Key takeaways
- UAE outward remittances via exchange houses hit Dh188.8bn in 2025, up 27.8% year-on-year, per Dubaiweek
- Personal transfers totalled Dh115.7bn and trade remittances Dh63.3bn of the outward figure
- Inward remittances through exchange houses rose 53.6% to Dh36bn
- Exchange house sector profits grew 8.2% to Dh625.6m with capital up 4.4% to about Dh4bn
- Islamic banking assets reached Dh1.329 trillion, a 22% annual increase, under a national strategy targeting Dh4.96tn by 2031
A sharp rise in money leaving the UAE
UAE exchange houses processed Dh188.8 billion in outward remittances during 2025, up 27.8 per cent on the year before, according to figures cited by Dubaiweek from the Central Bank of the UAE's Financial Stability Report 2025.
Personal transfers made up the bulk of that total at Dh115.7 billion, with trade-related payments contributing a further Dh63.3 billion. Smaller categories included Dh8.5 billion in other remittances and roughly Dh1 billion tied to investment activity.
Money flowing into the country also climbed
Inward remittances handled by exchange businesses rose even more steeply, up 53.6 per cent year-on-year to Dh36 billion, Dubaiweek reported. Trade transfers accounted for Dh22.8 billion of that figure, while personal remittances coming into the UAE added Dh8.1 billion.
The exchange house sector itself posted net profits of Dh625.6 million for the year, an 8.2 per cent increase, and its aggregate capital base grew 4.4 per cent to around Dh4 billion.
Wider banking and Islamic finance context
The remittance data sits alongside broader growth across the UAE's banking system, where total assets expanded 17.1 per cent to Dh5.3 trillion in 2025 and lending grew 17.8 per cent, largely on retail and private corporate borrowing, per the CBUAE Annual Report cited by Dubaiweek.
Islamic banking assets reached Dh1.329 trillion, a 22 per cent annual rise, now representing close to a quarter of the total banking system. A national strategy approved in May 2025 sets a 2031 target of nearly Dh5 trillion in total Islamic finance assets, alongside goals for sukuk issuance and the sector's contribution to GDP.
What the numbers mean for people sending money
A near 28 per cent jump in outward personal and trade transfers points to a growing volume of UAE residents and businesses converting dirhams into other currencies and settling payments abroad, whether that's supporting family overseas, funding property purchases, or paying suppliers in other markets.
For anyone in the UAE or UK regularly sending sums across borders, higher transfer volumes across the sector are a reminder that exchange rates and transfer fees can vary between providers, and that comparing costs before a transfer is a routine part of managing what a remittance actually costs once it lands.
Based on reporting by Dubaiweek. Summarised and edited by BetterFXRates; all figures are the source's own.
This article is for general information only and is not financial advice. Rates and figures are illustrative and may not reflect current market pricing — always get a live quote before you transfer.