banks in uae

List of Banks in UAE

The Central Bank of United Arab Emirates UAE is the primary financial regulatory authority in the country. There are 22 registered local banks and 30 foreign banks in the UAE. Larger banks dominate the country’s banking industry, with the five biggest banks accounting for over 60% of the sector’s assets.

Islamic banking is also a major part of the Banking industry in UAE with eight full-fledged Islamic banks and 23 Islamic windows set up by conventional banks in the UAE, collectively accounting for 19% of the total banking sector assets. UAE issued the Federal Law no (6) of 1985 regarding Islamic banks, financial institutions, and investment companies.

In effect, the banking industry in the United Arab Emirates is divided into four types. Commercial Banks, Industry Banks, Merchant Banks and Islamic Banks.

There are four types of banks in the UAE:

  • Commercial banks
  • Industrial banks
  • Merchant banks
  • Islamic banks

National Banks in UAE

The following is the list of all National banks in the United Arab Emirates. There are 21 national banks with 550 branches spread across the Emirates. The majority of the branches are however situated in Abu Dhabi and Dubai which serve as the headquarters of almost all of them.

First Abu Dhabi Bank P.J.S.C

Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank P.J.S.C

Arab Bank for Inv.& Foreign Trade

Commercial Bank of Dubai P.J.S.C

Dubai Islamic Bank P.J.S.C

Emirates Islamic Bank P.J.S.C.

Mashreq Bank P.S.C.

Sharjah Islamic Bank P.J.S.C.

Bank of Sharjah PSC

United Arab Bank P.J.S.C

InvestBank PLC

National Bank of R.A.K P.J.S.C

Commercial Bank International PLC

National Bank of Fujairah

National Bank of U.A.Q PSC

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

Dubai Bank

Noor Bank

Al Hilal Bank

Ajman Bank

Wholesale Banks in UAE

Aside the National banks in UAE, there are also 10 wholesale banks.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China

Deutsche Bank AG

KEB Hana Bank

Barclays Bank PLC

Bank of China Limited

Gulf International Bank

MCB Bank Limited

Intesa Sanpaolo S.P.A

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd

Bank Al Falah Limited

List of Foreign Banks in United Arab Emirates UAE

27 Foreign banks are also operating in the United Arab Emirates. The central bank of UAE however restricted the number of branches a foreign bank would be able to operate to just 8 branches due to the rapid increase of banks within the UAE financial market.

National Bank of Bahrain

Rafidain Bank

Arab Bank PLC

Banque Misr

El Nilein Bank

National Bank of Oman S.A.O.G.

Credit Agricole – Corporate and Investment Bank

Bank of Baroda

BNP Paribas

Janata Bank Limited

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

Arab African International Bank

Al Khaliji (France) S. A.

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait

Habib Bank Ltd.

Habib Bank A.G Zurich

Standard Chartered Bank

CitiBank N.A.

Bank Saderat Iran

Bank Meli Iran

Blom Bank France

NATWEST MARKETS plc

United Bank Ltd

Doha Bank

Samba Financial Group

National Bank of Kuwait

BOK International Bank