DUBAI: Dubai’s largest lender Emirates NBD said on Monday first-quarter net profit declined 24 percent year-on-year due to higher provisions the bank took in anticipation of the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak on credit conditions. The bank posted a net profit of $566.29 million (Dh2.08 billion) in the quarter, down from $742 million (Dh2.74 billion) in the same period a year earlier. On a quarterly basis, however, net profit improved by 3 percent. “Net operating profit declined 24 percent y-o-y as the group took additional impairment allowances to increase coverage in anticipation of a deterioration in credit quality in subsequent quarters,” Patrick Sullivan, the group chief financial officer, said in a statement. Banks in the United Arab Emirates are feeling the impact of measures aimed at containing the outbreak, which have brought parts of the economy such as tourism and transport to a near halt. “Regional banks face multiple challenges from low interest rates, low oil prices and lower economic growth due to disruption from COVID-19,” said Sullivan. The operating performance of the bank was good prior to the emergence of the economic impact of COVID-19, he said. The bank increased impairment allowances to $561.3 million, with an increase in the annualized net cost of risk of 210 basis points. Its non-performing loan ratio was stable at 5.5 percent in the quarter, and total assets increased by 1 percent from the end of 2019 to $191.16 billion. “Emirates NBD has a good underlying operating performance, coupled with a robust balance sheet to help navigate these challenges. The group continues to operate with strong liquidity and healthy capital ratios,” Sullivan said.