Business Financing Solutions in the UAE
Not sure which fits? Here's a guide to each, with a link through to full detail.
Business bank accounts
Every UAE company needs one - choosing the right bank and getting approved isn't always straightforward, especially pre-revenue.
Read the full guide →SME business loans
General-purpose financing for growth, equipment, or working capital, from traditional banks, digital lenders, or government-backed schemes.
Read the full guide →Trade finance & letters of credit
For importing goods or reassuring an unfamiliar supplier that payment is secured.
Read the full guide →Invoice discounting
Unlock cash tied up in unpaid customer invoices without waiting out 30-90 day payment terms.
Read the full guide →Corporate credit cards
Manage team spending with more flexibility than a debit card, plus expense-tracking tools and rewards.
Read the full guide →Commercial mortgages
Financing to purchase, refinance, or develop commercial or investment property through your company.
Read the commercial mortgage guide →Personal loans
For individuals and business owners borrowing personally rather than through the company, matched to the bank likely to approve you.
Read the full guide →UAE business finance guides and calculators
Business loans
Rates, documents, eligibility and options after a rejection.
Startup business loans
What lenders want from a new company and which routes work.
Business bank accounts
Compare banks, online opening, zero balance options and timelines.
Account minimum balance
Published minimums and monthly fees side by side.
Corporate credit cards
Providers, fees and startup options compared.
Trade finance
Letters of credit, SBLC and bank guarantees explained.
Bank guarantees
Types, how banks issue them, costs and claims.
Invoice discounting
How it works, costs and recourse versus non-recourse.
Commercial mortgages
LTV, rates and eligibility for business property.
Equipment and fleet finance
Loans, leasing and hire purchase for machinery and vehicles.
Personal loans
Rates, eligibility and approval for individuals and owners.
Debt consolidation
Buyout, settlement and restructuring compared.
AECB credit score
What is in the report and how to improve it.
AECB report for a company
How a company gets its report and what lenders see.
Loan calculator
EMI, total interest and flat versus reducing rate.
DBR calculator
Check your debt burden ratio against the 50% limit.
Business loan interest rates
What sets your rate and why flat costs more than reducing.
Non-listed company personal loans
What banks ask for when your employer is not on their list.
Salary certificate and transfer letter
The difference and free sample letters.
Supporting financing options
Fleet financing
Financing a company vehicle fleet without paying cash upfront - lease or loan structures suited to businesses with delivery, logistics, or field-service vehicle needs. Eligibility depends on business type and fleet size. See our equipment and fleet finance guide.
POS financing
Revenue-based financing repaid as a percentage of daily card sales - particularly suited to retail and F&B businesses with variable revenue that a fixed loan repayment schedule doesn't fit well.
Project financing
Financing tied to a specific contract or project rather than general working capital - most relevant to construction, contracting, and infrastructure-adjacent SMEs.
About the author
Ajith Prasad is the founder of Fintrust, an independent banking and financial consultancy serving businesses in Dubai and across the UAE, built on 25+ years inside the UAE banking and financial services industry - most recently as Manager of Issuance and Acquiring at Mercury Payment Services LLC, with earlier leadership roles at Standard Chartered, Dunia Finance, Banque Misr, and National Bank of Dubai. Full bio →
Comparing offers? Our business loan calculator shows the monthly instalment, total interest and the real rate behind a flat-rate quote.
Eligibility usually starts with your credit file: see how your AECB report affects approval, and read about consolidating existing borrowing if repayments are already stretched.
Frequently asked questions
A bank can only offer you its own products. Fintrust is independent and compares options across multiple UAE banks and lenders for your specific profile, then manages the application on your behalf - closer to a mortgage broker than a single lender's sales team.
It depends on the facility type and lender - some arrangements are lender-paid, others carry an advisory fee agreed upfront. Fintrust confirms the exact structure for your situation before any engagement begins, so there's no surprise cost. Ask for a no-obligation quote →
It depends on what the funds are for. Working capital or growth generally points to an SME loan; unpaid customer invoices point to invoice discounting; importing goods points to trade finance. The six guides above cover each in detail, or you can describe your situation directly and get a recommendation.
It's harder than for an established company, but not impossible. Options narrow to digital lenders, revenue-based financing, or founder-backed facilities until you build up trading history - see the individual product guides for what each lender typically expects.
It varies by product. Digital lending and invoice discounting can move in days; traditional bank loans and trade finance typically take one to four weeks; commercial mortgages take longer. Each guide above has product-specific timelines.
No - Fintrust is an independent consultancy, not tied to any single bank. That's the point of working with a broker rather than going direct: the recommendation is based on which lender fits your business, not which one Fintrust is contracted to sell.