion ($299.52 million) for the quarter ending March 31, 2026, 7% growth over the same period last year.
Emirates NBD, in line with the resilient operating environment in the UAE, reported a profit before tax of AED8.2 billion ($2.23 billion) for the first quarter of 2026, up 6% yoy, driven by strong balance sheet growth, resilient margins and record non-funded income growth.
ADCB, a leading UAE banking group, has delivered record profit before tax of AED3.781 billion ($1.03 billion) in Q1’26, up 30% year on year, extending profit growth track record to 19 consecutive quarters.
Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain (KFH), a leading bank in the kingdom, has announced that it is allowing individual and corporate customers to defer domestic loan instalments and credit card payments for three months, in line with guidance from the Central Bank of Bahrain.
The UAE's banking sector achieved regional leadership with assets valued at AED5.4 trillion ($1.47 trillion) in 2025, supported by a 17.9% growth in the credit portfolio and a 16.2% increase in deposits, said the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates' 2025 annual report.
In a strategic move, Bahrain-based Islamic wholesale bank GFH Financial Group (GFH) said it has rebranded as GFH Bank, in a move that reflects a shift in its business model and aims to sharpen its identity as an integrated banking and investment institution.
The proposed merger between Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) and the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) remains on track for potential completion this year, despite ongoing regional economic challenges, a Gulf Daily News report said.
