CBUAE sees positive outlook for UAE's lending activity in Q3 2026

Central Bank of the UAE building

A credit sentiment survey by the CBUAE indicated positive expectations for lending activity in the UAE during Q3 2026, amid anticipated growth in demand for financing and improved risk appetite among financial institutions, following sustained demand for credit in Q2..

The quarterly survey is based on feedback from senior credit officers at banks and financial institutions providing financing in the country. It gauges current credit conditions and institutional expectations for the following quarter.

Corporate loans

Financial institutions expect a strong rebound in demand for corporate loans in Q3, with net demand expectations rising to 22.7%. These forecasts point to a recovery in demand across all company segments, with the largest improvement expected among small and medium-sized enterprises, followed by large corporates and government-related entities.
 

Financial institutions expect an improvement in corporate lending appetite during Q3, with net expectations for lending appetite rising to 7.5%.
 

Positive expectations also extend to the personal finance sector. The survey results indicate strong recovery in personal loan demand in Q3, with net demand expectations reaching 25.3%.

Demand is expected to increase across all categories of personal loans, with the highest anticipated rise in demand for credit cards, followed by housing loans and other personal loans.