Standard Chartered UAE Review 2026: Private Bank Profile

Standard Chartered in 3 booking centres

The headline rating of Standard Chartered is the rating of its parent licence holder shown above. Each booking centre is rated separately: the licence holder's record is shared by its branches, while protection, services and costs depend on where the account is booked.

Standard Chartered Bank, the parent licence holder, is profiled only through its DIFC branch, which therefore leads the card.

What the PPLI.com rating of Standard Chartered DIFC considers

This is our editorial assessment of Standard Chartered DIFC. We look at the areas below, which matter to a family deciding where to keep its assets, and weigh them together with what clients tell us and the service they get. Retail products, branches and apps play no part. The public sources we used are listed at the foot of the page.

Conduct and enforcement

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have concluded about this licence holder in recent years.

Protection of client assets

Whether custody assets are ring-fenced by law in the booking centre, whether deposits are protected, and whether the custody terms can be read before signing.

Service for complex families

The breadth of private banking services the bank publishes for this booking unit, including work with external managers and family offices.

Cost transparency

Whether a prospective client can see the tariff and the bank's policy on third party payments before asking.

Ownership and control

Whether the bank's owners are public, how official assessments rate the anti-money-laundering regime of any owner's home jurisdiction, and whether a politically exposed person holds a significant stake. The same test applies to every bank.

Client opinions and service

What clients of Standard Chartered DIFC and their advisers tell us in confidence, and the service the bank gives to families. We never publish names. Tell us about yours

PPLI.comPrivate Bank RatingRating in preparation

The rating expresses the opinion of PPLI.com on the date shown. It is not a statement of fact about the bank, not a credit rating, not a forecast of failure and not investment advice. Read about the rating.

Regulatory and legal record

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have decided, recorded against the legal entity they named, with the status, the amounts as published and a link to the original document. Claims and investigations still under way are marked as open.

20199 April 2019

FCA fine for AML control failings in UK correspondent banking and the UAE branches

The FCA fined Standard Chartered Bank GBP 102.2 million for AML control failings in its UK wholesale correspondent banking business (November 2010 to July 2013) and its UAE branches (November 2009 to December 2014). The bank received a 30% discount for not disputing the findings. The UAE branches finding is the closest primary-source link to the bank's UAE operations; the source does not single out the DIFC branch.

Standard Chartered failed to ensure its UAE branches applied UK equivalent AML and counter-terrorist financing controls.

UK Financial Conduct Authority · Settlement without admission · Penalty GBP 102.2 million; Penalty before 30pct discount GBP 145.9 million · Primary source

20199 April 2019

Amended and extended deferred prosecution agreement for Iran sanctions violations involving the Dubai branch

Standard Chartered Bank admitted that two former employees of its Dubai branch wilfully conspired to help Iran-connected customers conduct USD transactions from 2007 to 2011, including about 9,500 transactions totalling about USD 240 million for companies of an Iranian national. The 2012 DPA was amended and extended by two years with added cooperation, compliance and disclosure obligations. Overlap: the April 2019 resolutions were coordinated. OFAC's USD 639.0 million was deemed satisfied up to an equal amount by payments to other US federal agencies, and the US Department of Justice fine of USD 480 million was largely credited (the US Department of Justice collected USD 52.2 million). The authorities' figures overlap and are not added together; the US Department of Justice described the total as more than USD 1 billion.

SCB admitted to processing approximately 9,500 U.S. dollar transactions through the United States

US Department of Justice (with New York County District Attorney) · Resolution with admission · Forfeiture USD 240 million; Fine imposed USD 480 million; Fine collected by doj after credits USD 52.2 million; Payment to new york county da USD 292.2 million · Admission of the facts · Primary source

20199 April 2019

Civil settlement of apparent violations of Iran, Burma, Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe sanctions

OFAC settled Standard Chartered Bank's civil liability for 9,335 transactions (about USD 437.6 million) from June 2009 to June 2014 for USD 639.0 million, deemed satisfied by payments to other US federal agencies, plus USD 18.0 million for Zimbabwe-related apparent violations. OFAC states the majority of the conduct concerned Iran-related accounts at SCB's Dubai, UAE branches.

The majority of the conduct concerns Iran-related accounts maintained by SCB's Dubai, UAE branches.

US Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control · Settlement without admission · Settlement deemed satisfied by other federal payments USD 639 million; Settlement zimbabwe USD 18 million · Primary source

20199 April 2019

NYDFS consent order and fine for sanctions violations involving the Dubai branch

NYDFS fined Standard Chartered Bank USD 180 million, describing Dubai staff helping an Iranian front company evade detection and compliance failures over payment instructions sent through a Dubai branch fax system. The NYDFS headline figure combines its fine with the Manhattan DA payment; the page metadata shows an inconsistent figure. Overlap: the April 2019 resolutions were coordinated. OFAC's USD 639.0 million was deemed satisfied up to an equal amount by payments to other US federal agencies, and the US Department of Justice fine of USD 480 million was largely credited (the US Department of Justice collected USD 52.2 million). The authorities' figures overlap and are not added together; the US Department of Justice described the total as more than USD 1 billion.

Standard Chartered is paying DFS a $180 million fine

New York State Department of Financial Services · Settlement without admission · Penalty USD 180 million · Primary source

Identity, protection and services

Legal identity

Legal nameStandard Chartered Bank, DIFC Branch

LEINot published

LicenceDFSA-regulated branch

RegulatorDFSA (branch); licence holder Standard Chartered Bank is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA

Legal formBranch of Standard Chartered Bank

OwnerStandard Chartered PLC

Ownership

Group parentStandard Chartered PLC (listed, LSE; HKEX) Source

ControlWidely held; no shareholder with 10% or more Source (2 March 2026)

Holder of 10% or moreTemasek Holdings (Private) Limited, 18.005981% in Standard Chartered PLC Source (2 March 2026)

Ownership is shown as published, with its date. It describes who owns the bank; it does not, by itself, suggest any wrongdoing by the bank or its owners.

Financial strength, as reported

Credit ratingsNot published

CET1 ratioNot published

SizeNot published

Services published for this booking unit

Private clients

Discretionary management

Advisory mandates

Custody only (execution and safekeeping)

Lombard lending

Mortgage lending

Multi currency accounts

Trust and fiduciary services

Family office services

Wealth planning

Consolidated reporting

External asset manager desk

Offered at this booking centreOffered by the group, not confirmed hereNot located, which does not mean unavailable
Checked on the bank's own pages, 2 November 2026.

Access and costs

Minimum relationshipNot published

US personsNot published

Fee scheduleNot published

Third party paymentsPublished Source

Transfer out termsPublished Source

Protection of client assets

Deposit protectionNot published

Custody lawNot published

Custody termsPublished Source

Rate Standard Chartered DIFC

If you bank with Standard Chartered DIFC or advise clients who do, your experience forms part of its PPLI.com rating. Every response is read by the editor and treated in strict confidence.

Standard Chartered Bank, DIFC Branch

Standard Chartered in 3 booking centres

What the PPLI.com rating of Standard Chartered DIFC considers

Conduct and enforcement

Protection of client assets

Service for complex families

Cost transparency

Ownership and control

Client opinions and service

Regulatory and legal record

FCA fine for AML control failings in UK correspondent banking and the UAE branches

Amended and extended deferred prosecution agreement for Iran sanctions violations involving the Dubai branch

Civil settlement of apparent violations of Iran, Burma, Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe sanctions

NYDFS consent order and fine for sanctions violations involving the Dubai branch

Identity, protection and services

Legal identity

Ownership

Financial strength, as reported

Services published for this booking unit

Access and costs

Protection of client assets

Rate Standard Chartered DIFC

Our commitment to confidentiality

Sources

For Standard Chartered DIFC

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