Dubai: Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) delivered its strongest financial performance on record in 2025, reporting net profit before tax of AED 3.84 billion, a 15.6 per cent increase year on year, as net loans surpassed AED 100 billion for the first time.
Net profit after tax rose 15.5 per cent to AED 3.5 billion, while fourth-quarter profit before tax reached AED 1 billion. The bank said the latest results extended its streak of quarterly profit growth to 22 consecutive quarters, reflecting sustained momentum across core business lines.
Operating income and efficiency
Operating income climbed 7.8 per cent to AED 5.92 billion in 2025, supported by steady lending growth and higher customer activity. Net interest income increased 9.3 per cent, driven by expansion in loans and current and savings account balances, while non-funded income rose 4.5 per cent.
Operating expenses grew 10.8 per cent to AED 1.55 billion, largely due to continued investment in digital platforms, technology, governance and regulatory compliance. Despite higher costs, CBD maintained a cost-to-income ratio of 26.25 per cent, placing it among the more cost-efficient banks in the UAE sector.
Balance sheet expansion
CBD reported double-digit growth across key balance sheet metrics. Total assets rose 14.4 per cent to AED 160.3 billion by the end of December. Gross loans and advances increased 7.2 per cent to AED 105.4 billion, while net loans grew 8.6 per cent to AED 101 billion.
Customer deposits expanded 14.1 per cent to AED 111.4 billion, with current and savings accounts accounting for 49 per cent of the total. The loan-to-deposit ratio improved to 90.75 per cent, while the advances-to-stable-resources ratio stood at 83.14 per cent, remaining comfortably below regulatory limits.
Improving credit quality
The bank said asset quality continued to strengthen during the year. The non-performing loan ratio declined to 3.58 per cent, down from 4.35 per cent in 2024, while the cost of risk fell to 0.49 per cent, a reduction of 25 basis points year on year.
Capital metrics also remained robust. CBD’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 15.52 per cent, with a Tier 1 ratio of 14.39 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 12.54 per cent, all above regulatory requirements. Return on equity after tax rose to 22.15 per cent, up 75 basis points from the previous year.
Strategy and outlook
Chief executive Bernd van Linder said the results reflected consistent execution over several years.
“Achieving profit growth for 22 consecutive quarters and crossing AED 100 billion in net loans are significant milestones that underline the bank’s strong fundamentals,” he said. “Despite global headwinds, we have delivered consistent performance over the past five years, demonstrating the resilience of our strategy.”
Looking ahead, CBD said it will continue investing in customer experience, digital capabilities and national talent in 2026, while aligning its operations with the UAE’s broader economic transformation agenda.
Digital progress
During 2025, the bank accelerated its digital transformation programme, supported by technology investments and strategic partnerships. CBD reported its highest SME Net Promoter Score in more than three years, attributing the improvement to enhanced onboarding and service delivery.
In December, the bank said it became the first UAE bank to fully activate open finance at scale, and continued to support national initiatives including instant payments, digital currency infrastructure and export finance programmes.
