# The Credit Zone

> An independent, plain-English guide to credit and borrowing in the UAE. Guides cover AECB credit scores, credit cards, personal and car loans, mortgages, buy now pay later, debt help, borrower rights, Islamic finance and business credit, for people living in the UAE and borrowing in AED.

Written and reviewed by The Credit Zone Editorial Team. UAE rules and figures come from official sources: the Central Bank of the UAE, the Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), government portals and UAE law. Each guide lists its sources with the date they were checked and shows when it was last updated and reviewed. Content is general information, not financial advice.

## Credit score

- [Credit score in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-score/): Your UAE credit score explained: how the Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) scores you, how to check your report, what a good score is and what affects it.
- [How to check your AECB credit score and credit report](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-score/check-aecb-credit-score/): 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.
- [How to improve your AECB credit score](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-score/improve-credit-score/): How to raise your AECB credit score in the UAE: the factors the bureau scores, habits it recommends, what clearing a card changes and what no one can promise.
- [How to read your AECB credit report](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-score/read-aecb-credit-report/): A section-by-section guide to the AECB credit report: score factors, the 24-month colour grid, IUR, accounts, enquiries, court records and BNPL entries.
- [No credit history in the UAE: how new residents build a score](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-score/no-credit-history/): New to the UAE with no credit history? What your AECB report shows at first, when a credit report from home can count, and the records that start a UAE score.
- [What is a good AECB credit score?](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-score/good-aecb-credit-score/): AECB scores run from 300 to 850, or 300 to 650 if you are new to credit. What the number means, what lenders weigh beyond it and what moves it.

## Credit cards

- [Credit cards in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-cards/): How credit cards work in the UAE: the Central Bank income floor, capped fees, interest-free repayment, minimum payments and how to close a card cleanly.
- [Credit card balance transfers in the UAE: how they work and what they cost](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-cards/credit-card-balance-transfer/): How a UAE credit card balance transfer works, what it costs in fees and interest, how it affects your debt burden ratio and credit report, and when it pays.
- [Credit card interest and fees in the UAE explained](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-cards/credit-card-interest-and-fees/): How UAE credit card interest works, when you pay none, how cash advances are charged and which card fees the Central Bank caps, with a worked AED example.
- [Credit cards without salary transfer: how they work in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-cards/credit-card-without-salary-transfer/): Can you get a UAE credit card without moving your salary? What Central Bank rules require, what banks ask for instead and the trade-offs to compare first.
- [How to cancel a credit card in the UAE and get a clearance letter](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-cards/cancel-credit-card-clearance-letter/): Close a UAE credit card without loose ends: clear the balance, ask for closure in writing, recover any security cheque and get a clearance or liability letter.
- [Minimum salary for a credit card in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/credit-cards/minimum-salary-for-credit-card/): The Central Bank sets an AED 60,000 annual income floor for credit cards, with a deposit route below it. What banks check on top and options on a lower salary.

## Personal loans

- [Personal loans in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/): How personal loans work in the UAE: the 20x salary and 48-month caps, the 50% debt burden ratio, flat versus reducing rates, fees and early settlement.
- [Early settlement of a personal loan in the UAE: fees and steps](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/personal-loan-early-settlement/): How to settle a UAE personal loan early, in full or in part: the 1% fee cap and its AED 10,000 ceiling, the interest you stop paying and the letters to ask for.
- [Flat rate vs reducing rate: what the difference costs you](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/flat-vs-reducing-interest-rate/): A flat rate charges interest on the full loan for the whole term; a reducing rate only on what you still owe. A worked AED example, the conversion and the APR.
- [How much personal loan can you get in the UAE?](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/how-much-personal-loan-can-i-get/): The limits that decide your UAE personal loan amount: 20 times salary, 48 months and the 50% debt burden ratio, with worked AED examples and the DBR formula.
- [Personal loan eligibility and documents in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/personal-loan-eligibility/): Who qualifies for a UAE personal loan: the Central Bank rules on income, DBR and credit checks, what each bank sets itself, and the documents to have ready.
- [Personal loan top-ups in the UAE: how they work and what they cost](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/personal-loan-top-up/): How a UAE personal loan top-up works: the one-year rule, why the 20 times salary, 48-month and 50% DBR limits still apply, and what the extra borrowing costs.
- [Personal loans without salary transfer in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/personal-loans/personal-loan-without-salary-transfer/): How UAE personal loans without salary transfer work: who offers them, security cheques, the Central Bank caps on amount and term, and what to compare first.

## Mortgages

- [Mortgages in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/): How home loans work in the UAE: loan-to-value caps for nationals and expats, the 25-year limit, the stress test, Dubai purchase fees and capped mortgage fees.
- [DLD fee, mortgage registration and the other upfront costs of buying in Dubai](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/dld-and-mortgage-registration-fees/): What Dubai Land Department charges when you buy a home with a mortgage: the 4% transfer fee, 0.25% mortgage registration and fixed fees, in an AED example.
- [Mortgages for expats in the UAE: LTV limits and eligibility](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/mortgage-for-expats/): How much a UAE bank can lend an expat for a home: Central Bank LTV caps, the 25-year term, the 50% DBR and 7x income limit, with a worked AED example.
- [Mortgages for non-residents buying property in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/mortgage-for-non-residents/): Can you get a UAE mortgage while living abroad? The Central Bank caps that apply, where foreigners can buy in Dubai and what banks ask of non-residents.
- [Financing off-plan property: mortgages vs developer payment plans](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/off-plan-mortgage/): How off-plan homes are financed in the UAE: the 50% loan cap, when bank money starts, Dubai escrow and Oqood rules, and payment plans vs a mortgage.
- [Mortgage pre-approval in the UAE: what it is and how to get it](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/mortgage-pre-approval/): What a UAE mortgage pre-approval tells you and what it does not promise: how banks size it, the documents, how long it lasts and the steps to a final offer.
- [What is EIBOR and how does it affect your mortgage?](https://thecreditzone.ae/mortgages/eibor-explained/): EIBOR explained: the UAE's interbank benchmark, who runs it, its six tenors, how it is calculated and how a variable mortgage rate built on it resets, in AED.

## Car loans

- [Car loans in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/car-loans/): How car finance works in the UAE: the 80% loan-to-value and 60-month caps, flat rate quotes, capped late and settlement fees, and the free release NOC.
- [Early settlement of a car loan in the UAE: fees and steps](https://thecreditzone.ae/car-loans/car-loan-early-settlement/): How to settle a UAE car loan early: the 1% fee cap, paying instalments ahead, the free NOC, the no-liability letter and removing the bank mortgage on the car.
- [Car loans in the UAE: down payment, tenor and eligibility](https://thecreditzone.ae/car-loans/car-loan-down-payment-and-eligibility/): UAE car loans are capped at 80% of the car's value and 60 months. What that means for your down payment, zero-down offers, eligibility and documents.
- [Used car loans in the UAE: how they work](https://thecreditzone.ae/car-loans/used-car-loan/): How used car loans work in the UAE: the 80% and 60-month caps, dealer versus private sales, valuation, and registering and releasing the lender's lien.

## Buy now, pay later

- [Buy now, pay later in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/bnpl/): Buy now, pay later in the UAE explained: how the Central Bank regulates BNPL apps, the AED 20,000 limit and 30% fee cap, and what BNPL means for your credit.
- [How buy now, pay later works in the UAE, and the rules behind it](https://thecreditzone.ae/bnpl/how-bnpl-works-in-uae/): How buy now, pay later works in the UAE: Central Bank rules on who can lend, the AED 20,000 limit, no interest, a 30% fee cap and when apps check credit.
- [Does buy now, pay later affect your AECB credit score?](https://thecreditzone.ae/bnpl/bnpl-credit-score/): BNPL plans from apps such as Tabby and Tamara can appear on your AECB credit report but do not change your score under the current model. What lenders see.
- [What happens if you miss a BNPL payment in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/bnpl/missed-bnpl-payment/): What happens if you miss a buy now, pay later payment in the UAE: the 30% fee cap, collection rules, your AECB credit report and when a court case can follow.

## Debt help

- [Debt help in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/): Practical, sourced help with debt in the UAE: what happens after missed payments, collection rules, bounced cheques, travel bans and leaving the UAE with debt.
- [Bounced cheques in the UAE: the law after the 2022 reforms](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/bounced-cheque-law/): What happens when a cheque bounces in the UAE since 2022: partial payment, direct enforcement, the acts that are still crimes, and security cheques for loans.
- [What happens if you can't pay your loan or credit card in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/missed-loan-payments/): What happens after a missed loan or card payment in the UAE: capped late fees, written notices, AECB reporting, collection rules and court action, step by step.
- [Debt consolidation in the UAE: options and trade-offs](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/debt-consolidation/): How debt consolidation works in the UAE: buyout loans, card balance transfers, the Central Bank limits that apply, the fees involved and a worked example.
- [Leaving the UAE with debt: what happens and what to do first](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/leaving-uae-with-debt/): What happens if you leave the UAE with a loan or card debt: civil claims, travel bans, the AECB "Left Country" flag, and the steps to take before you go.
- [Negotiating with your bank: restructuring and debt settlement](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/negotiate-debt-settlement/): How to ask a UAE bank to defer, restructure or settle a debt: what lenders must offer, what to get in writing, and how it shows on your AECB report.
- [Travel bans for debt in the UAE: how they work and how to check](https://thecreditzone.ae/debt/travel-ban-for-debt/): How a UAE travel ban for debt works: the AED 10,000 threshold, the court process, how to check for a ban, how long it lasts and the ways it is lifted.

## Borrower rights

- [Borrower rights in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/borrower-rights/): Know your rights with UAE banks and lenders: Central Bank consumer protection rules, the Key Facts Statement, cooling-off, fee caps and how to complain.
- [Your rights as a borrower in the UAE: CBUAE consumer protection explained](https://thecreditzone.ae/borrower-rights/cbuae-consumer-protection-rights/): A plain-English summary of the Central Bank consumer protection rules for loans and cards: disclosure, fees, cooling-off, fair collections and complaints.
- [Card fraud and disputed transactions in the UAE: what to do](https://thecreditzone.ae/borrower-rights/card-fraud-and-disputed-transactions/): Spotted a card payment you did not make? Block the card, report it to your bank and the police, and know the Central Bank refund rules and deadlines.
- [How to complain about a bank in the UAE, and when to go to Sanadak](https://thecreditzone.ae/borrower-rights/complain-about-a-bank-sanadak/): Complain to your bank first, then to Sanadak, the free ombudsman for Central Bank licensed firms. Deadlines, eligibility, the AED 500 appeal and contacts.
- [Key Facts Statement: what your bank must show you before you borrow](https://thecreditzone.ae/borrower-rights/key-facts-statement/): What a UAE Key Facts Statement is, what Central Bank rules say it must include for loans and cards, and how to read its rate, APR, fee and warning lines.

## Islamic finance

- [Islamic finance in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/islamic-finance/): How Islamic banking works in the UAE: murabaha, tawarruq and ijara, Islamic cards and home finance, and the Central Bank rules that apply to Islamic lenders.
- [Islamic credit cards: how they work and how they differ](https://thecreditzone.ae/islamic-finance/islamic-credit-cards/): How Islamic credit cards in the UAE replace interest with fixed fees or profit structures, which Central Bank card rules still apply and how to compare them.
- [Islamic home finance in the UAE: ijara and other structures](https://thecreditzone.ae/islamic-finance/islamic-home-finance/): How Islamic home finance works in the UAE: ijara lease to own, diminishing musharaka, rent linked to EIBOR, the same Central Bank limits and early settlement.
- [Islamic vs conventional loans: how Islamic finance works in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/islamic-finance/islamic-vs-conventional-finance/): How Islamic finance in the UAE differs from a conventional loan: murabaha, tawarruq, ijara and musharaka, profit rate vs interest, and how to compare costs.
- [Murabaha explained: cost-plus financing](https://thecreditzone.ae/islamic-finance/murabaha-explained/): What murabaha is, how a bank buys and resells at a fixed profit, how it differs from interest, where UAE banks use it and an AED example of the profit and rate.

## Business credit

- [Business credit and SME finance in the UAE](https://thecreditzone.ae/business-credit/): SME finance in the UAE explained: types of business loans, what lenders ask of a trade licence, the AECB company credit report and where SMEs can complain.
- [AECB company credit report and score: how to get and read it](https://thecreditzone.ae/business-credit/aecb-company-credit-report/): How to get your company's AECB credit report and score in the UAE, what the AED 157.50 report and 300 to 900 score show, and how lenders read them.
- [Business credit cards in the UAE: how they work and who pays](https://thecreditzone.ae/business-credit/business-credit-cards/): How business and corporate credit cards work in the UAE: who is liable for the balance, which Central Bank rules apply, employee card controls and personal use.
- [Business loans for SMEs in the UAE: eligibility and documents](https://thecreditzone.ae/business-credit/sme-business-loans/): SME and business loans in the UAE: the main types, what banks ask for (trade licence, statements, AECB company report, guarantees) and how to prepare.

## Calculators

- [UAE loan and mortgage calculators](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/): All calculators in one place, with a short note on what each one works out.
- [Loan payment calculator](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/loan-payment/): Monthly instalment and total cost of a loan, at a flat or a reducing rate.
- [Flat to reducing rate converter](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/flat-to-reducing/): Turns a flat rate quote into the equivalent reducing rate, and back.
- [Debt burden ratio calculator](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/debt-burden-ratio/): How much of your monthly income already goes to debt repayments.
- [Mortgage affordability calculator](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/mortgage-affordability/): A rough guide to the home price and loan your income could support.
- [Home purchase cost calculator](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/home-purchase-cost/): 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](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/credit-card-payoff/): How long a card balance takes to clear and the interest it costs, paying the minimum or a fixed amount.
- [Early settlement calculator](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/early-settlement/): 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](https://thecreditzone.ae/calculators/car-loan/): Monthly instalment and total cost of a car loan, checked against the Central Bank's maximum loan and term.

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