Skip to main content

icnlive

Menu
Menu
icn.lıve
WATCH LIVE. THINK BUSINESS.
Menu
X-twitter Linkedin-in Instagram Youtube

© 2026 ICN.LIVE

ICN.live

Yousef Haddad

Make us preferred on Google

  • 3 min read
  • GCC banks posted record revenue as lending kept rising across households, businesses, and public entities.
  • Net interest income supported growth while higher impairments and expenses pushed quarterly profits lower.
  • Customer deposits slipped for the first time in nineteen quarters, raising funding pressure across lenders.
  • Broad credit facilities growth reflected strong non-oil growth and an active regional project pipeline.

The quarterly rise reached 1.7 percent, showing banks still expanded income despite softer fee generation. Net interest income did most of the work as lending volumes increased across major Gulf markets. Non-interest income slipped after seven rising quarters, trimming part of the gain from core banking activity. At the same time, impairments climbed to their highest level in eighteen quarters regionwide. That shift pushed aggregate net profit down to 15.6 billion dollars from Q3 2025 levels. Broad lending trends gave the quarter its main support, and credit facilities growth stayed widespread.

Listed GCC banks lifted gross loans by 2.7 percent, ending the quarter at 2.47 trillion dollars. Net loans also moved higher, rising 2.5 percent to 2.37 trillion dollars across the region. From my perspective, this pattern shows banks still found healthy demand outside oil-linked segments. Recent project awards and service activity supported borrowing needs in corporate and retail channels. Kamco also linked the trend to resilient non-oil growth across several major economies recently.

Personal and consumer lending remained the strongest driver in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. Government borrowing also increased in the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain, backing public investment plans.

GCC banking sector revenues and lending strength

Customer deposits then fell 0.6 percent, reaching 2.78 trillion dollars after nineteen straight quarters of gains. This drop, paired with stronger lending, lifted the loan-to-deposit ratio to 85.4 percent. That level stood above the prior quarter reading of 82.8 percent, showing tighter liquidity. Banks still held large funding bases, yet the shift deserves close attention during 2026. Topline growth varied across markets, with Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi lenders posting revenue increases. UAE and Qatari-listed banks reported slight revenue declines, which softened the regional result.

Even so, the record headline confirmed strong earning power from core balance sheet expansion. GCC banking sector revenues also reflected stronger activity in households, government projects, and energy-related segments. Net interest income stayed central because lower yields on credit did not stop loan book growth. Non-interest income moved the other way, reflecting softer fees, trading flows, or related income lines. Energy and utilities lending also showed firm growth, especially in Kuwait and the UAE.
Those patterns matched wider regional spending on infrastructure, power systems, and transition-related projects.

Why profits slipped despite record revenue

Profit pressure came from higher impairments and a second straight rise in operating expenses. Those costs more than offset revenue growth, pulling quarterly earnings back from record levels. Oman stood out as the only market avoiding a quarterly profit decline during Q4 2025. Elsewhere, banks faced broader credit costs as some portfolios required heavier provisioning during the quarter. Construction and manufacturing also weakened in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain during the period. That pullback may reflect project completion cycles or a more careful industrial expansion phase.

The sector still entered 2026 with scale, lending momentum, and clear support from investment programs. For readers, the main lesson is simple: revenue strength looked solid, yet risk costs rose. Analysts will watch whether GCC banking sector revenues keep rising if deposit competition increases. GCC banking sector revenues should stay linked to lending demand, deposit trends, and credit quality.

TAGS
  • Banking, GCC, Government, MENA

EXPLORE MORE ON:

TechAICapitalPoliticsBankingHealth
ADNOC Gas Q2 2026 net income
Abu Dhabi

ADNOC Gas Q2 2026 net income clears guidance despite Hormuz disruption

ADNOC Gas Q2 2026 net income reached $665 million, a figure that carries the strain of the months...
By Rami Al-Saadi3 min read
Emaar Properties H1 2026 Results
Real Estate

Emaar Properties H1 2026 Results Show Profit Rising 23 Percent

A number sits at the center of the Emaar Properties H1 2026 results, and it is worth pausing...
By Rami Al-Saadi3 min read
Iran war impact
GCC Economy

Iran war impact hits Kuwait and Qatar hardest as Gulf economies diverge

The Iran war impact has fallen unevenly across the Gulf, and two economies are absorbing the worst of...
By Yousef Haddad3 min read
Cross-emirate parking payments
  • Q Mobility

Cross-emirate parking payments could soon live inside one digital account for drivers who move between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Q Mobility and Parkin have signed an agreement to connect their systems, and the aim is plain. You pay for a spot in either city without switching apps or opening a second wallet.

Picture the commuter who parks near a Dubai office all week, then drives to the capital for the weekend. That person now juggles two separate systems. The plan would fold both into a single flow.

Cross-emirate parking payments in one account

The Q Mobility Parkin agreement covers linked digital platforms, shared pilot projects and a single route to paying for parking. Both firms run the biggest public parking networks in their emirates. Parkin operates Dubai’s official platform across more than 200,000 spaces. Q Mobility manages Mawaqif Abu Dhabi and the Darb road toll system.

Neither company gave a start date. Work will begin through a joint roadmap and pilot projects. So nothing shifts for you today. Keep using your current app. Residents and visitors would eventually pay through one connected set of digital channels once the platforms talk to each other. The operators say they will test how their existing systems can support shared access while keeping payments secure.

What the AI pilots will do

Smart parking UAE plans here lean hard on data. The two firms will build pilots around data analytics, artificial intelligence and better parking management tools. These pilots will look at how full car parks get, how demand shifts across the day, and how well the service runs.

Here is the practical payoff. Sharper demand planning means a system that can steer you to an open bay faster, using patterns pulled from real use. Both operators also want to squeeze more capacity from car parks they already have, rather than pour concrete for new ones. Parkin already runs a wide digital payment base across Dubai. Through the Darb app, Q Mobility handles tolling and Mawaqif parking together in Abu Dhabi. The pilots will check how each operator’s technology performs across connected systems before any broad rollout.

Data sharing under UAE rules

Cross-emirate parking payments depend on the two operators trading technical know-how and operational data. UAE regulations and data protection requirements will govern every exchange. The companies will also set governance rules for connected services and hunt for ways to use current assets more effectively.

Data integration will support demand forecasting and occupancy measurement across both service areas. Each side will decide which datasets and technical links belong to individual pilots. So far, the operators have not published the design that would join their platforms.

What the CEOs said

Mohamed Husain Karmastaji, CEO of Q Mobility, called the collaboration a route toward more connected mobility across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He named customer convenience and closer ties between the two operators as central goals. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of Parkin, described the agreement as a significant development for the UAE parking sector. He pointed to the scale created by bringing the two largest public parking operators into one technology programme.

For now, cross-emirate parking payments remain a plan on paper. Parkin Dubai and Q Mobility will move through technology assessments, joint pilots and platform integration before anything reaches your phone. Motorists keep using existing arrangements while the work runs. No date has been announced for unified digital access, so watch for pilot news rather than a switch flipping overnight.

  • 3 min read
Shamsa Entertainment City

Shamsa Entertainment City has opened its doors in Aljada, and it gives families a fresh reason to head out this summer. The open-air venue runs until 5 September under the theme “Shamsa Festival, Where Joy Shines”. It sits inside Sharjah Summer Promotions 2026, the emirate’s yearly push to bring shoppers and visitors out during the warmer months.

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority organise the venue together. Their pitch is simple. Give families interactive activities and outdoor entertainment, and lift the local economy at the same time.

What Shamsa Entertainment City offers

Picture a summer hub built for kids and parents. Interactive games and open-air fun fill the space in Aljada Sharjah, one of the emirate’s newer community districts. The layout leans on hands-on play rather than passive screens, which keeps younger visitors moving. That setting matters. Aljada already pulls crowds for dining and events, so the venue lands where people already are.

You do not have to travel far to reach it. That is the whole idea. Organisers want a spot that feels close, easy, and worth the trip on a hot afternoon.

Inside Sharjah Summer Promotions 2026

Shamsa Entertainment City is one piece of a much larger campaign. Sharjah Summer Promotions 2026 reaches across Sharjah City, the Central Region, and the East Coast towns of Khorfakkan, Kalba, and Dibba Al Hisn. Shoppers can find discounts of up to 75 percent across thousands of retail outlets and shopping malls.

The season offers more than shopping. Families also get over 60 Sharjah tourism packages and experiences, plus more than 700 prizes for visitors. Over 55 public and private partners back the programme, which shows how much weight the emirate puts behind it.

Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said the campaign aimed to strengthen Sharjah’s position as a tourism and family destination. He described a summer atmosphere that brings together entertainment, creativity, and community engagement for citizens, residents, and tourists.

Why the venue matters now

Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI, said the launch reflected the chamber’s work to support economic activity and community well-being. Read between the lines, and the plan is clear. Entertainment brings families in. Families spend. Retail and tourism both gain.

Sharjah has run this play before. The 2025 edition drew strong turnout and gave local businesses a measurable lift. This year’s version stretches the summer season longer and adds more partners, so the emirate is building on something that already works. The model rewards repeat visits, and that is where the real value sits for organisers.

For families weighing where to spend a summer day, the appeal is practical. You get activities for the kids, deals for the household, and a short drive rather than a long one. That mix turns a one-time visit into a habit, and it positions Sharjah as a family destination worth returning to.

Shamsa Entertainment City runs through early September, which leaves plenty of weekends to plan around. If you live in or near the emirate, the calendar is on your side. The venue and the wider campaign both wind down before the school term picks up, so the window is open now.

  • 3 min read
UAE music licence for businesse
  • Business Licenses

A UAE music licence for businesses will soon shape the cost of playing a song in public. From December 2026, restaurants, cafes, hotels, malls, gyms and airlines that play music must hold one. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism set out the rules in a new guide on music rights. The guide covers a wide list of venues. Radio stations, TV channels, concerts and similar events fall under it too. Each licence lasts one year and can be renewed. Fee brackets depend on how the music is used and how big the business is.

Who collects the UAE music licensing fees?

Two Ministry-approved bodies will handle the UAE music licence for businesses. The Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation UAE act for the rights holders. That pool includes composers, singers, record producers and publishers. They will issue the permits and take in the money.

The Ministry did not publish exact fee amounts. What it did confirm is the shape of the fees. Live music and DJ sets tend to cost more. Smaller venues with background music should pay less. Not every place has to pay. Schools and academic bodies are exempt. Government offices, national events and private, non-commercial parties also sit outside the rules. The Ministry can add more exempt groups later.

Why the UAE music licence for businesses matters now

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, tied the move to the wider economy. He said the UAE backs its music and creative sectors as it works to widen its income. The minister called the guide one step toward a full system for copyright and related rights. It fits the goals of UAE Vision 2031.

Here is the practical read. The commercial use of music UAE venues rely on is now a paid, tracked activity. Pressing play on a home streaming app and hoping no one asks carries real risk. If you run a venue, this is your cue to check your setup. The framework rests on the UAE copyright law. Back in 2021, the country reshaped that law with fresh rules on copyright and neighbouring rights. Those rules created public performance rights across the country. Now the guide gives them a way to be enforced and paid.

The guide also sets up a Cultural Support Fund in the Field of Music. It will give money, technical help and artistic support for writing, production and live shows. Support targets new talent, including children, youth and people of determination. The fund will also carry Emirati music abroad. Ten per cent of all fees collected will feed this fund. A joint team from the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture will run it. The collecting bodies must keep a separate bank account for the fund’s share.

Oversight and disputes

The Ministry will watch the licensed bodies for compliance with the UAE copyright law. Checks include field visits and reviews of financial and technical records. Complaints from rights holders will be handled too, with calm settlements sought or action taken where needed.

One line stands out. The Ministry keeps the right to change licence terms when the rules or public interest call for it, and licensees must comply at once. For venues, the UAE music licence for businesses is now a fixed cost of running a room with a soundtrack. My read: firms that move early will feel the least pain.

  • 3 min read
Load More News

Share this post

on your favourite social platforms

or copy the link