HalalWallet (halalwallet.ae) compares Shariah-compliant retirement and end-of-service savings options in the UAE, including National Bonds' Golden Pension Plan and Second Salary and the DEWS Shariah-compliant fund menu for DIFC employees, on fees, minimums, anticipated returns, and Shariah governance. Founded by Robert Mallon and Kyle Natter, and backed by Niya, a Silicon Valley venture studio, HalalWallet compares halal retirement providers and strategies so Muslims in the UAE can invest for the future while adhering to Islamic principles.
Halal Retirement Planning in the UAE
National Bonds savings plans and the DEWS Shariah-compliant fund menu compared on fees, minimums, and Shariah governance. The differences compound for decades.
Reviewed quarterly and updated when provider data, product availability, or pricing changes.
Is There a Halal Pension in the UAE? Quick Answer
Yes. Shariah-compliant retirement savings plans exist and are growing. National Bonds, owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, runs the two main voluntary plans: the Golden Pension Plan (workplace end-of-service and voluntary savings from AED 100 a month, launched October 2022) and Second Salary (a savings-to-income program from AED 1,000 a month). DIFC employees have DEWS, whose fund menu includes four Shariah-compliant options switchable free of charge.
What Makes a Retirement Plan Halal
- • Mudarabah or fund structures instead of interest-bearing accounts
- • Sukuk and screened equities instead of conventional bonds
- • Named Shariah board or fund-level certification
- • Anticipated profit rates, not guaranteed interest
What to Avoid
- • Conventional savings plans built on interest-bearing bonds
- • Guaranteed-return products with no disclosed halal structure
- • Plans without disclosed Shariah oversight
- • Non-compliant sectors (conventional banking, alcohol, gambling)
Top Picks
Top Halal Retirement Providers
Every plan reviewed against its published terms: fees, minimums, anticipated returns, and disclosed Shariah governance.
Ranked by Halal Money Index grade: disclosed Shariah governance, transparency, pricing disclosure and track record. Not sponsored.
National Bonds Corporation
AMudarabah (savings-to-income plan)
Best for: Residents building a self-funded retirement or supplementary income stream who want a disciplined Shari'a-compliant plan rather than an interest-based annuity.
Shariah Oversight
Zurich Workplace Solutions (DEWS)
B+Trust-based workplace savings with Islamic fund options
Best for: DIFC employees who want their end-of-service contributions growing in certified Islamic funds instead of the conventional default.
Shariah Oversight
Retirement Savings Options in the UAE
Different vehicles offer varying levels of halal compliance control
Voluntary Halal Plans
No personal income tax in the UAE
Full: you pick the plan and contribution level
From AED 100/month (Golden Pension voluntary savings)
Anyone wanting halal savings they control
End-of-Service Benefits
Statutory entitlement under UAE labour law
Depends on whether the employer funds a scheme
Accrues from basic salary and years of service
Expatriate employees; ask if yours is funded into a halal plan
GPSSA (Nationals)
Mandatory social security contributions
None (government-run)
Mandatory for covered Emirati employees
Baseline statutory pension for UAE nationals
Top Halal Retirement Options
Why It's Halal
Second Salary sits on the same Mudarabah architecture as all National Bonds products: monthly contributions buy into the Shari'a-compliant investment pool, the 3.25% p.a. figure is an anticipated (not contractually guaranteed) Mudarabah return, and profit accrual and reinvestment follow the profit weightages system covered by the company's published Profit Weightages Fatwa. The four-scholar Minhaj Advisory board chaired by Sheikh Prof. Yousef Al Shubaily supervises the pool, and the published Mudarabah Capital Protection Fatwa addresses how principal is protected in a Shari'a-acceptable way. The regular-saver prize draws are promotional gifts. For retirement planning specifically, this is one of very few UAE-domiciled, Shari'a-compliant decumulation products: it converts savings into a stream of monthly payments without an interest-bearing annuity contract. Caveat: the income phase pays out principal plus accrued profit rather than a lifetime guarantee, so longevity risk stays with the saver.
National Bonds Corporation
Second Salary
A two-phase savings-to-income program from the UAE's national savings institution: commit at least AED 1,000 a month for a savings term of 3 to 20 years at a competitive anticipated return of 3.25% p.a. reinvested monthly, then receive your principal plus accumulated profit back as a monthly 'second salary' over an income period you choose. Savers keep full entry into the AED 36 million Rewards Program plus an exclusive monthly regular-saver draw (AED 5,000 for 10 winners, AED 500 for 60, AED 50 for 5,000), can add lump sums to raise the eventual income, redeem in full after 90 days if plans change, and have the subscription fee waived after completing a 3-year term.
Opens provider site - no obligation
National Bonds Corporation
Golden Pension Plan
A Shari'a-compliant workplace end-of-service and retirement savings scheme launched 11 October 2022 for the UAE's private-sector expatriate workforce. Employers register and fund employees' end-of-service benefits (EOSB) into individual National Bonds accounts, as a lump sum for accrued benefits or via monthly contributions, while employees can add voluntary savings from AED 100 a month and track balances, profit and prize winnings in the National Bonds app in real time. Contributions are invested in the National Bonds pool across money market instruments, sukuk and the company's income-generating real estate portfolio. Employees can withdraw their own voluntary contributions at any time; employer-funded EOSB amounts are released per employer rules.
Opens provider site - no obligation
Zurich Workplace Solutions (DEWS)
DEWS Plan Sharia-Compliant Investment Options
The Sharia-compliant fund menu inside DEWS, the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings plan that replaced end-of-service gratuity for DIFC employers from February 2020. Members can direct employer contributions and voluntary savings into four options catering to Islamic beliefs: the Emirates Islamic Money Market Fund, the Franklin Global Sukuk Fund, the HSBC Islamic Global Equity Index Fund, and an Islamic Mudarabah option, switchable free of charge via the DEWS portal. The plan is administered by Zurich Workplace Solutions (Middle East) Limited (DFSA registration F005650), with Equiom as master trustee and Mercer as investment adviser. All-in ongoing charges as at March 2026: roughly 1.26% p.a. for the money market option up to 1.79% for the Islamic global equity option (0.20% trustee + 0.80% administrator + 0.23% investment advice + fund-specific management and expenses).
Opens provider site - no obligation
Our Analysis
The UAE halal retirement market is small but structurally clean. National Bonds dominates the voluntary side with two products on the same Mudarabah architecture: the Golden Pension Plan, which lets employers fund end-of-service benefits into individual accounts while employees add voluntary savings from AED 100 a month, and Second Salary, which converts at least AED 1,000 a month of savings into a monthly income stream after a 3-to-20-year term at a 3.25% p.a. anticipated return.
For DIFC employees, DEWS replaced gratuity in February 2020 and offers four Shariah-compliant fund options with free switching. Cost is the main watch item: all-in ongoing charges run from roughly 1.26% p.a. for the money market option to 1.79% for the Islamic global equity option as at March 2026, which is meaningful over a career.
Disclosure quality favors National Bonds, which publishes its actual fatwas online, including a Mudarabah Capital Protection Fatwa and a Zakat pronouncement. Whatever you choose, confirm the current fee schedule and the Shariah certification of the specific funds before committing decades of contributions.
Retirement is just one of 7 categories. Average score: 63/100.
See yoursMaking Your Retirement Halal
Choose Shariah-compliant plans and funds for your long-term savings
Shariah-Compliant Structures
National Bonds plans run on a Mudarabah pool invested in money market instruments, Sukuk, and income-generating real estate, with published fatwas. DEWS offers fund-level certified Islamic options including a global Sukuk fund and an Islamic equity index fund.
Allocation Choice
DEWS members can switch free of charge between the Emirates Islamic Money Market Fund, Franklin Global Sukuk Fund, HSBC Islamic Global Equity Index Fund, and an Islamic Mudarabah option. Defensive or growth-oriented, the choice is yours.
No Income Tax on Savings
The UAE levies no personal income tax, so there is no tax-credit mechanic to optimize. What matters instead is fees, the anticipated profit rate, and whether your employer funds end-of-service benefits into the plan.
Fees Decide Decades
DEWS all-in ongoing charges run from roughly 1.26% for the money market option to 1.79% for the Islamic global equity option (March 2026). National Bonds waives the Second Salary subscription fee after a completed 3-year term. Small differences compound over a career.
End-of-Service Benefits, Funded
The Golden Pension Plan lets employers fund accrued end-of-service benefits into individual employee accounts, while DEWS replaced the gratuity system for DIFC employers entirely in February 2020.
Low Entry Points
Employees can add voluntary savings to the Golden Pension Plan from AED 100 a month. Second Salary starts at AED 1,000 a month, with full redemption possible after 90 days if plans change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Guides & Resources
Halal Investing in the UAE →
Sukuk, screened portfolios, and savings plans for the rest of your money.
How to Invest Halal →
Step-by-step guide to building a Shariah-compliant portfolio.
Islamic Estate Planning →
Wills, Faraid, and how to protect what you save for retirement.
Halal Finance Guide →
The principles behind Mudarabah, Sukuk, and profit-sharing plans.
Zakat on Retirement Savings →
How Zakat applies to accessible and employer-locked savings.
Zakat Calculator →
Work out your annual obligation across all your assets.
Zakat & Islamic Finance Resources
Understand your Zakat obligations on retirement savings.
Planning for Halal Retirement
Which Halal Retirement Plan Fits You?
You work for a DIFC employer
You are likely already in DEWS. Direct your contributions into the Shariah-compliant menu: Emirates Islamic Money Market Fund, Franklin Global Sukuk Fund, HSBC Islamic Global Equity Index Fund, or the Islamic Mudarabah option. Switching is free.
You want a plan you fully control
National Bonds Golden Pension Plan takes voluntary savings from AED 100 a month into the Mudarabah pool, trackable in the app in real time, with your own contributions withdrawable at any time.
You want a predictable monthly income later
Second Salary converts at least AED 1,000 a month of savings over 3 to 20 years into a monthly income stream, at a 3.25% p.a. anticipated return with the subscription fee waived after a completed 3-year term.
Your employer has not funded your end-of-service benefits
Ask whether they will register for the Golden Pension Plan. Employer-funded EOSB into individual accounts protects your entitlement and puts it to work in a Shariah-compliant pool.
You're close to retirement
Favor the defensive end: DEWS money market and Sukuk options, or a shorter Second Salary term. Confirm withdrawal rules and any charges before triggering anything.
Quick Answer
Shariah-compliant retirement savings in the UAE center on National Bonds and DEWS. National Bonds runs the Golden Pension Plan (workplace end-of-service and voluntary savings from AED 100 a month, launched October 2022) and Second Salary (savings-to-income from AED 1,000 a month at a 3.25% p.a. anticipated return), both on a Mudarabah pool with published fatwas. DIFC employees can direct DEWS contributions into four Shariah-compliant funds, switchable free of charge.
Key Takeaways
- National Bonds Golden Pension Plan accepts voluntary savings from AED 100 a month; employer-funded EOSB goes into individual accounts.
- Second Salary converts 3 to 20 years of monthly savings into a monthly income stream at a 3.25% p.a. anticipated return.
- DEWS offers four Shariah-compliant options including the Franklin Global Sukuk Fund and HSBC Islamic Global Equity Index Fund.
- DEWS all-in ongoing charges run from roughly 1.26% to 1.79% p.a. as at March 2026.
- The UAE has no personal income tax; plan selection turns on fees, structure, and Shariah governance rather than tax credits.
Sources and review process
This page is reviewed against HalalWallet editorial standards and source documentation.
Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 2026-03-06
How to cite this page
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For time-sensitive claims (rates, fees, state availability), please verify directly with the provider's official documentation and note the retrieval date.
Halal Finance Score
Is your pension / VPS Shariah-compliant? Find out with your Halal Finance Score.
Average score: 63/100
Important: HalalWallet provides educational information and comparisons to help you explore halal financial options. We do not provide financial, legal, or religious advice. Product structures and Shariah compliance oversight vary by provider. Always verify halal compliance directly with providers and consult with qualified Islamic finance advisors or scholars for guidance on specific products and your individual circumstances.