Hi,,

I'm Sagar Joshi, and this is something many business owners ask when they're waiting for international client payments.

In most cases, inward remittances are credited within 1 to 5 business days, but the exact timing depends on how the payment was sent.

If it's a local UAE business bank account transfer, the funds usually arrive within the same day or by the next working day, especially when processed during banking hours.

For international SWIFT transfers, the normal timeframe is 2 to 5 business days. Since these payments often pass through one or more correspondent banks before reaching your UAE bank, processing times can vary depending on the sending country, banking network, and intermediary institutions involved.

If the payment is sent in a foreign currency and needs to be converted into AED before being credited to your account, this can sometimes add an extra business day to the process.

When a transfer takes longer than expected, it's usually due to one of these reasons:

• The bank has placed the payment under AML or compliance review, particularly for high-value or unusual transactions.
• The beneficiary details contain a minor error, such as an incorrect IBAN, SWIFT/BIC code, or company name.
• The transfer was initiated after the bank's daily cut-off time or over a weekend or public holiday, delaying processing until the next business day.

If you're concerned about a delayed payment, ask the sender for the MT103 SWIFT confirmation. This document allows your UAE bank to trace the transfer and determine whether it's still in transit, awaiting compliance clearance, or already received by the bank.