Banking System in the MENA Region: A Comparative Analysis Between Conventional and Islamic Banking in the UAE

This paper investigates the banking systems in the MENA region and compares the performance of conventional and Islamic banks in the UAE, using descriptive, correlation, and multiple regression analyses to analyze their efficiency and profitability. The analysis uses a sample of 352 observations from 32 banks, for 11 years (2005–2015). We find a significant difference in cost efficiency between conventional and Islamic banks in the UAE. The impact of bank-level characteristics and capital adequacy measures on a bank’s cost efficiency is strong in both types of banks. Risk-taking has a strong influence on the cost efficiency of conventional banks, but this effect is insignificant for Islamic banks. We find that profitability is not significantly different between conventional and Islamic banks. The effect of capital adequacy measures on a bank’s profitability is strongly significant only in the group of conventional banks. However, Islamic banks’ profitability is more responsive to risk-taking. We are suggesting that since Islamic and conventional banks are governed by different rules and principles, then setting up and implementation of regulations should be different for each type of bank to improve their financial performance, compliance standing, and risk assessment. We also recommend that banking systems in the MENA region should increase their ability to adapt applicable reforms and share the Islamic banking principles and instruments as they are more efficient toward the social responsibility and the risk effects.