First Abu Dhabi Bank — Cyborg Score 9/10

Exceptional
Banking & Financial Services

Strategic Profile

FAB combines emerging market growth potential with developed market governance and risk standards. The bank's diversified business model is increasingly underpinned by fee-based income, with non-interest revenue now accounting for more than 40% of group income. FAB operates across five continents with a presence in 20 markets including Asia Pacific, Europe, Americas, Middle East and Africa.

Cyborg Score Rationale

FAB exceeded all elements of its FY'25 financial guidance, delivering robust returns at scale with net profit of AED 5.09 billion in Q4 2025, up 22% year-over-year. The bank achieved loan growth of 17% while maintaining a Cost of Risk of 57bps and Return on Tangible Equity of 19.2%. The bank enjoys top-tier credit ratings AA- from S&P, Aa3 from Moody's, and AA- from Fitch.

Top Insights

  • Full-year 2025 net profit of AED 21.11 billion, up 24% YoY, with revenue growing 16% to AED 36.68 billion, demonstrating strong momentum entering 2026
  • Loan growth guidance of low- to mid-teens for 2026 with cost of risk below 70bps signals confidence in credit quality amid supportive UAE macro backdrop
  • Fee-based income now exceeds 40% of total revenue, reducing dependency on net interest margins and providing earnings resilience
  • Record dividend of 80 fils per share proposed for 2025 reflects capital strength and consistent shareholder returns over 8 consecutive years

Named Competitors

  • Emirates NBD — Leading UAE commercial bank with retail and corporate franchises
  • Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank — Major regional bank competing in UAE retail and commercial segments
  • Standard Chartered — International bank with MENA operations competing in corporate and investment banking

Recent Developments

  • (February 2026) Q4 2025 results: 24% net profit surge to AED 21.11 billion with 16% revenue growth; record 80 fils dividend proposed
  • (January 2026) FY 2025 guidance exceeded across all metrics; ROTE reached 19.2% vs 16% guidance; CET1 at 14.5% pre-dividend
  • (September 2025) H1 2025 net profit AED 10.63 billion with total assets exceeding AED 1.34 trillion

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