Published 13 June 2026 · Updated 13 June 2026

6-month EIBOR rate in the UAE: today's reading and what it means

By David Chen, Market Research Analyst · 6 min read

The 6-month EIBOR is one of six tenors the CBUAE fixes daily. Most UAE mortgage products reset on the 3-month rate, but some products and certain commercial facilities use the 6-month benchmark. If yours does, understanding this rate helps you judge when your payment will change and by roughly how much.

What the 6-month EIBOR is

EIBOR stands for Emirates Interbank Offered Rate. The Central Bank of the UAE sets it each business day for six tenors: overnight, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. The 6-month tenor is the rate at which UAE banks are willing to lend dirhams to one another for a six-month period.

A panel of UAE banks submits their offered rates each morning. At the 11:00 UAE time fixing, the CBUAE removes the top two and bottom two submissions and averages the rest. The result is published shortly after and applies for that day. Like all EIBOR tenors, the 6-month rate ultimately tracks the CBUAE base rate, which in turn follows the US Federal Reserve because the dirham is pegged to the dollar.

Today's 6-month EIBOR

The 6-month EIBOR changes every business day. For the live figure, go directly to the Central Bank of the UAE website or bookmark our EIBOR tracker, which shows all six tenors. As a reference point in June 2026, the 3-month EIBOR is 3.69% and the CBUAE base rate is 3.65%. The 6-month rate will typically sit a few basis points above the 3-month reading.

How the 6-month EIBOR compares to other tenors

The term structure of EIBOR rates normally slopes upward: shorter tenors are slightly lower and longer tenors are slightly higher. This reflects the extra uncertainty of locking in a rate for a longer period. The table below shows the approximate relationship between tenors in a stable-rate environment like June 2026.

In a flat or declining rate environment the spread between tenors narrows. When the market expects rate rises, the spread widens as lenders demand more compensation for lending at a fixed rate for longer.

Which mortgages use the 6-month EIBOR

Most UAE residential mortgages that revert to a variable rate use the 3-month EIBOR as their benchmark. A smaller subset, including some commercial property loans and certain specialist products, use the 6-month rate. Your offer letter's reversion clause states the exact benchmark tenor your loan uses, along with the fixed margin your bank adds. A typical clause reads something like "6-month EIBOR plus 1.50% per annum, reset semi-annually".

If you are not sure which tenor your mortgage uses, check the section of your offer or facility agreement headed "reversion rate", "variable rate", or "floating rate". If it says EIBOR without specifying a tenor, contact your bank to confirm, because most products default to 3-month but it is worth verifying.

What a semi-annual reset means in practice

With a 6-month reset, your rate is locked for six months at a time. At each reset date, your bank reads the 6-month EIBOR fixing and adds its contracted margin. That sum becomes your new rate for the next six months.

Compared to a 3-month reset, there are two things to weigh:

• Stability: you get a stable payment for six months rather than three. This is convenient for budgeting and reduces how often you need to check your rate.
• Speed of pass-through: when rates fall, a 6-month product takes up to twice as long to reduce your payment compared to a 3-month product. When rates rise, you have up to six months of protection before the increase hits.

In practice, the difference between 3-month and 6-month reset products is small in a stable-rate environment. It matters more when rates are moving quickly. If you expect rates to fall, a 3-month reset delivers the saving sooner. If you expect rates to rise, a 6-month reset shields you a little longer.

How to find the current 6-month EIBOR reading

Three reliable sources publish all EIBOR tenors:

• CBUAE website: the Central Bank publishes a daily rate bulletin. Search for "EIBOR rates" on the CBUAE site to find the latest fixing for all tenors.
• Our EIBOR tracker: the MortgageCompare.ae EIBOR tracker displays today's readings for the key tenors alongside a short-term chart.
• Your bank: most UAE banks display the current EIBOR on their mortgage product pages or will confirm it if you call.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 6-month EIBOR today?

As of June 2026, the 6-month EIBOR sits slightly above the 3-month rate of 3.69%. The exact figure changes every business day, so check the CBUAE website or our EIBOR tracker for the live number.

Is the 6-month EIBOR higher than the 3-month?

Usually, yes, by a small margin. A longer tenor typically carries a slightly higher rate because it locks in lending for a longer period. The gap is normally only a few basis points and can narrow or widen depending on rate expectations.

Do any UAE mortgages use the 6-month EIBOR?

A small number of UAE mortgage products reset against the 6-month EIBOR, giving you a rate that is fixed for six months at a time before repricing. Most products use the 3-month rate. Your offer letter states which tenor applies.

How does a 6-month EIBOR reset compare to a 3-month reset?

A 6-month reset gives you a stable rate for twice as long. When rates fall, it takes longer to pass the saving through. When rates rise, you have more time at the lower rate before the increase hits. For most borrowers in a stable environment the difference is modest.

What to do next

Read your offer's reversion clause to confirm which EIBOR tenor your mortgage uses. For the live 6-month reading, visit our EIBOR tracker. To model how any EIBOR-linked rate affects your monthly payment, use the mortgage calculator. For a comparison of all rate types across UAE banks, see the rate comparison page.