Implementing Basel II: an investigation of the UAE banks' Basel II preparations

Purpose – This study aims at exploring the UAE banks' Basel II preparations. It is essential for the UAE banks to make adequate preparations to ensure their compliance with international standards and practices in the field of banking. Design/methodology/approach – The author developed a modified version of the Ernst & Young questionnaire to examine the UAE banks' Basel II preparations. Five hypotheses have been formulated and tested. Findings – Based on the results of the analysis in this study, it is concluded that the UAE banks are ready for the implementation of Basel II. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the UAE banks have sufficient resources for the implementation of Basel II, which represents a prerequisite for the implementation. The readiness of the UAE banks for implementing Basel II is also supported by the common understanding of Basel II by the employees of the UAE banks and the satisfactory level of education on Basel II. The results also indicate that there is no difference between UAE national and foreign banks in their readiness for the implementation of Basel II, which gives a positive impression about the competitive advantage of the national banks. Finally, the results support the importance of training and education on Basel II as one of the requirements of the implementation. Practical implications – Improving the level of education on Basel II is still needed and this can be achieved because of the availability of the required resources and the awareness of the UAE banks of the benefits, the positive impact, and the challenges of the implementation of Basel II, as indicated by the results. The results also support the importance of training and education on Basel II as one of the requirements of the implementation. Originality/value – The paper is important for the decision makers of the UAE banks and the regulators as the main objective of the study is to increase their awareness of the implementation of Basel II. The results would help the UAE banks to know the level of their Basel II preparations and what are the necessary steps that should be taken in this regard. The results would also help the regulators regarding the required steps that should be taken by the UAE Central Bank in order to motivate or encourage the UAE banks in implementing Basel II properly.