Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank reported a record profit before tax of AED 7.607 billion for the first half of 2026, up 28% on the same period a year earlier, extending the lender's run of quarterly profit growth to 20 consecutive quarters and cementing its position among the region's top-performing banks.

The second quarter was itself a record, with pre-tax profit of AED 3.826 billion rising 26% year on year, ADCB said in a statement on its website. Management pointed to broad-based revenue growth, disciplined cost control and a resilient asset-quality performance as the drivers behind the first-half print.

OPERATING INCOME UP 12 PERCENT

Operating income for the first half rose 12% year on year to AED 11.98 billion, a pace that outstripped the growth rates reported by several of ADCB's larger regional peers over the same period. The gains were spread across the group's wholesale, retail and treasury businesses, giving management a broad platform of momentum heading into the second half.

Non-interest income was the standout contributor, climbing 22% year on year to AED 4.51 billion and accounting for 38% of total operating income. ADCB has been steadily rebalancing its revenue mix in recent years, with fee-based income from cards, wealth, transaction banking and trading playing a larger role alongside net interest income.

The bank said its performance also reflected continued momentum in customer acquisition and digital banking, with its retail platforms attracting a growing share of new-to-bank customers in the UAE. The digital-led acquisition model has been a consistent theme in recent management commentary and appears to be translating into tangible revenue growth.

TWENTY CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF PROFIT GROWTH

The record first-half print marks the twentieth successive quarter in which ADCB has delivered profit growth on a year-on-year basis, a streak that dates back through a period of significant volatility in global rates and regional economies. The consistency of the trajectory is unusual among regional peers and reflects both the underlying strength of the franchise and the benefits of the group's post-merger integration.

ADCB was formed in 1985 and expanded significantly through its 2019 merger with Union National Bank and the acquisition of Al Hilal Bank. The group is majority-owned by Mubadala Investment Company, one of Abu Dhabi's sovereign investors, and is a constituent of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where it is one of the more heavily traded banking stocks.

The lender is regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE and operates across the UAE with subsidiaries and branches in Egypt, the United Kingdom and other markets. Its Al Hilal Bank unit provides Islamic banking services in the UAE and Kazakhstan, giving the group exposure across both conventional and Sharia-compliant segments.

Full second-quarter financial statements and the earnings press release were published on the bank's investor relations website alongside the results announcement, with a detailed presentation available to analysts and investors. ADCB has been one of the more consistent regional performers on the earnings front over the past several years, and the twenty-quarter streak of profit growth will be a focal point for investors and analysts assessing the durability of the group's franchise as regional rate dynamics gradually shift.