Comparing every major UAE bank's mortgage rates side by side

Comparing mortgage rates in the UAE is harder than it should be, because every bank formats its rate sheet differently, buries the reversion margin in small print, and updates pricing on its own campaign calendar. This is the most complete indicative comparison we publish: every bank on our panel, one table, the same columns, refreshed against the best mortgage rates in the UAE we see quoted to real applicants each month.

Every figure below is indicative until a specific bank issues you a written offer letter. Rates move with EIBOR, with each bank's own funding cost, and with short-term campaign pricing that can appear and disappear inside a quarter. Use this table to shortlist which three or four banks are worth applying to, not as a quote you can hold a bank to.

How to read each column

The fixed-rate columns show the headline rate held for that period, assuming a strong file: salaried, resident, listed employer, salary transferred and LTV at or below 80%. The reversion column is what the loan reverts to once the fixed period ends — a margin added on top of 3-month EIBOR. It is the single most overlooked number in any UAE mortgage comparison, because it decides what you pay in years four and five of a five-year term, not just the headline you signed at.

Max LTV tells you the ceiling for that bank on a first property under AED 5M for an eligible expat, per Central Bank rules; some banks cap non-resident or self-employed applicants lower even though this column shows the resident maximum. Always confirm your own eligibility category before assuming you qualify for the top of the range.

Why the same borrower gets different numbers from different banks

Two identical files — same salary, same LTV, same property — can be priced 40 to 70 basis points apart purely because each bank funds its mortgage book differently and has its own quarterly volume target. A bank behind its annual target will sharpen pricing on exactly the profile it needs more of; a bank that has already hit its target for the quarter has no incentive to compete on price at all. This is structural, not a reflection of your creditworthiness, and it is the entire reason a comparison across the panel outperforms applying to one bank.

Conventional vs Islamic rows in the same table

Islamic banks such as Dubai Islamic Bank, ADIB and Sharjah Islamic Bank quote a profit rate under an Ijara or Murabaha structure instead of an interest rate, but for comparison purposes the structure does not change the maths: you still compare a fixed period, a reversion basis and total fees. Some Islamic reversion rates track EIBOR directly like conventional loans; others use an internal benchmark that moves on a similar but not identical schedule, so ask each bank specifically which benchmark applies before assuming the two are interchangeable.

What moves you up or down this table

• LTV band. Dropping from 80% to 70% or below typically unlocks a bank's sharpest published tier.
• Salary transfer. Moving your salary to the lending bank is commonly worth 15 to 40 basis points against the table above.
• Employer list. An approved-list employer can move you a full row up the table; an unlisted employer can push you below the bottom of it.
• Debt burden ratio. Existing loans and credit cards eating into the 50% DBR cap can shrink both your eligible loan amount and your pricing tier.
• Property type. Completed freehold stock prices better than off-plan or a restricted tower across every bank in this comparison.

Total cost, not just the headline rate

A 10 basis point difference in the rate table above is worth roughly AED 200 a month on a AED 2,400,000 loan — noticeable, but smaller than the spread in processing fees between banks. A full comparison has to weigh both the rate table and this fee table together, which is exactly what applying across the panel rather than to one bank lets you do without extra cost, since Lenddoo is paid by the bank rather than the borrower.

Comparison table vs your actual offer

Expect your real offer to differ from this table by anywhere from zero to 60 basis points depending on how closely your file matches the assumptions above. If your file is stronger than the baseline — a very low LTV, a top-tier employer, a large existing relationship with the bank — you can beat every number shown. If you are non-resident, self-employed, or buying off-plan, budget for pricing above the table and a lower LTV ceiling, and consider checking our refinance guide once your file strengthens; a mortgage refinance UAE later in the loan term is often how borrowers who started on a weaker profile eventually reach table-leading pricing.

How often this comparison changes

Bank rate sheets typically refresh monthly, but campaign pricing can appear mid-month and disappear within weeks, so treat any comparison — including this one — as a snapshot rather than a live feed. The only way to know a bank's actual current appetite for your specific file is to submit it and receive same-day indicative quotes back, which is the step this table is designed to prepare you for, not replace.