Minimum to qualify
Vault
USD 100,000 in liquid net wealth.
Emirates NBD
USD 5,000,000 (or equivalent) in assets under management for Private Banking; lower tiers (Priority Banking) start considerably lower with reduced service.
Comparison
Vault vs Emirates NBD.
Emirates NBD is the largest UAE banking group, and its Private Banking arm serves UHNW families with USD 5M+. Vault is independent, smaller, fee-only — and starts at USD 100k. Here's the side-by-side.
Emirates NBD Private Banking is a full-service UAE private bank offering portfolio management, lending, and bespoke structuring. Vault provides independent advice with assets custodied externally at Interactive Brokers, at a fraction of the entry point.
Side-by-side
How we compare on the things that matter.
Dimension
Vault
Emirates NBD
Minimum to qualify
USD 100,000 in liquid net wealth.
USD 5,000,000 (or equivalent) in assets under management for Private Banking; lower tiers (Priority Banking) start considerably lower with reduced service.
Fee model
Single flat management fee, decreasing with portfolio size. No transaction fees on the core, no custody fees, no commissions, no retrocessions.
Per the published Private Banking schedule: wealth-management fee ~0.525% AUM and custody fee ~0.42% AUM, plus transaction commissions per asset class. Promotional waivers are sometimes available.
Asset custody
Assets custodied with Interactive Brokers in your own name — fully segregated, SIPC + FDIC insured. Vault never takes possession of client funds.
Assets held with Emirates NBD in its own custodian arrangements.
Regulation
FSRA-regulated in ADGM (UAE) and CMA-licensed in Saudi Arabia (licence 25313-20).
Regulated by the UAE Central Bank and the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
Advisor incentives
Advisors are salaried, with bonuses tied to client outcomes and retention — never to product sales, transaction volume, or in-house fund flows.
Private banking RMs are bonused on a mix of new-money inflows, revenue, and product-mix targets — common across UAE bank private-banking divisions.
Investment access
Globally diversified core via low-cost ETFs and bonds, plus a satellite with curated private-market opportunities, thematic strategies, and direct equity convictions.
Recently launched digital wealth offering across 11,000 instruments and 21 markets, alongside traditional discretionary mandates, structured products, and in-house funds.
Cash yield
SmartCash earns daily interest in AED, USD, EUR, and GBP — no lock-ins, no teaser rates, no minimum balance to earn the headline rate.
Term deposits and savings products at standard UAE bank rates, with tiered promotional rates from time to time. Money-market funds available within investment mandates.
Planning model
Structured financial planning around your goals, cash flow, and family — delivered by a dedicated CFA- or CFP-qualified advisor, complimentary as part of the relationship.
Private banking RM-led; integrated with the broader Emirates NBD group's lending, treasury, and asset-management offerings.
Fee model
Vault
Single flat management fee, decreasing with portfolio size. No transaction fees on the core, no custody fees, no commissions, no retrocessions.
Emirates NBD
Per the published Private Banking schedule: wealth-management fee ~0.525% AUM and custody fee ~0.42% AUM, plus transaction commissions per asset class. Promotional waivers are sometimes available.
Asset custody
Vault
Assets custodied with Interactive Brokers in your own name — fully segregated, SIPC + FDIC insured. Vault never takes possession of client funds.
Emirates NBD
Assets held with Emirates NBD in its own custodian arrangements.
Regulation
Vault
FSRA-regulated in ADGM (UAE) and CMA-licensed in Saudi Arabia (licence 25313-20).
Emirates NBD
Regulated by the UAE Central Bank and the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
Advisor incentives
Vault
Advisors are salaried, with bonuses tied to client outcomes and retention — never to product sales, transaction volume, or in-house fund flows.
Emirates NBD
Private banking RMs are bonused on a mix of new-money inflows, revenue, and product-mix targets — common across UAE bank private-banking divisions.
Investment access
Vault
Globally diversified core via low-cost ETFs and bonds, plus a satellite with curated private-market opportunities, thematic strategies, and direct equity convictions.
Emirates NBD
Recently launched digital wealth offering across 11,000 instruments and 21 markets, alongside traditional discretionary mandates, structured products, and in-house funds.
Cash yield
Vault
SmartCash earns daily interest in AED, USD, EUR, and GBP — no lock-ins, no teaser rates, no minimum balance to earn the headline rate.
Emirates NBD
Term deposits and savings products at standard UAE bank rates, with tiered promotional rates from time to time. Money-market funds available within investment mandates.
Planning model
Vault
Structured financial planning around your goals, cash flow, and family — delivered by a dedicated CFA- or CFP-qualified advisor, complimentary as part of the relationship.
Emirates NBD
Private banking RM-led; integrated with the broader Emirates NBD group's lending, treasury, and asset-management offerings.
Why Vault
A wealth manager built around your interests, not the bank's.
Custody
Held in your name at Interactive Brokers.
Vault never takes possession of client funds. Assets sit in your own account at IBKR — segregated, with SIPC and FDIC protection on the underlying.
Incentives
Advisor incentives aligned with portfolio growth.
Vault advisors are salaried with bonuses tied to client outcomes and retention. No commissions, no kickbacks, no in-house product flows.
Regulation
Regulated in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Vault Wealth Limited is regulated by the FSRA in ADGM. Vault Saudi Limited Company is licensed by the CMA (licence 25313-20).
Entry point
Starts at USD 100,000 in liquid net wealth.
A genuine private-wealth relationship without the seven-figure threshold that defines traditional private banking.
Investment access
Private markets in the satellite.
Beyond the diversified core, Vault clients access curated private-market opportunities, thematic strategies, and direct convictions — the same shelf as larger institutions.
Planning
Structured financial planning by a dedicated advisor.
Goals, cash flow, risk, and family wealth — modelled end-to-end and reviewed continuously with a CFA- or CFP-qualified advisor who knows your name.
Cash
Daily-yielding SmartCash, no lock-ins.
Multi-currency cash earning daily interest in AED, USD, EUR, and GBP. Withdraw anytime — no teaser rates, no minimums, no surprises.
Curious how a fee-only relationship looks next to Emirates NBD?
Book a complimentary discovery session with a Vault advisor. We'll walk through your current setup, model the all-in cost, and show you exactly what a Vault relationship would look like — no obligation.
Sources & disclaimers
Comparison data is taken from each provider's publicly disclosed materials as of May 2026. Bank fee schedules, minimums, and product shelves change frequently — always verify current figures with each institution before deciding. Nothing on this page is a solicitation to switch providers or a representation that Vault is better suited to a particular individual's circumstances. For independent advice tailored to your situation, speak with a regulated wealth advisor.