Standard Chartered repositions mortgage range — 4.29% fixed, 75-year maturity, 50% offset

Standard Chartered (SCB) has repositioned its UAE mortgage range with several borrower-friendly tweaks. The headline rate is not the cheapest in the market — but the combination of optional life insurance, an enhanced offset facility, and a 75-year maturity ceiling makes this product worth a second look for the right profile.

What changed

Effective 6 April 2026 and valid until further notice:

• Competitive fixed-rate pricing from 4.29% p.a.
• 3-month variable rate margin remains at 0.70% for salaried clients — among the lowest in the market.
• Life insurance is optional — a meaningful saving for borrowers who already hold adequate cover.
• No processing fees on pure buyout transactions. 0.25% applies on other transactions.
• For Buyout + Cashout, the 0.5% processing fee applies only to the cashout component.
• Age at loan maturity can extend up to 75 years — one of the most generous in the UAE market.
• Free property insurance on Islamic home loans.
• Offset Mortgage facilities (Mortgage One Account / Saadiq One Account) now allow up to 50% offset limit, an increase on the previous cap.

Who this affects

SCB’s pricing is not the absolute cheapest, but the offer stacks up well on total cost of ownership for three buyer profiles:

• Older borrowers: The 75-year maturity allows a longer tenor — and therefore lower monthly repayment — than most banks who cap maturity at 65 or 70.
• High-equity savers: The 50% offset limit on Mortgage One Account is significant. If you keep large balances in your savings, you can effectively reduce the interest-bearing principal by up to half — a meaningful saving over a 25-year tenure.
• Buyers with existing life cover: Mandatory life insurance can add ~0.4% effective rate to a typical mortgage. Skipping it where appropriate makes SCB’s 4.29% headline materially more competitive.

What to do next

If any of those three profiles fit you, do not be put off by the headline rate gap versus the 3.99% offers. Run an all-in cost comparison — ideally over a 5-year horizon — and the SCB structure can come out ahead. We can model it for you.