UAE Business Bank Account Minimum Balance Requirements 2026
UAE business bank accounts typically require a minimum monthly average balance (MAB) to avoid service fees or account closure. This guide compares minimum balance requirements across major UAE banks for free zone company accounts in 2026.
Minimum Balance Requirements by Bank 2026
- Emirates NBD: AED 50,000–100,000 MAB (varies by account type)
- First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB): AED 25,000–50,000 MAB
- ADCB: AED 25,000 MAB (business current account)
- Mashreq: AED 25,000 MAB
- CBD: AED 25,000 MAB
- RAKBank: AED 10,000–25,000 MAB
- WIO Bank: AED 0 (no minimum balance, subscription fee model)
- Zand Bank: AED 0 (no minimum balance)
What Happens If You Fall Below Minimum Balance?
- Monthly service charge: AED 100–500 per month (bank-dependent)
- Repeated minimum balance failures: account may be downgraded or closed
- Transaction restrictions: some services suspended below minimum
How to Maintain Minimum Balance
For small businesses that struggle to maintain high MABs: RAKBank and digital banks (WIO, Zand) are the most practical. RAKBank’s AED 10,000 MAB is the lowest among major traditional UAE banks. WIO and Zand have no minimum balance requirement, charging a monthly subscription fee (AED 100–300) instead.
Business Current Account vs Business Savings Account
- Business current account: no interest/profit (UAE banks are Sharia-compliant, so profits rather than interest), lower MAB, transactional features
- Business savings/deposit account: higher MAB or fixed deposit minimum (AED 50,000–500,000), profit-earning, less transactional flexibility
For operating companies: current account is standard. For companies holding capital: a fixed deposit account pays UAE Interbank Offered Rate (EIBOR)-linked profits.
Zero-Balance Business Account Alternatives
WIO Bank and Zand Bank offer UAE Central Bank-licensed business accounts with no minimum balance requirement. Monthly fee: WIO charges AED 149/month; Zand charges AED 100–250/month. These are increasingly popular for small free zone companies that cannot consistently maintain AED 25,000+ balances.