United Arab Bank (UAB) is a Sharjah-headquartered commercial bank operating across the UAE — offering retail, corporate, and Islamic banking services. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), UAB is majority-owned by Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), making it one of the UAE banks with significant Qatari banking group ownership.
| Full Name | United Arab Bank PJSC (UAB) |
| Listed | Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX): UAB |
| Major Shareholder | Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ) — ~40%+ |
| Founded | 1975 — Sharjah, UAE |
| Headquarters | Sharjah, UAE |
| Services | Retail banking, corporate banking, SME banking, trade finance |
Who Owns United Arab Bank?
United Arab Bank (UAB) is majority-owned by the Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ) — one of Qatar’s largest private sector banks, listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange. CBQ holds approximately 40%+ of UAB’s shares, making it the single largest and controlling shareholder. The remaining shares are held by UAE nationals, Emirati institutional investors, and public market participants. CBQ’s stake in UAB is part of its regional expansion strategy across GCC banking markets. UAB is regulated by the UAE Central Bank and operates branches across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and other emirates.
UAB’s History and Strategy
United Arab Bank was founded in 1975 in Sharjah, during the early years of UAE federation. It grew as a mid-tier commercial bank serving trade finance, SME lending, and retail banking needs. CBQ’s investment in UAB deepened the Qatar-UAE financial corridor. UAB underwent a significant restructuring and balance sheet cleanup in 2016–2018 after a period of elevated non-performing loans, supported by CBQ’s backing. The bank subsequently returned to profitability and refocused on corporate banking, SME finance, and digital banking services.
