UAE interest rates up = loans get more expensive

By Rajive Singh

ABU DHABI 20 December 2018: The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) announced that, effective, Thursday 20 December 2018, it will raise interest rates applied to the issuance of its Certificates of Deposits in line with the increase in interest rates on US Dollar, following the Federal Reserve Board’s decision to increase the Federal Funds Rate by 25 basis points at its meeting of yesterday.

The Repo Rate applicable to borrowing short-term liquidity from CBUAE against Certificates of Deposits has also been increased by 25 basis points.

Certificates of Deposit, which CBUAE issues to banks operating in the country, are the monetary policy instrument through which changes in interest rates are transmitted to the UAE banking system.