UAE Mortgage Lenders Compared

Our full UAE broker panel is 18+ banks — effectively every commercial retail lender in the UAE that offers residential home finance through broker channels. <strong>Ten are featured in detail on this page</strong> because they produce the vast majority of residential mortgage completions and we maintain KFS-grounded profiles on each: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Emirates NBD (ENBD), HSBC, Standard Chartered, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Emirates Islamic (ENBD-group Islamic subsidiary), Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), Mashreq (including Mashreq Al Islami), and RAKBANK (including RAKislamic). The remaining Tier-2 panel includes Ajman Bank, Sharjah Islamic Bank, United Arab Bank (UAB), National Bank of Fujairah (NBF), Bank of Sharjah, and various Private Banking arms (BNP Paribas, BLOM, etc. for UHNW cases) — we broker through these on a case-by-case basis where their specific product or pricing fits best. One UAE panel lender that we previously worked with but no longer do is ADCB, which has transitioned to direct-only mortgage origination and no longer accepts broker-channel submissions.

No — rates vary materially by lender, borrower profile, and product variant. Current promotional starters range from 3.89% (RAKBANK RAKelite Salaried) through 4.29-4.69% at other panel lenders, with Non-Resident rates typically 4.69-5.39%. Beyond headline rate, materially different fees apply: FAB and CBD waive the full 1-1.05% processing fee on buyout; ADIB pays Property Takaful for full tenure; CBD waives the pre-approval fee for brokers; RAKBANK waives pre-approval for most segments. Partial payment flexibility ranges from 30% free per year (ADIB, DIB) down to charging 1.05% on all partials (FAB). The right lender for your profile depends on more than just the headline rate — we assess fit holistically at scoping.

For borrowers refinancing from another UAE lender, <strong>FAB and CBD are typically the strongest options</strong> — both waive the full 1-1.05% processing fee on buyout loans (which is unique on the UAE panel). On a AED 2 million refinance, this saves approximately AED 21,000 compared to lenders charging the standard processing fee. Secondary differentiators: FAB offers up to 180-day first-instalment grace on UAE National buyouts (longest on panel); CBD offers 15% free annual partial payment allowance that FAB doesn’t match (FAB charges 1.05% on all partials). The right choice between FAB and CBD depends on your UAE National vs Expat status, cash flow pattern, and existing banking relationship. For UHNW buyers above AED 20M refinance scale, routing extends to ADIB (AED 30M cap) or Private Banking tiers.

<strong>Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has the highest standard loan cap on the UAE panel at AED 30 million</strong>, available through standard underwriting without requiring Private Banking qualification. For comparison: ENBD AED 25M standard, FAB and CBD AED 20M standard, Mashreq AED 15M. Standard Chartered caps at AED 18M standard. RAKBANK’s KFS caps at AED 13M. For UHNW buyers above AED 30M acquisitions, Private Banking tiers at HSBC Private, ENBD Private, and FAB Private handle bespoke underwriting (typical USD 5M+ AUM qualification). For straightforward loans in the AED 20-30M range without Private tier qualification, ADIB is often the simplest route.

Current KFS-published starter rates on the UAE panel: <strong>RAKBANK at 3.89% for RAKelite Salaried (3-year fixed)</strong> is the lowest confirmed starter per current KFS v072026. FAB and HSBC market promotional rates from 3.99%. ADIB markets from 3.99% fixed 3 years. CBD’s KFS indicates starting from 4.29%. Standard Chartered uses EIBOR + margin (3M EIBOR ~4.29% as of 6 Oct 2026 + bank margin). DIB, ADIB, and Mashreq Islamic rates range from 4.29-4.69% starters depending on segment. For non-residents, rates are typically 50-100 bps higher than resident rates across all panel lenders. The sharpest starter rate for your specific profile depends on residency, segment (RAKelite / Priority / Premier / Elite tier), salary transfer, LTV, and promotion-period availability. We confirm the current best rate for your profile at scoping.

Six panel lenders offer Shari’ah-compliant home finance: <strong>DIB</strong> (world’s first Islamic bank, 1975, 9 distinct products including MBRHE zero profit on AED 1M for UAE Nationals and DIB Nest green discount), <strong>ADIB</strong> (highest loan cap AED 30M, Property Takaful included, Purchase + Lease Back / Istisna + Forward Ijara), <strong>Emirates Islamic</strong> (ENBD’s Shari’ah subsidiary), <strong>Mashreq Al Islami</strong> (floor + ceiling profit rate protection), <strong>FAB Islamic</strong> (free 1 instalment deferral per year), <strong>CBD Al Islami</strong> (Donation Amount to charity for late payments), <strong>Standard Chartered Saadiq</strong> (optional — not mandatory — Life Takaful + global network), and <strong>RAKislamic Home Finance</strong> (Commitment to Donate structure, explicit under-construction support). The right Islamic lender depends on your specific needs: MBRHE scheme participants go DIB; high-value acquisitions go ADIB; floor + ceiling protection preference goes Mashreq Al Islami; integrated conventional + Islamic banking goes FAB or ENBD; global network preference goes Saadiq.

Most of our 10 featured panel lenders accept non-residents on at least their standard product, except where specifically restricted. <strong>Mashreq</strong> offers the highest non-resident FTV at up to 65% (top of conventional panel). <strong>HSBC</strong> requires non-residents to be HSBC Premier (which provides unique UK/HK/SG/UAE Premier-to-Premier continuity). <strong>Standard Chartered International</strong> handles non-residents effectively via SC’s 60+ market global network, particularly strong for NRIs via SC’s India presence. <strong>ENBD Priority Banking</strong> has 200+ India branch infrastructure for NRI segment, and <strong>Emirates Islamic</strong> inherits the same India network for Shari’ah-compliant NRI appetite (often the panel-strongest option for Indian NRI Islamic finance). <strong>FAB, CBD, ADIB, DIB, and Mashreq</strong> all accept non-residents on standard products. <strong>RAKBANK Home in One excludes non-residents</strong> (Home Loan + RAKislamic Home Finance both accept them). Non-resident customers face higher interest/profit rates than residents (panel-standard pricing differential 50-100 bps) and typically more documentation requirements. For non-residents wanting Shari’ah-compliant finance, DIB Non-Resident Program, ADIB non-resident, Emirates Islamic, RAKislamic, Mashreq Al Islami, and Saadiq are all options.

Yes — we are fee-free to the borrower across our entire 18+ bank panel. Our commission is paid by the lender on successful completion of your mortgage, not by you. This is the panel-standard broker model in the UAE market. There is no charge for pre-approval, no charge for scoping conversations, no charge for application submission, and no charge for completion. The lender’s own fees (processing fee, valuation fee, insurance, early settlement if applicable) all apply as per the lender’s KFS — we never add anything on top. For borrowers specifically price-sensitive, we route to lenders with the lowest total fee impact for your profile (CBD + FAB zero-buyout-fee for refinance customers; CBD’s 1% processing fee below panel 1.05% standard; RAKBANK + CBD pre-approval waivers; ADIB included Property Takaful).

In practice, we assess your profile at scoping across 6-8 key dimensions, then narrow to 2-3 best-fit lenders rather than running 9 parallel applications. Dimensions we assess: (1) <strong>Residency status</strong> (UAE National, Expat Resident, Non-Resident, GCC National — directly affects LTV and lender shortlist); (2) <strong>Employment status</strong> (Salaried vs Self-Employed — affects income multiples and lender appetite); (3) <strong>Loan amount</strong> (under AED 15M → broader panel; AED 15-20M → FAB/CBD/ENBD/ADIB; AED 20-30M → ADIB; above AED 30M → Private Banking); (4) <strong>Property type and location</strong> (ready/off-plan, Dubai/AD/RAK/other emirates, approved developments); (5) <strong>Shari’ah preference</strong> (routes to Islamic lender shortlist); (6) <strong>Fresh purchase vs Buyout</strong> (buyout heavily favours FAB/CBD); (7) <strong>Cash flow pattern</strong> (high-balance borrowers → RAKBANK Home in One); (8) <strong>Existing banking relationship</strong> (Priority Banking / Premier / Elite tier customers often get preferential pricing at their existing bank). We also honestly flag where a lender is NOT the best fit — our role is best match, not sales for any one lender.

Per UAE Central Bank Consumer Protection Regulation (Circular No. 8 – 2020), all UAE panel lenders offer a 5 complete business day cooling-off period starting from signing the mortgage offer / lease contract. During this period you can terminate the contract without penalty. You may also choose to waive your right to the Cooling-Off Option — if you waive, all terms become binding immediately upon signing, and you bear all risks of rate movements and settlement starting from the signing date. The waiver is common where you want to meet an urgent completion deadline (e.g., developer handover window). We flag this at the appropriate stage. Lender-specific terms may apply (some impose a small cancellation fee if you cancel after cooling-off expires but before loan drawdown), which we cover during the offer-review stage.