How we source, normalise, verify, and publish UAE mortgage rate data — and why it matters when you're comparing the most expensive financial product you'll ever take out.
When you compare mortgage rates, the number on the screen is only as useful as the rigour behind it. A rate shown as "3.25%" could mean different things depending on whether it's a flat rate or a reducing rate, whether fees are included, which loan size it applies to, or how recently the data was checked.
We describe exactly what we do, so you can judge the quality of the information before acting on it. If something is unclear or you believe a rate is wrong, contact us and we will investigate within one business day.
Every rate follows this process before it appears in a comparison table.
Our research team accesses official UAE bank mortgage pricing pages, product disclosure sheets, and published promotional rate materials directly. We do not source data from third-party data brokers, property portals, or aggregator feeds. Each of the 12+ lenders is checked on a regular monitoring schedule, with more frequent checks during periods of expected rate movement (following Fed meetings, CBUAE announcements, or market events).
Banks covered: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), Emirates NBD, HSBC UAE, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), National Bank of Fujairah (NBF), Mashreq Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), RAKBANK, Standard Chartered UAE, Citibank UAE.
UAE mortgage products are quoted in different ways. Conventional mortgages quote an annual percentage rate on a reducing (declining) balance basis. Islamic home finance products quote a profit rate or profit-equivalent rate — but the underlying calculation structure is mathematically identical to a reducing balance conventional mortgage at the same rate.
Some banks also provide flat rate illustrations in marketing materials. A flat rate applied to the original loan amount throughout the term will always produce a higher effective cost than a reducing rate of the same headline number. We convert all products to a reducing rate equivalent so that every product in our comparison table can be assessed on equal terms.
Our standard: all rates displayed are annual reducing balance equivalents. We never show flat rates. When a bank publishes only a flat rate figure, we convert it using the standard formula before publishing.
Rates are cross-referenced against CBUAE publications, including the CBUAE Monthly Statistical Bulletin and any rate-related regulatory guidance. Where a rate from a bank's pricing portal appears inconsistent with known market conditions or CBUAE-published data, it is flagged internally and held from publication until the discrepancy is resolved — either by direct confirmation with the lender or by finding a consistent secondary source.
EIBOR data (3-month and 6-month tenors) is sourced from the Central Bank of the UAE's official publications. Variable rate products in our database are modelled against the current EIBOR tenor to show the estimated post-fixed-period rate for each product.
When a bank confirms a rate change — through its pricing portal, a formal press release, or direct confirmation — the database is updated within 24 hours. The last-updated date is displayed on the rates comparison page so users can see exactly how current the data is.
If you notice a rate on our site that does not match a current bank quote, please use the contact form and select "Report an error". We investigate all reported discrepancies within one business day.
All eligibility calculations and product data on MortgageCompare.ae are built on the Central Bank of the UAE's published mortgage regulations. Here is how the key rules apply to our data.
| Rule | CBUAE Requirement | How We Apply It |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Burden Ratio (DBR) | Maximum 50% of gross monthly salary | Our eligibility checker applies 50% DBR to all salary inputs. Monthly obligations include credit cards at 5% of limit, per CBUAE guidance. |
| Loan-to-Value — First property <AED 5M | Max 80% LTV for expats and nationals | Minimum 20% deposit shown as the default for sub-AED 5M first purchases. |
| Loan-to-Value — Property ≥AED 5M | Expats 65%, Nationals 70% | Adjusted LTV applied when property value exceeds AED 5M in the eligibility wizard. |
| Off-Plan LTV | Maximum 50% for all buyers | Off-plan property type selection in the eligibility wizard triggers the 50% LTV cap. |
| Maximum loan term | 25 years (expats); 25 years (nationals) | Our calculator defaults to 25 years maximum. Age-based term restrictions applied where relevant. |
| Rate disclosure | Banks must disclose both fixed period rate and reversion rate | We display both the fixed period rate and the post-reversion EIBOR+margin rate where disclosed by the bank. |
Mortgage Loan Regulation: Central Bank of the UAE Circular No. 28/2013, as amended by Circular No. 2021/166. Sets LTV caps, DBR limits, and minimum disclosure requirements.
Consumer Protection Regulation: CBUAE Notice 22/2020. Governs transparency of financial product pricing and fee disclosure.
EIBOR: Emirates Interbank Offered Rate, published daily by the Central Bank of the UAE. We use the 3-month EIBOR tenor as the primary variable rate benchmark, consistent with the most common UAE bank mortgage pricing convention.
We don't rank by commission
No UAE lender pays for a higher position in our comparison tables. Products are ranked by cost — lowest reducing rate first. Our rate table is a financial comparison, not an advertising placement.
We don't show flat rates
Flat rates make products appear cheaper than they actually are. Every rate we display is a reducing balance rate equivalent. Where banks only publish flat rates, we convert before displaying.
We don't hold stale data
Rate tables are updated within 24 hours of confirmed bank pricing changes. We display the last-updated date on every rate page. If a product is under review, it is marked as such rather than shown with outdated data.
We don't guarantee rates
Rates are indicative. Your actual offered rate depends on your credit profile, salary tier, relationship with the bank, and property specifics. Always confirm directly with the lender before applying.
55+ UAE mortgage products from 12+ banks. Sorted by cost. Updated within 24 hours of rate changes.