Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) is one of the UAE's established mid-size banks, headquartered in Dubai and serving both retail and corporate customers since 1969. CBD offers a residential mortgage range designed for salaried employees and self-employed professionals — covering ready properties, off-plan purchases, and equity-release products. YOUAE Mortgages works across the full market, which means we can position your application with CBD alongside every other lender and recommend the deal that genuinely fits your circumstances. Compare all lenders on our banks page.
CBD mortgage products and features
CBD's home-loan range covers the two structures most UAE buyers need.
Fixed-rate mortgages lock your repayment for an initial period — typically one, two, or three years — before rolling onto a variable rate. A fixed term gives you cost certainty while settling into a new property, and CBD's fixed offers are generally competitive within the mid-tier bank segment.
Variable-rate (reducing-balance) mortgages track the Emirates Interbank Offered Rate (EIBOR) plus a bank margin. Monthly repayments move with rate cycles, so you benefit directly when EIBOR falls. CBD structures these on a monthly-rest basis, meaning interest is recalculated each month on the outstanding balance.
Key product features typically available through CBD include:
- Finance for ready residential properties across the UAE
- Off-plan purchase mortgages for selected developers
- Equity-release facilities against existing UAE property
- Salary-transfer and non-salary-transfer options (with pricing differences between the two)
- Early settlement and partial-prepayment provisions, subject to standard UAE Central Bank caps
Terms generally run up to 25 years, subject to the borrower's age at maturity not exceeding 65 for salaried applicants (70 for self-employed in some cases).
CBD mortgage rates
CBD's headline variable rate starts from 4.03% per annum, though the rate applied to your mortgage will depend on your profile, the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, the property type, and whether you transfer your salary to CBD. Variable rates move with EIBOR: when the benchmark rises, your rate rises; when it falls, your cost of borrowing falls. Fixed-rate periods carry a slight premium over the entry variable rate in exchange for the certainty they provide.
No rate table on a broker page reflects what you will actually receive — lenders price individually. A YOUAE adviser pulls live indicative offers from CBD and competing banks simultaneously, so you see a genuine comparison rather than a headline figure in isolation.
Eligibility
CBD applies broadly standard UAE Central Bank mortgage guidelines. Key eligibility points:
- Minimum salary: approximately AED 10,000 per month for salaried applicants; income thresholds for self-employed borrowers are assessed on net profit rather than salary.
- Employment status: salaried employees (UAE and overseas companies) and self-employed/business-owner applicants are both considered.
- Residency: CBD primarily serves UAE residents, but non-resident buyers may be considered on a case-by-case basis — talk to a YOUAE adviser about this route.
- Loan-to-value: up to 80% for residents purchasing a first home valued under AED 5 million; 75% above that threshold; lower caps apply to investment properties and non-residents.
- Age: minimum 21 at application; loan must mature before 65 (salaried) or 70 (self-employed).
- Documents required: passport, UAE residence visa, Emirates ID, three to six months' bank statements, salary certificate or pay slips, and (for self-employed applicants) audited accounts and trade licence.
Fees and costs
Budget approximately 7% of the purchase price in one-off transaction costs when buying in Dubai:
- Dubai Land Department (DLD) transfer fee: 4% of the purchase price
- Agency/brokerage commission: typically 2% of the purchase price
- Mortgage registration fee: 0.25% of the loan amount (payable to DLD)
- Property valuation fee: AED 2,500–3,500 depending on the lender panel valuer
- Bank arrangement/processing fee: varies by lender; often 0.5–1% of the loan amount
- Registration trustee fee: small fixed fee payable to the DLD trustee office
Note: transaction fees differ by emirate — Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates have their own transfer-fee structures. Always confirm the applicable fees for the emirate where your property sits.
Why compare CBD through a broker
CBD is a solid mid-market lender, but "solid" is not the same as "best for you." Rate margins, product flexibility, processing speed, and credit appetite vary bank by bank and deal by deal. By running your profile past CBD and the wider panel simultaneously, YOUAE can tell you whether CBD's offer is genuinely competitive or whether another lender will save you money over the life of the loan. Our advice is whole-of-market and fee-free to you — lenders pay us a standard introduction fee that does not affect your rate. See all banks we work with.
How to apply with YOUAE
- Initial consultation — share your purchase plans, income details, and residency status with a YOUAE adviser (free, no obligation).
- Market comparison — we pull indicative offers from CBD and competing lenders and present a clear, side-by-side view.
- Pre-approval — once you choose a lender, we prepare and submit your application and manage the bank's requirements throughout.
- Valuation and offer letter — the bank instructs a valuer; on satisfactory valuation, a formal offer letter is issued.
- Completion — we coordinate with your conveyancer, the DLD trustee, and the bank to reach transfer day smoothly.
Start your mortgage journey with YOUAE
Q: Can I get a CBD mortgage if I am not a UAE resident?
CBD's core mortgage book is resident-focused, but non-resident buyers from certain nationalities can access UAE property finance through select lenders on the YOUAE panel. A broker conversation will quickly identify whether CBD or another lender is the right fit for a non-resident purchase. Learn more about non-resident mortgages.
Q: Does CBD offer a fixed rate for the full mortgage term?
No UAE bank currently offers a fixed rate for the full 20–25-year mortgage term. CBD — like all UAE lenders — fixes the rate for an initial period (one to three years is most common) before the loan reverts to a variable rate linked to EIBOR plus the bank's margin.
Q: What happens if I want to settle my CBD mortgage early?
The UAE Central Bank caps early-settlement fees at 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower. CBD applies this cap, meaning the penalty for paying off your mortgage ahead of schedule is limited. Your YOUAE adviser will factor settlement flexibility into the product comparison from the start.
Ready to see how CBD's mortgage rates compare across the full UAE market? Get started with YOUAE today — whole-of-market advice, no fee to you.