Fitch Ratings has maintained its long-term issuer default rating for Abu Dhabi at “AA” with a stable outlook, highlighting the emirate's robust fiscal and external positions alongside a high GDP per capita. The ratings agency pointed to Abu Dhabi’s exceptionally low government debt level, ranking among the lowest of Fitch-rated sovereigns, and its sovereign net foreign assets, which place it among the highest globally.

Despite these strengths, Fitch identified several factors limiting the rating. These include Abu Dhabi’s significant dependence on hydrocarbons, a relatively weak but improving economic policy framework, geopolitical risks in the region, and governance indicators that remain behind those of comparable peers.

Economic data underscore Abu Dhabi's continued growth, supported by expansion in non-oil sectors. The emirate’s GDP increased by 7.7 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, reaching 3,257 billion dirhams ($887 billion). Its non-oil economy grew by 7.6 percent during the same period, contributing 54 percent of total economic output, according to the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi.

The broader United Arab Emirates economy is also expected to sustain its growth trajectory, with the International Monetary Fund projecting real GDP growth of 7.7 percent for 2027, as noted in its October 2026 World Economic Outlook report.

Fitch’s positive assessment comes amid increased geopolitical and economic uncertainty in the Middle East, particularly following the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran. The ratings agency emphasized that the stable outlook is supported by the resilience of Abu Dhabi’s oil export revenues during this conflict, which has enabled the emirate to further strengthen its fiscal and external buffers.