The UAE’s largest bank, known as FAB, was formed by merging National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank in 2017. In April this year, Bloomberg reported a possible tie-up between Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank, which would create one of the Middle East’s largest lenders. FAB recorded a 4 percent year-on-year rise in net profit for H1 2019, driven by revenue growth and cost control.