Emirates NBD, FAB — UAE's banking giants. DIFC & ADGM financial centres. Digital banking revolution.
• FAB (First Abu Dhabi Bank): UAE's largest
• Emirates
NBD: Most popular with expats
• ADCB: Abu Dhabi Commercial
Bank
• Mashreq: Oldest private bank
• RAKBank: Good
for SMEs
• HSBC: Popular with expats
• Standard Chartered:
Premium banking
• Citibank: Wealth management
• ENBD
X: Digital-only (Emirates NBD)
• Liv.: Emirates NBD digital
bank for millennials
• Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay — all supported
•
Tabby: Buy now pay later (UAE-born!)
• YAP:
Digital-only banking
• WISE: International transfers
•
Sarwa: UAE robo-advisor
• Documents: Passport + visa + Emirates ID + salary certificate
•
Minimum salary: AED 3,000-5,000 (standard) or AED 0 (digital)
•
Process: 1-2 weeks. Some banks offer instant digital account
•
No forex control: Send money anywhere freely!