Dubai: Arab Bank Group has reported net profit after tax and provisions of $217.2 million (Dh797 million) for the first quarter of 2015 compared to $216.3 million in the previous year. Loans and advances increased by 3 per cent to reach $23.7 billion, compared to the same period last year, while customer deposits reached $34.7 billion. Adjusting for the impact of exchange rates, loans and customer deposits grew by 6.3 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively. Arab Bank Chairman, Sabih Masri, said, “The results achieved in the first quarter reflect the bank’s commitment to maintain the quality of its loan portfolio and to strengthen its capital position”. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at a strong level of 14.6 per cent.