The Central Bank of the UAE is extending support measures aimed at helping lenders mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic by six months until mid-2022 to back the country's continued economic recovery.
Relief measures related to banks' capital buffers, liquidity and stable funding requirements will be extended until June 30 for all lenders operating in the UAE, the banking regulator said in a statement on Saturday. The measures are part of the targeted economic support scheme (Tess) programme that it introduced at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
"As the recovery is gaining momentum, the CBUAE has adjusted the TESS, replacing measures designed to mitigate the immediate negative effects of the pandemic with targeted steps to support the economic recovery," Khaled Balama, governor of the Central Bank of UAE, said. "The Tess programme has proven its effectiveness in supporting the UAE financial system and economy throughout the pandemic."
The UAE introduced economic stimulus worth Dh388 billion ($105.72bn) since the pandemic tipped the world economy into its worst recession since the 1930s. These packages include Dh50bn under the central bank's Tess programme to boost liquidity in the financial and banking sector.
The extended capital buffer measures include temporarily lowering the capital conservation buffer and the capital buffer for "systemically-important" domestic banks, according to the statement. Liquidity measures consist of temporary prudential relief on the liquidity coverage ratio, eligible liquid assets ratio, net stable funding ratio, and advances to stable resources ratio.
Earlier this year, the central bank said the loan repayment deferral component of the Tess programme would end on December 31, 2021, marking the first phase of its gradual exit strategy from the measures implemented during the pandemic. The Tess programme to support new lending and financing will continue until June 30, 2022.
"The CBUAE’s gradual exit strategy from the Tess balances the winding-down of Tess measures with its continued commitment to support the UAE’s recovery," the regulator said in the statement.
Further support measures introduced during the pandemic that temporarily remain in effect include the reduced cash reserves requirement and the decrease in the required down payment for new mortgage loans.
In September, the Central Bank underscored its commitment to support the country's continued economic recovery and said the withdrawal of support measures will be gradual and well timed.
The UAE’s financial system as stable and that liquidity in the banking system and banks’ capital buffers were adequate, it said at the time.
The UAE economy has bounced back strongly from the coronavirus-driven slowdown, boosted by fiscal and monetary support and other measures from the government. The Arab world’s second-largest economy is now forecast to grow 2.1 per cent this year, after contracting 6.1 per cent in 2020 as a result of the global economic slowdown.
The economy is expected to grow at 4.2 per cent in 2022, higher than the 3.8 per cent previously forecast, according to the CBUAE's second quarter review.
Earlier this month, the central bank said that the UAE's economic recovery is expected to strengthen further in 2022 and the country's banking system has the capacity to support the financial system and its growth.
The UAE’s banking assets are expected to grow by between 8 per cent and 10 per cent in 2022 as the UAE economy continues to recover from the pandemic-driven slowdown and reap the benefits of hosting Expo 2020 Dubai, Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, chairman of UAE Banks Federation said in October.
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Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
