Fitch says UAE’s bond and sukuk sales grew by 8.3% to $309.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025
Bond and sukuk sales in the UAE went up by 8.3% compared to last year, reaching $309.4 billion in the first three months of 2025, according to a report by Fitch Ratings shared by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Monday.
UAE’s Debt Market – In Simple Words
The UAE’s debt market is growing strongly, according to a report from WAM, which quoted Bashar Al Natoor from Fitch Ratings.
He said this growth shows how the UAE’s financial sector is developing and doing well in the Sukuk (Islamic bonds) market.
Sukuk made up 20.2% of all the UAE’s debt, while the rest was in regular (conventional) bonds, the report said.
In the first three months of 2025, the UAE issued $4.9 billion worth of new sukuk, which was twice as much as the previous quarter. It also issued $24.1 billion in new regular bonds during the same period.
Al Natoor mentioned that the UAE remains an important country in the global sukuk market. In the first quarter of 2025, it made up 6.5% of the world’s total sukuk, ranking fourth after Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.
He also said the UAE is one of the top countries (excluding China) in issuing debt in US dollars in emerging markets, holding 7% of the total. Only Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Mexico were ahead.
Regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) bonds and sukuk, the UAE ranked third in emerging markets (not counting China), after Türkiye and the Philippines, during the first quarter of 2025.
Big Picture
In the Gulf region (GCC), the total debt (bonds and sukuk) reached $1.03 trillion by the end of the first quarter of 2025. The UAE had the second-largest share at 30%. It also held the second-highest amount of sukuk in the region, with 15.6% of the total.
Published: 8th April 2025
For more article like this please follow our social media Twitter, Linkedin & Instagram
Also Read:
Bank NXT’s 2024 profit jumps 54% to $35M on loans, deposits
Arab Markets Fall as US Tariffs Affect Global Stocks
UAE-Saudi Trade Relations: New Agreements Signed
