Borrowing in the UAE, explained
Independent, plain-English guides to credit and borrowing in the UAE. Every limit, fee cap and score range on this site links to its official source, such as the Central Bank Rulebook or the Etihad Credit Bureau, with the date we checked it.
Start here
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Applying for a card or loan
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Buying a home or a car
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Struggling with repayments
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Running a business
Find your topic
Everyday borrowing
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Credit score
Your AECB report and score: how to check it, read it, fix errors and improve it.
5 guides
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Credit cards
Eligibility, fees and interest, minimum payments, balance transfers and closing a card.
5 guides
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Personal loans
Salary transfer or not, flat and reducing rates, limits, fees, settlement and buyouts.
6 guides
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Buy now, pay later
How instalment apps work in the UAE, the rules they follow and the effect on your credit.
3 guides
Homes, cars and business
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Mortgages
Loan-to-value limits, EIBOR, fixed or variable rates, upfront costs and pre-approval.
6 guides
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Islamic finance
Murabaha, tawarruq and ijara, and how Islamic cards and home finance differ.
4 guides
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Business credit
SME loans, business credit reports and what lenders ask of a trade licence.
3 guides
When repayments get hard
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Debt help
Consolidation, settlement, collections, travel bans and leaving the UAE with debt.
6 guides
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Borrower rights
Consumer protection rules, the Key Facts Statement, complaints and Sanadak.
4 guides
Not sure what a term means? The glossary of UAE credit terms explains it in a few lines.
UAE credit rules at a glance
Six of the rules behind everyday borrowing in the UAE, each with its official source and the date we checked it. How we source the rules.
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50%
Cap on all monthly loan and card repayments together, as a share of gross salary and regular income.
Central Bank of the UAE, checked
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48 months
Maximum repayment period for a personal loan from a bank or finance company.
Central Bank of the UAE, checked
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80%
Of the vehicle's value at most, so the buyer funds at least 20% themselves.
Central Bank of the UAE, checked
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80%
Maximum loan-to-value for an expatriate buying a first home under AED 5 million to live in.
Central Bank of the UAE, checked
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300 to 850
The Mature Score, for people with an established credit history. People with limited history get a separate New-to-Credit Score.
Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), checked
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5 business days
After signing a credit contract, to withdraw from it without undue cost.
Central Bank of the UAE, checked
Run the numbers
Free calculators that show the working, so you can check a lender's quote yourself.
- Loan payment calculator Monthly instalment and total cost of a loan, at a flat or a reducing rate.
- Flat to reducing rate converter Turns a flat rate quote into the equivalent reducing rate, and back.
- Debt burden ratio calculator How much of your monthly income already goes to debt repayments.
- Mortgage affordability calculator A rough guide to the home price and loan your income could support.
- Home purchase cost calculator The cash you need to buy a home in Dubai with a mortgage: the down payment, DLD fees and your other costs.
- Credit card payoff calculator How long a card balance takes to clear and the interest it costs, paying the minimum or a fixed amount.
- Early settlement calculator The capped fee for paying off a personal, car or home loan early, in full or in part, and the interest you save.
- Car loan calculator Monthly instalment and total cost of a car loan, checked against the Central Bank's maximum loan and term.
Essential guides
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How to check your AECB credit score and credit report
Check your AECB credit score and report in the Etihad Credit Bureau app or with UAE PASS: what each costs, how fast it arrives and what is free.
- The Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) sells your score and report through its own app and website, and through the DubaiNow and TAMM apps with UAE PASS.
- The score alone costs AED 10.50; the full report costs AED 84 including VAT and already includes the score.
- The report shows 36 months of payment history on every active or closed facility, plus any returned cheques.
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How to improve your AECB credit score
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Credit card interest and fees in the UAE explained
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What is EIBOR and how does it affect your mortgage?
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Key Facts Statement: what your bank must show you before you borrow
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How to complain about a bank in the UAE, and when to go to Sanadak
How we work
- Official sources only
- Limits, fees and rights come from the Central Bank of the UAE, the Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), government portals and UAE law, never from adverts. How we source the rules.
- Independent
- No advertising, affiliate links, paid placements or lead forms at launch, and we do not rank lenders. How we make money.
- Corrections welcome
- Each guide shows when it was last updated and reviewed. If you spot an error, tell us: we correct the page and note the change. Corrections.