Voluntary corporate governance disclosure and bank performance: evidence from an emerging market

Purpose This study aims to explore the extent of voluntary corporate governance disclosure in the annual reports of banks in the UAE, operating in an emerging economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. It also examines the effect of this non-financial disclosure on bank performance by differentiating conventional and Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach This study applies content analysis to explore the extent of voluntary corporate governance disclosure using data collected from the annual reports of all the banks traded on the UAE financial markets from 2003 through 2020. It further examines the potential effect of voluntary disclosure on bank performance using dynamic panel data regressions. Findings The results indicate a low level of voluntary corporate governance disclosure in the annual reports for most disclosure indices. However, conventional and Islamic banks do not differ significantly. Additionally, the results of the robust dynamic panel data from the two-step generalized method of moments system estimation confirm that voluntary corporate governance disclosure does not affect bank performance significantly. Practical implications The findings of this study would benefit the central bank and lawmakers in the UAE in developing a framework for appropriate voluntary disclosure and enhancing the corporate governance framework to improve the quality of annual reports. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the extent of corporate governance disclosure, as well as its association with bank performance in an emerging economy by differentiating between conventional and Islamic banks.