The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) increased its gold reserves by 19.3% in the first quarter of 2025, raising its holdings to Dh27.42 billion by the end of March, from Dh22.98 billion at the end of December 2024, according to its latest statistical bulletin.
The bulletin also shows a rise in total demand deposits, which reached Dh1.14 trillion at the end of March, compared to Dh1.10 trillion three months earlier. Of this, Dh856.06 billion was held in dirhams, while Dh291.116 billion was in foreign currencies.
Savings deposits grew to Dh338.78 billion from Dh317.48 billion during the same period. Time deposits rose to Dh991.75 billion, with Dh614.85 billion held in local currency and Dh376.9 billion in foreign currencies.
Transactions through the UAE Funds Transfer System (UAEFTS) reached Dh5.44 trillion in the first quarter, including Dh3.33 trillion in bank-to-bank transfers and Dh2.11 trillion in customer transfers.
Cheque clearing data shows that Dh351.35 billion was processed across 5.61 million cheques in the first three months of 2025. In March alone, 1.83 million cheques worth Dh116.71 billion were cleared via image-based systems.
Cash withdrawals by banks from the Central Bank totalled Dh63.88 billion in Q1, while cash deposits stood at Dh47.12 billion.
