FAB —
the government-tier bank.
First Abu Dhabi Bank is the largest UAE bank by total assets and the de facto government-tender preferred banking partner. Best for businesses bidding on UAE federal/Abu Dhabi government work, large enterprise SMEs, and high-volume international trade.
- Time to open
- 14–28 working days
- Min balance
- AED 100,000
- Monthly fee from
- AED 3,000/month
- Nationality friction
- Medium–High
How FAB actually works.
FAB is UAE's largest bank by assets and the bank-of-choice for government-tender bidders, large family offices, and enterprise SMEs. Deeper international correspondent banking than any other UAE bank — strong for global trade flows and large multi-currency operations. KYC is the most thorough among UAE banks (14–28 days standard, 30+ days for higher-risk profiles). The AED 100,000 minimum balance and AED 3,000+ monthly fee filters for established businesses with operational scale.
FAB tier matrix.
Each tier has its own minimum balance, monthly fee, and feature set. Falling below the minimum balance triggers fee penalties — pick the tier that matches your steady-state cash position, not the lowest entry point.
| Tier | Monthly fee | Min balance | Free transactions | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAB Business Plus | AED 3,000/month | AED 100,000 | Standard limits + relationship manager | Established SMEs with AED 5M+ revenue |
| FAB Business Elite | AED 6,000/month | AED 500,000 | Premium FX + LC + government-tender priority | Government-tender bidders, mid-cap businesses |
| FAB Private Business | AED 10,000+/month | AED 5,000,000 | Private-bank features + investment advisory | Family offices, large enterprises |
When FAB is the right choice.
Best for
- Government-tender bidders (Abu Dhabi federal / GAC)
- Large family offices and asset-holding entities
- International trade with deep multi-currency operations
- UAE national-owned enterprises (FAB-preferred)
- Businesses with AED 10M+ annual revenue
Not ideal if
- Brand new SMEs
- Founders who want fast onboarding
- Pure SaaS / agency / freelance
- High-risk nationalities (most conservative KYC of any UAE bank)
What actually happens at onboarding.
FAB has the most thorough KYC of any UAE bank — 14–28 days standard, 30+ days for higher-risk profiles. Source-of-funds tracing goes deeper, UBO verification is more rigorous, operational substance review (real office, real employees, real contracts) is part of the assessment. Plan for 28+ days unless your profile is unusually clean and well-prepared. YABS pre-clears KYC packs against FAB's enhanced criteria but cannot compress the timeline meaningfully.
Document checklist
- Full corporate documentation pack (notarised)
- Audited financials (typically last 24 months)
- Business plan + revenue projections
- All shareholders' passports + Emirates IDs
- UBO declarations + ownership chain
- References from at least 1 prior bank
- Source-of-funds declaration with banking history
- Operational substance evidence (office, employees, contracts)
FAB vs the alternatives.
FAB is the enterprise/government-tier bank vs Emirates NBD's universal-bank scope. Choose FAB if you bid on Abu Dhabi government work, have AED 10M+ annual revenue, or need the deepest international correspondent network. For most SMEs, FAB is overkill — Emirates NBD, RAKBANK, or even Mashreq Neo Biz offer 80% of the feature set at lower cost-of-relationship.
Frequently asked questions
Is FAB worth the higher minimum balance?
For government-tender bidders, large enterprises, or businesses with significant international correspondent banking needs — yes. The relationship-manager service quality, FX pricing on large volumes, and access to FAB-government banking products justify the AED 100k+ minimum. For SMEs without those needs, Wio / Mashreq / RAKBANK deliver better cost-of-relationship.
Why does FAB take 14–28 days to open?
FAB applies enhanced due diligence as a baseline — UBO verification, source-of-funds tracing, operational substance review, and bank-reference checks. The bank is risk-conservative because it serves Abu Dhabi government clients and has higher reputational stakes. For most SMEs, that timeline is the bank's default and not specific to your file.
Does FAB give nationality preference?
FAB applies the same KYC framework regardless of nationality but the framework's thoroughness disadvantages high-risk nationalities (Russia, Belarus, Iran, Syria) more than other banks would. UAE national-owned businesses see preferential treatment in some product categories. UK, US, EU, GCC nationalities: standard KYC. Pakistan, India, Egypt: standard but conservative.
Is FAB the best for FX?
For high-volume FX (USD 1M+/month), FAB Business Elite tier with dedicated FX desk often delivers the best UAE rates due to FAB's correspondent banking depth. For SME-tier FX (under USD 500k/month), Emirates NBD or RAKBANK's premium tiers can be competitive. Wio Pro+ is the best digital-bank FX option for sub-USD-100k flows.
Open your FAB account
YABS pre-clears KYC, schedules the bank meeting, and coaches you through onboarding. AED 2,500 banking-assistance fee, refundable if account is rejected for cause we should have caught.
This page was last reviewed by the YABS compliance team in Q2 2026 and reflects current Dubai DED, Dubai Municipality, DHA, MOHRE, FTA, and DLD requirements.