Investments by banks operating in the UAE rose 2% month on month in January 2026, increasing by AED 16.9 billion to reach AED 872.3 billion by the end of the month, according to the Central Bank of the UAE, as reported by the Emirates News Agency.

On an annual basis, bank investments grew by 17.4% from January 2025, reflecting continued expansion across the sector.

Data showed that investments in debt securities increased to $114.1 billion, marking a 26% year-on-year rise and a 3.1% increase from the previous month.

Bonds held to maturity reached $101.1 billion, up 10.5% year on year and 0.8% month on month. Meanwhile, investments in equities climbed to $6.9 billion, up 31.9% annually and 3.3% month over month.

Other investments rose 0.9% during the month to $15.6 billion by the end of January.

Banking activity remained strong, with transfers executed through the UAE Funds Transfer System totaling approximately $566.8 billion in January. This included around $329.7 billion in interbank transfers and $235.6 billion in customer transactions.

In addition, the value of cheques processed using image-based systems reached $34.1 billion across 1.95 million cheques during the same period.