Three offers work differently on the same AED 20,000 monthly salary. Compare your salary in the calculator.
- Emirates Islamic: AED 1,000 for an eligible non-UAE national, without a new Covered Card.
- First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB): AED 334 for each qualifying month, not an upfront payment.
- Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB): no net estimate for home finance; ask the bank what applies to your bundle.
We checked the terms on 4 November 2026. Each example is a separate scenario for a UAE resident who is not a UAE national and receives the same qualifying employer salary every month. These are dated examples, not approval decisions. Check the current tracker if you are reading later.
Emirates Islamic: account only, no new Covered Card
Reward: AED 1,000 after the two account charges considered here. For a current account under Emirates Islamic’s Personal Banking Select package, opening is free and the monthly balance fee is waived while salary is transferred. The example assumes you keep the account open and does not deduct other service, transfer or closure charges.
The separate AED 500 card cashback is not included. It needs an eligible new Covered Card and AED 12,000 of qualifying retail spend within 60 days of card disbursal. That would make the published combined amount AED 1,500 before any card charges, not an account-only bonus.
Timeline. The campaign runs to 31 March 2027. Enrol, receive three consecutive qualifying salaries and, if new to the bank, meet its first-salary, debit-card and digital-registration conditions. The bank uses the lower of the second and third salary credits to set the band and says it processes the reward within 60 days of meeting the conditions.
Before switching. Check the six-month lookback across both Emirates Islamic and Emirates NBD. An active Emirates Islamic Personal Finance facility at payout makes you ineligible. After payment the bank may reverse the full salary reward if more than three consecutive calendar months pass without an eligible salary credit in the 12 months after the payout month. Campaign terms · Account key facts (PDF)
FAB: save each month or spend on a new card
Reward: AED 334 per qualifying month before costs. You need to increase your eligible month-end balance by AED 4,000 from the previous month-end, or spend AED 4,000 on an eligible new conventional FAB credit card, each qualifying month. Meeting both tests does not double the payout. The AED 4,000 is a savings or spend requirement, not a fee.
Timeline. The first qualifying salary must arrive by 31 December 2026. FAB says it pays within 45 calendar days after the qualifying month ends. Twelve qualifying months would pay AED 4,008 gross; 11 would pay AED 3,674. A missed month is not paid later, and closing the account before payment forfeits unpaid cashback.
Before switching. Check the 12-month FAB salary-transfer lookback if you are already a customer. Confirm which account and balance qualify or which transactions count towards the new-card test. Compare account or card charges and consider whether keeping more money at FAB or changing your spending is worth it. The example does not deduct these costs. Campaign terms (PDF)
DIB: home finance, no reliable net figure
Reward: no net estimate. A new salary transfer alone does not qualify for the DIB XTRA joining bonus. DIB separately describes a home-finance valuation-fee reversal for an eligible first property, not a fixed cash payout.
Its table uses an illustration; it is not a quote for your property. The DubaiPoints calculator leaves this route unpriced.
Timeline. For the home-finance fee reversal, the terms say the first salary transfer must come within 90 days of taking the finance. DIB says it reverses the eligible fee within 60 days of the first salary transfer. These are the fee-reversal dates, not the joining-bonus timetable.
Before switching. Ask DIB to confirm which benefits apply to your exact bundle and get the finance profit rate, fees and total amount payable in writing. Compare that total with the finance you would otherwise take. A fee reversal on its own does not tell you which finance is cheaper. DIB XTRA terms (PDF)
What to check before moving your salary
Ask the bank and your payroll team when the first qualifying employer credit can arrive. Confirm any enrolment deadline, the monthly conditions, the payment date and what happens if your salary stops. A reward you have already received may still be reversible; a reward you have not received is not money to budget with.
