Raqma

Business accounts for mainland companies in the UAE

Mainland companies face the widest choice of providers — a DET licence is the baseline every bank and EMI onboards. The comparison shifts to what mainland businesses actually use: branch access for cash and trade services, salary transfer (WPS) handling, and fees at your transaction volume. Digital providers win on speed; traditional banks on cash deposits and trade finance.

Raqma's pick
Wio Business Essential Wio Bank
  • AED 99 monthly fee
  • No minimum balance
  • Stated approval from 2 days
  • Accepts free-zone licences

The top catalogue-ranked product in this list — reasons cite the published fields below, not a paid placement. Methodology

Products to compare

6 products

Products are shown in catalogue order, not as a personalised recommendation. Compare the details and confirm current terms with the provider. Methodology

Fully digital business account: multi-currency IBAN (AED, USD, EUR, GBP), invoicing, payroll and virtual cards. Fastest realistic onboarding for most new companies.

Multi-currency: AED, USD, EUR, GBPFully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 99
Min balance
AED 0
Approval
2–3 days
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

Essential AED 99/mo (VAT incl.): 2 users, 10 free local transfers, SWIFT at AED 52.50. Grow AED 249/mo: unlimited local transfers, 3 salary files, up to 3% interest. Per wio.io/business, verified Oct 2026.

Entry package for startups and professional licences: online-only access with no minimum balance and the first 30 days free, backed by a full-service bank.

Fully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 249
Min balance
AED 0
Approval
1–2 weeks
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

AED 249/month + VAT (~AED 261.45) after the first 30 days free; no minimum balance requirement. Higher tiers waive the fee at AED 50,000 average balance.

Same digital onboarding as Lite but fee-free when you hold a AED 50,000 monthly average balance — makes sense once cash flow stabilises.

Fully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 0
Min balance
AED 50,000
Approval
3–5 days
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

No monthly fee requires maintaining AED 50,000 monthly average balance, else fall-below charges apply.

Commercial Bank of Dubai

CBD Business Account

Conventional-bank business account from a CBUAE-licensed local bank: full branch network plus iBusiness online banking — suits companies that want an established bank relationship over a digital-only account.

Multi-currency: AED + major currencies
Monthly fee
—
Min balance
—
Approval
2–6 weeks
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

Package terms, minimum balance and transaction fees are agreed per business package; public minimum-balance figures vary between packages. Branch visit typically required.

Multi-currency business account (AED, USD, GBP, JPY, EUR) from the UAE’s largest bank — AED 250/month below a AED 10,000 average balance.

Multi-currency: AED, USD, GBP, JPY, EUR
Monthly fee
AED 250
Min balance
AED 10,000
Approval
1–3 weeks
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

AED 250/month applies when the monthly average balance falls below AED 10,000; first cheque book free. Verify the current schedule of charges.

Startup-tier business account: no minimum balance and no monthly fee for the first 12 months (then ~AED 104/mo). Strong fit for northern-emirates free zones.

Fully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 0
Min balance
AED 0
Approval
~3 days
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

Introductory AED 0 monthly fee applies for 12 months; ~AED 103.95/mo after. Verify schedule of charges before applying.

Side-by-side

ProductMonthly feeMin balanceApprovalFree zone
Wio Business EssentialAED 99AED 02–3 daysYes
Emirates NBD Business ConnectAED 249AED 01–2 weeksYes
Mashreq NeoBiz PrimeAED 0AED 50,0003–5 daysYes
CBD Business AccountNot publishedNot published2–6 weeksYes
FAB Business BasicAED 250AED 10,0001–3 weeksYes
RAKBANK RAKstarterAED 0AED 0~3 daysYes

How to choose a Business accounts by your situation

  • startups watching fixed cost: compare monthly fee and minimum balance first — lowest published monthly cost: Mashreq NeoBiz Prime and RAKBANK RAKstarter.
  • a free-zone company: All products here onboard free-zone entities — compare on fees next.
  • founders outside the UAE: remote onboarding with no branch visit: Wio Business Essential and Emirates NBD Business Connect and Mashreq NeoBiz Prime.
  • anyone needing it live soon: fastest stated approval: Wio Business Essential and RAKBANK RAKstarter — still subject to compliance review.
  • import-export and multi-currency flows: widest published currency coverage: FAB Business Basic.

Fact sources: wio.io · mashreq.com · cbd.ae · rakbank.ae

Frequently asked questions

How to choose a Business accounts service for your situation?

For startups watching fixed cost: compare monthly fee and minimum balance first — lowest published monthly cost: Mashreq NeoBiz Prime and RAKBANK RAKstarter. For a free-zone company: All products here onboard free-zone entities — compare on fees next. For founders outside the UAE: remote onboarding with no branch visit: Wio Business Essential and Emirates NBD Business Connect and Mashreq NeoBiz Prime. For anyone needing it live soon: fastest stated approval: Wio Business Essential and RAKBANK RAKstarter — still subject to compliance review. For import-export and multi-currency flows: widest published currency coverage: FAB Business Basic.

Comparison service — not a bank, lender or PSP How we compare How we make money