According to figures by the UAE central bank, mortgage off-take in the country has remained sluggish at best in the past 18 months, despite the all-time low 3.95% per annum interest rates charged by some banks, Emirates 24-7 has reported. Real estate mortgage loans issued by banks in the country have declined over year-end 2011, from Dhs161.53bn as of December 2011, to Dhs160.87bn as of March 2012, the data showed.