💸 Switch banks in the UAE and earn up to AED 6,000 - November 2025 update
- Kacper Duda
- Nov 19
- 4 min read
The end-of-year flurry of salary transfer offers is back. If you move smartly, your 2026 will start with up to AED 6,000 coming back to you!
We’ve done the legwork for you: 17 banks reviewed, 8 live offers, fine print checked, and the results mapped by salary brackets so you can pick fast and avoid guesswork.
Read on to find out:
What salary transfer offers are and why banks run them
The strongest offer right now plus runner-ups by salary band
The simple checklist to switch without hassles
In the news: Central Bank scraps AED 5,000 minimum salary requirement for personal loans
What are salary transfer offers?
Salary transfer offers are cash rewards that banks pay you for routing your salary into a particular account for a period of time.
In practice, it usually works like this:
You open a salary account with a bank
You arrange for your employer to send your monthly salary there
In return, the bank pays you a bonus, either as a lump sum or as ongoing cashback
Most often you only need the salary account. Sometimes you are also asked to take a credit card from the same bank to unlock the full bonus.
The strongest salary transfer deals right now
Based on our latest review, one offer stands out for how it pays you: Instead of a one-time bonus, you earn cashback every month as a percentage of your salary.
After that, there are several “second-best” options that can still be attractive, especially if you prefer a simple one-off salary transfer bonus.
Highest cashback: FAB’s 1% each month for 12 months
For all salary levels, this is the winner paying the highest total cashback amount. It does so by paying 1% of your monthly salary for 12 consecutive moths, capped at AED 500 per month. So the maximum cashback per year is AED 6,000.
Here are some examples of how the FAB offer works at different salary levels:
Monthly salary | Monthly cashback 1% | Total annual cashback |
10,000 | 100 | 1,200 |
30,000 | 300 | 3,600 |
50,000 | 500 | 6,000 |
60,000 | 500 (due to cap) | 6,000 |
⚠️ Note: One of FAB’s cashback conditions is that you keep your salary in the salary account for 10 days before transferring it out. We’ve clarified with FAB, who say this does not apply to transfers within FAB (e.g. FAB iSave account) or foreign remittances, though that’s currently not explicitly stated in the T&Cs.
The offer is currently valid until 31/12 so make sure you set it up before then.
Second-best salary transfer only offers (no credit card)
If you prefer a simple one-time bonus for moving your salary, you can use the table below to find your salary bracket and see which other banks are currently worth a closer look.
Salary range | Bank | Bonus (AED) | Valid until |
50,000 and above | 5,500 | 30/11/2025 | |
35,000 - 49,999 | 2,500 | 31/12/2025 | |
20,000 - 35,000 | 2,000 | 30/11/2025 | |
2,000 | 31/12/2025 | ||
15,000 - 19,999 | 1,000 | 31/12/2025 | |
10,000 - 19,999 | 1,000 | 30/11/2025 | |
1,000 | 31/12/2025 | ||
8,000 - 9,999 | 500 | 31/12/2025 | |
5,000 - 7,999 | 250 | Further notice | |
250 | 31/12/2025 |
⚠️ *ADCB bonus paid in form of TouchPoints, which you can redeem at a wide range of retailers, or even use as cash to pay off your credit card. ADCB also require a min. spend of AED 2,500 on one of their credit cards (but it can be an existing one you already have).
If you want to have a look at what other banks are offering, check out the full analysis for options.
Second-best salary transfer + credit card bundles
In some lower and mid salary bands, the best rewards come when you combine your salary transfer with a new credit card from the same bank.
If you are disciplined with credit card use and pay your balance in full each month, these bundle deals can beat salary-only offers.
Salary range | Bank | Bonus (AED) | Conditions | Valid until |
35,000 - 49,999 | 3,500 | Spend AED 10,000 within 60 days on SHAMS/Emirates Skywards Infinite cards. | 31/12/2025 | |
15,000 - 34,999 | 1,800 | Spend AED 8,000 within 60 days on SHAMS/Emirates Skywards Signature cards. | 31/12/2025 | |
8,000 - 14,999 | 900 | Spend AED 4,000 within 60 days on Consumer/SHAMS/Emirates Skywards Platinum cards. | 31/12/2025 | |
5,000 - 7,999 | 550 | Spend AED 3,000 within 60 days on Consumer Rewards card. | 31/12/2025 |
Understanding the fine print
Salary transfer offers are simple, but the rules matter. Here is what to check before you press go:
12-month commitment: Most offers expect your salary to land for a year. Plan to stay the full term or you risk losing the reward.
Fees and balances: Check fall-below fees on the account, any card annual fee, and what changes after year one.
Lock-ins and clawbacks: Confirm whether closing the account or cancelling the card early lets the bank claw back the bonus (it usually does).
Product creep: Ignore offers that only look good after adding loans or finance you did not plan to take.
Employer and admin: Some HR teams batch IBAN changes. Factor timing, salary certificate requirements, and any fees from your current bank. You may also need a “no liability” letter from your current bank.
IN THE NEWS: Central Bank scraps AED 5,000 minimum salary requirement for personal loans
The UAE Central Bank has asked lenders to scrap the AED 5,000 minimum salary rule for personal loans and let banks set their own thresholds using internal risk policies.
That is a big win for financial inclusion. More residents on WPS salaries can open accounts, have instalments auto-deducted, and begin building an official repayment history that may lead to bigger products over time.
Key guardrails stay in place to protect borrowers: maximum loan size remains 20 times monthly salary, repayment terms are limited to 48 months, and instalments cannot exceed 50 percent of income.
For anyone who now qualifies, compare total cost of credit and fees before applying, and keep job-loss risk in mind. Used well, this policy brings more people into regulated finance rather than pushing them to informal lenders. Read more in this KT article.
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that this email does not constitute financial advice. Any choices you make you are solely responsible for. We always aim to provide highest quality, independent views but do your own research to ensure you’re comfortable with any changes you make to your personal finances.
