Al Hilal Bank

What Al Hilal Bank does

Al Hilal Bank PJSC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADCB Group and operates as a Shariah-compliant (Islamic) retail and wealth bank headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, licensed by the UAE Central Bank and the Securities and Commodities Authority (License 601035). Established in 2007, the bank serves individual retail customers, UAE Nationals under the National Loan Scheme, families, and high-net-worth clients through its Tharwa Priority Banking proposition, while operating under a digital-first distribution model anchored by the AHB Digital mobile app and supported by a UAE branch and ATM network that interoperates with ADCB's infrastructure.

The bank's core products span current and savings accounts, Mudaraba-based deposit and investment accounts, foreign currency accounts, Murabaha and Islamic-structured personal/auto/home finance, credit cards (including Etihad Guest co-brand), Takaful insurance via a partnership with SALAMA, Sukuk and investment solutions through its Sukuk desk, and, since June 2024, in-app Shariah-compliant IPO subscriptions via Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. Its underlying technology stack is built around a digital Islamic banking platform with WCAG 2.1 Level AA-compliant front-ends (web and iOS/Android apps), FacePass facial biometric authentication verified against UAE Government records, integrations with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay and the Central Bank's Aani instant payment rail, and Open Finance connectivity via Nebras Open Finance LLC. The bank was notably the first Islamic bank in the world to settle a secondary-market Sukuk transaction on blockchain in November 2018.

The revenue model is a mix of recurring and transaction-based streams: Mudaraba profit-sharing on deposits and investments, fee and interchange income from credit cards, Murabaha-style installment income on personal/auto/home finance, subscription-based priority banking fees from Tharwa members, and commission/Sukuk income from the wealth and treasury desks. Go-to-market is product-led growth via a self-serve mobile onboarding flow, supplemented by a salary-transfer acquisition campaign offering up to AED 15,000 in welcome bonuses, partner co-branded card offers with Talabat, Amazon, Sharaf DG and Smiles, and a physical branch/ATM channel that doubles as a relationship-management layer for priority and mass-affluent segments. The bank operates exclusively in the UAE and has no disclosed standalone revenue, ARR or funding data.

Name

Al Hilal Bank

Legal name

Al Hilal Bank PJSC

Website

https://alhilalbank.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Al Hilal Bank PJSC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADCB Group and a Shariah-compliant digital Islamic bank headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It serves retail and HNW customers with Mudaraba deposits, Murabaha financing, credit cards, Takaful insurance, Sukuk investments, and in-app IPO subscriptions via ADX, distributed primarily through its mobile app and UAE branch/ATM network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Islamic Retail Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic Retail Banking (FSABAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Islamic Private Banking & Wealth (FSABAGAD), Shariah-compliant Financing Products (Murabaha, Ijara, Tawarruq, Istisna, Salam) (FSABAGAH), Islamic Deposit & Account Products (Current/Savings/Investment Accounts) (FSABAGAI), Islamic SME & Commercial Banking (FSABAGAB)

Keywords

• Islamic banking services
• Shariah-compliant finance
• Retail banking products
• Wealth management solutions
• Digital banking platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Banking Products: Income from current accounts, savings accounts, deposits (Wakala, Term Investment), foreign currency accounts with associated fees and profit-sharing arrangements.
2. Credit Card Services: Revenue from credit card transactions, annual fees, cash advance fees, and interchange fees on the Cashback Credit Card and Etihad Guest credit cards.
3. Financing Products: Income from Personal Finance, Auto Finance, Home Finance, and Settlement of Liabilities financing, based on Murabaha and Islamic financing structures.
4. Wealth Management: Revenue from Tharwa Priority Banking services, investment solutions including Sukuk desk, and Takaful insurance products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Al Hilal Bank is a Shariah-compliant Islamic bank headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, offering retail banking products including current and savings accounts, Murabaha-based financing (personal, auto, home), credit and debit cards, Takaful insurance, and wealth management through its Tharwa Priority Banking service. It operates a digital-first distribution model with a mobile banking app, supported by branches, ATMs, and instant payment integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tharwa Priority Banking: A premium Shariah compliant priority banking service for high net-worth individuals offering dedicated relationship managers, exclusive Tharwa Centers, valet parking, and preferential rates on finance products.
• Aani
• National Loan Scheme (NLS)

Products and services

• Current & Savings Accounts

Quantifiable outcome

• First Islamic bank in the world to leverage Blockchain technology for Sukuk resale and settlement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Al Hilal Bank signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) to enable instant subscriptions to all Shariah-compliant Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on ADX through the Al Hilal Digital Banking App. Customers only need an Al Hilal Bank account and National Investor Number (NIN) to apply digitally.
• SALAMA TakafulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAl Hilal Bank partners with SALAMA Takaful to offer comprehensive Takaful insurance products including Auto, Pet, Home Content, Device, and Travel Takaful plans. Customers can apply through the Al Hilal app and enjoy 5% off all SALAMA Takaful plans for a limited time.
• TalabatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-branded promotion offering 30% off Talabat orders for Al Hilal Bank Mastercard Credit Card holders. Minimum spend of AED 40 with code ALHILAL40 at checkout, saving up to AED 40. Redeemable twice per month, valid until 31 Dec 2026.
• Al Etihad Payments (Aani)coreTechnology or IntegrationAani is an initiative of the Central Bank of the UAE powered by Al Etihad Payments, enabled by Al Hilal Bank. Provides instant money transfers using mobile numbers, email addresses, or QR codes 24x7.
• Amazon.aeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-branded offer providing 20% discount on Amazon.ae orders with Al Hilal Bank Mastercard Credit Card. Minimum spend of AED 150 for up to AED 100 off. Monthly promo codes (AHBAPR20 through AHBDEC20).
• SmilesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRamadan campaign offering 40% off on food delivery and pickup orders on Smiles app when paying with Al Hilal Bank Mastercard Credit Card. Use code AHB40 on orders of minimum AED 50. Redeemable 4 times per calendar month, valid until 31 Dec 2026.
• Sharaf DGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-branded campaign offering 20% discount (up to AED 200) on minimum spend of AED 1,000 at Sharaf DG with Al Hilal Bank Mastercard Credit Card. Valid during promotional periods including Back to School (June-September 2026), Dubai Home Festival, DG Friday & Super Sale, Eid Al Etihad, and DSF.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• RAKBank (National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah): UAE-headquartered bank serving retail and SME customers, including a digital banking push and consumer finance products. Comparable as a UAE digital challenger with overlapping retail accounts, cards, and personal finance segments, particularly in the northern emirates.

Broad incumbents

• ADCB (Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank): Parent group of Al Hilal Bank and one of the largest UAE banks. Operates conventional retail, corporate, and wealth management products and shares ATM/infrastructure with Al Hilal. Comparable as a benchmark for product breadth, digital maturity, and UAE customer base, though conventional rather than Shariah-compliant.
• First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB): Largest bank in the UAE by assets, headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Operates a comprehensive Islamic banking proposition alongside conventional retail and corporate banking. Comparable as a broad UAE incumbent whose Islamic window overlaps with Al Hilal Bank's customer segments and product categories.

Direct peers

• Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB): Largest Islamic bank in the UAE by assets, headquartered in Dubai. DIB competes directly with Al Hilal Bank across retail accounts, Islamic financing, credit cards, and Sukuk/wealth management, and similarly emphasizes digital channels and Shariah-compliant product breadth.
• Ajman Bank: UAE-headquartered Islamic bank offering Shariah-compliant retail, corporate, and investment banking products. Directly comparable to Al Hilal Bank in product mix and target segments, though smaller in scale and primarily serving the northern emirates.
• Mashreq Al-Islami: Islamic banking window of Mashreqbank, providing Shariah-compliant retail, wealth, and corporate products to UAE customers. Overlaps directly with Al Hilal Bank's retail Islamic banking, digital onboarding, and card offerings.
• Sharjah Islamic Bank: UAE-based Islamic bank offering retail and corporate Shariah-compliant banking products, with a comparable product mix to Al Hilal Bank including Murabaha finance, Mudaraba deposits, and Islamic treasury services. Competes for the same UAE retail and SME customer segments.
• Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB): UAE-headquartered full-service Islamic bank offering retail, wealth, and corporate Shariah-compliant products. ADIB is the most direct competitor to Al Hilal Bank in the Abu Dhabi retail Islamic banking market and operates a similar digital banking platform with comparable Shariah-compliant financing and deposit products.
• Emirates Islamic: Islamic banking subsidiary of Emirates NBD, one of the largest banking groups in the UAE. Offers a comparable Shariah-compliant retail product suite including accounts, cards, finance, and wealth management, leveraging Emirates NBD's distribution scale and technology infrastructure.

Others

• National Bonds Corporation: UAE Shariah-compliant savings scheme provider offering regular and one-time savings plans as an alternative to traditional deposits. Comparable as a Shariah-compliant retail savings/wallet competitor and ecosystem participant rather than a direct banking peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alhilalbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Al Hilal Bank