UAE Al Etihad Credit Bureau – All you wanted to know!

Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) – What, How & Why

Al Etihad Credit Bureau(AECB) is backed by Federal Government of UAE. It was established as the official credit reporting provider across all the emirates of the UAE. The initial plans were drawn by Ministry of Finance in 2009, in order to improve the financial structure of the UAE and help Banks and Finance Companies better assess the risks they take in lending. The operations of the AECB started in the Quarter 1 of 2014. AECB is the mandated legal body to collect and collate individual and commercial credit information and historical data from various financial institutions, utility companies and government sources.

AECB has the capability to produce comprehensive and consolidated credit reports on individuals and companies which includes payment historical data and credit scores for individuals and companies.

What are the long term objectives of AECB?

  • The credit bureau has strategic aim to create a comprehensive, nation-wide credit reporting system, and improve the transparency of borrowing which will benefit both borrowers and lenders;
  • AECB aims to provide a consolidated view of credit standing of UAE residents which will enable you to practice a responsible debt management, lowering the number of defaults and bounced cheque incidents;
  • AECB aims to limit credit risk at a National level by assisting the lenders take informed and accurate credit decisions;
  • AECB aims to stimulate the credit environment that will offer a competitive price advantage to residents and businesses which have a great credit score.

Gone are the days  that you could apply for credit cards with 15 banks and get away with it. I feel this is the best thing that has happened to UAE financial sector.

What are the benefits to you as a consumer??

  • Credit bureau assigns you a credit score which indicates your credit worthiness for banks and finance companies. Banks will not lend you if your credit score is not within their threshold of risk;
  • If you have a good credit score, you could bargain for best rates with the lenders;
  • AECB tracks your identity and reduces the possibilities of identity theft;
  • If you have been maintaining good credit score, banks will be happy to lend to you providing you access to capital;
  • By having such a mechanism, it discourages you from going on a debt driven consumption.

What are the benefits to the banks and finance companies?

The uses of credit report by banks is obvious:

  • Credit reports help banks make quick and accurate decision;
  • It allows banks to evaluate risks more accurately and implement risk based pricing;
  • AECB also tracks customer behaviour patterns with non banking data which in turn helps banks make informed decisions;
  • It ultimately leads to lower default rates for banks.

How does AECB work?

AECB works as a credit data aggregator; meaning, AECB collects data from banks and financial institutions, collates them and assigns particular score which is indicative of your credit worthiness.

There are 5 parties involved in the entire transaction that is handled by AECB:

  • Data Providers
    • Banks;
    • Financial Institutions;
    • Insurers;
    • Telecom Companies;
    • Utility service companies;
    • Public Sector/Government agencies;
    • Retailers
  • Credit Bureaus
  • Users (Banks, Financial institutes, You and me)
  • Data Subjects (You and me)

How does the process of data gathering and interaction with AECB work?

The below image summarises how the data collection is done, who validates and collates the data and Report generation is done.

how credit bureau collects data

data collection by uae credit bureau

Can I obtain anybody’s Credit Report?

No, not at all. AECB is very particular about data privacy and data protection. Your credit report will only be accessible by the authorised employees within the credit bureau. Only you have the right to request the credit report.

Banks can also request your credit report after you have agreed that they can request for your credit report in WRITING. This means in any personal loan, car loan, credit card application, you could see a column mentioning that you have agreed to let bank request a copy of your credit report. Banks can not share this information with others.

Types of Credit Reports

Currently the UAE credit bureau produces 4 types of reports:

  • Short Reports;
  • Long Reports;
  • Long with Scores;
  • Scores only.

I have been able to get my credit report and below you will be able to see it. I have requested a Long Report to have a comprehensive data on me. I was more curious to know whether the credit bureau has complete information about me.

How to request your Credit Report?

For Banks and Financial Institutes, it is easy to obtain credit report as they have to log in to AECB systems online.

For individuals like you and me, online facility is not available as of now. You have  to physically visit the AECB offices in either Dubai or ABu Dhabi.

Location of AECB Dubai Office:

25th Floor, Rolex Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai

AECB Abu Dhabi Office Location Map:

Emirates Real Estate Building, 8th Floor, Al Falah Street, Abu Dhabi

Customer Service timings:

Sunday to Thursday: 8AM to 2PM; Saturday: 8:30AM to 12:30PM

Phone: 600 566662

How to obtain your Credit Report?

You can obtain your credit report in person during the customer service timings from the offices of AECB. By the year end 2015, the credit report is expected to be available online as per news reports on The National.Opens in a new tab.

Documents required for individuals to obtain Credit Report:

  • Original Emirates ID of the Applicant;
  • Passport Copy of the Applicant; (Tip: if you have renewed your passport after you came to UAE, it is better to take the previous passport copy as well as the data on your previous card will also be available)
  • Credit Report Request form.Opens in a new tab.

Documents required for obtaining credit report for your Company:

If the company owner or authorised signatory is going in person, take the following documents:

In case of Authorisation, please take the following documents:

  • Copy of a valid Emirates ID of owner or Authorised signatory;
  • Trade License copy of the company;
  • Articles of Association of  the company;
  • Original Emirates ID of the authorised person to collect credit report;
  • Original Power of Attorney notorised, acceptable to AECB or Authorisation letter to include authentication of company owner’s or authorised signatory’s signature verified by a bank in UAE.
  • Duly filled Credit Report requisition formOpens in a new tab..

Sample Company Credit Report can be accessed at the following link: Company Credit Report SampleOpens in a new tab.

What are the costs of Credit Report:

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How to understand your UAE Credit Report?

Report numbering key

  • CB Subject ID: Your unique identification number at Al Etihad Credit Bureau.
  • Score: Your credit score – a number determining your overall creditworthiness (coming in phase 4 of the AECB credit reporting).
  • Total outstanding balance: The total of all your liabilities, with all credit providers, that are outstanding.
  • Total overdue: The total of all late and missed payments for all credit facilities, for all contracts, with all credit providers.
  • No. default contracts: The total number of contracts where you have gone overdue by more than 90 days.
  • Documents: Identification information i.e. passport number or Emirates ID
  • Contracts: The summary of the number of credit facilities requested – active, rejected and closed.
  • Financial summary: A summary of all active contracts belonging to or related to you.

Credit Report Sample – My Credit Report

I visited the AECB offices in Dubai and obtained my Credit Report and below is how it looks. I have also explained the various aspects of the Report. Please note that the Scores are currently not available on Credit Report. The scores will be implemented in the mid 2016 as confirmed by one of the staff at AECB.

credit report sample uae AECB al etihad credit bureau

  1. Total Outstanding Balance: This is the total of all the Credit Cards, Personal Loans, Car Loans or any other loans you have on your name with all the banks and financial institutions in UAE.
  2. Employment Details: Your recorded employment details you provided to the bank where your salary is being credited.
  3. Your Contact details: Your email address and phone number.

credit report sample uae AECB al etihad credit bureau

4. Summary of your borrowings banks: In this section, you will be able to find your total monthly installments with all the banks. It lists your number of personal loans and installments.

5. Total Exposure: Your total exposure with the Bank

6. Credit Cards: Here number of your credit cards relations are listed meaning, how many credit cards do you have with all the banks in UAE.

7. Total and remaining balance: Here you will be able to see your total borrowings and what is remaining to repaid.

credit report sample uae AECB al etihad credit bureau

8. Total outstanding Balance percentage wise

credit report sample uae AECB al etihad credit bureau

9. Credit Facilities Details: This section onwards your credit report will detail about each of your lending relations separately.

10. Information on your current personal loan details

AECB credit report sample report al etihad credit bureau dubai 5

11. Credit Card Cycle: This section shows about your credit card repayment history. The Green indicates that your credit history is impeccable.

AECB credit report sample report al etihad credit bureau dubai 6

12. Credit Card Repayment: All Green color indicates good repayment history.

AECB credit report sample report al etihad credit bureau dubai 7

AECB credit report sample report al etihad credit bureau dubai 8

13. Credit Providers: This section lists your list of banks and their addresses who have provided loans and credit cards to you.

How to improve your Credit Score in AECB Credit Report?

With the introduction of credit bureau, the Authorities aim to streamline the credit markets. With incessant growth in debt driven economy, it is all the more important for the Authorities to take prudent steps. However, if you have led a debt driven life coupled with a bad credit history, your access to capital now will be restricted as banks and financial institutions rely on credit scores provided by AECB. However, there are few ways in which you could repair, maintain or increase your credit score:

  • Don’t delay on payments;
  • Keep track of your bills and payments;
  • If you find errors in your Credit Report or Credit Card statement, let the AECB know;
  • Have and maintain credit card and maintain history;
  • Don’t reach the limit of Credit Cards month on month;
  • Close unused Credit Cards over a period of time;
  • Don’t apply for many cards at once.

I hope this article has enhanced your knowledge on UAE Credit Bureau. You must carefully go through your Credit Report and report any data inconsistencies that may be there in the report. If you have too many credit cards which you do not use, it is also better to reduce the limits of these cards as these will be calculated in case you apply for any new loan and you may not be eligible for the new loan.

If you have any doubts or clarifications, do let me know through comments below.

_________________________

Now you can view your Credit Score!!

credit score sample uae credit bureau

Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) has begun to issue Credit Scores to UAE citizens and residents.

Individuals can now obtain their Credit Scores by visiting the Bureau’s customer service centers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, providing their original valid Emirates ID Card and Passport(s).

“The launch of the Credit Score is in line with AECB’s ongoing commitment to adopt the highest international standards in credit reporting and enhancing the UAE financial infrastructure,” said Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, CEO of AECB.

The Credit Score is a three digit number that ranges from 300 to 900 and measures how likely aconsumer is to default within 12 months. It is calculated using information from various sources, likebanks, finance companies and telecom companies. The Score changes according to credit payment behavior; a low score indicates a higher risk whereas a higher score indicates a lower risk.

International best practice shows that a high Credit Score can give borrowers more negotiating power when applying for a loan or a credit card. Moreover, it often entails lower premium for insurance,better payment terms with Landlords and enhanced benefits with Telecommunication Companies andUtilities.

To date, 59 Financial Institutions and Telecommunication Companies have provided their customers’ credit data to the Bureau and 64 Institutions have subscribed to AECB’s credit reporting services.

AECB began issuing Credit Reports in 2014. Credit Reports include personal identity information, details of credit cards, loans and other credit facilities, along with payment and bounced cheque history.

For more information on how to get your Credit Score and what it means, please visit AECB.GOV.AE

_____________________________

Al Etihad Credit Bureau begins to issue Commercial Credit Scores in the UAE.

 

Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) has begun to issue Commercial Credit Scores to businesses in the UAE. Companies can now obtain their Credit Scores by visiting the Bureau’s customer service centers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, providing documents as specified on the AECB website.

The Credit Score ranges from 300 to 900 and measures how likely an organization is to default within the next 12 months. The Commercial Credit Score is calculated using information from various sources, like banks, finance companies and telecom companies.

According to Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, CEO of Al Etihad Credit Bureau: “The launch of the Commercial Credit Score will help banks and other commercial lenders to assess the risk from the time of application throughout the entire lending relationship”.

According to international best practices, a good Commercial Credit Score assists small and medium enterprises in accessing the credit market because the analytic and predictive score indicates the likelihood of future default and the effectiveness of current management.

For more information on how to get your Commercial Credit Score and what it means, please visit AECB.GOV.AEOpens in a new tab.

Deepak

Deepak Machado writes about bitcoin, books, mindset. He is rooted in Stoicism. He has appeared in several national and international publications and has written more than 1000 articles.

15 thoughts on “UAE Al Etihad Credit Bureau – All you wanted to know!

  1. I just want to know that if by a customer gets a bad credit history how to remove that. what are the steps for that

    1. Hi Hina,

      The best step is to talk to the banks that have reported the person as default and work out a solution through a payment plan. Banks will be eager to help in this.
      However, you will need to elaborate here to me in what context is the question! Is the person been reported by banks? Or is this a mistake from the bank’s side?
      In both cases, the Credit Bureau will guide to the bank that has reported to sort out the issue and provide clearance letter. Banks generate their reports automatically and if there are no over dues, the report will be positive.

      1. HI Deepak,
        i have cleared all loans and credit cards and everything is closed now but my bad credit record isn’t allowing me for another loan. how can i remove my bad credit history?

  2. my loan out standing amount 30000 ( EMi-2050). and my credit card limit 65000 in that i used 58000.

    my SALARY 7500+ company provided ACCOMMODATION. now i am try to take loan for reduce my credit card bill and existing loan to close completely( because this loan from finance company).

    kindly advise me in this matter. how to get loan in this situation

  3. i need to delete my bad history for taken a personal loan to close all i have from other banks and i need to be with one bank only + my salary come to cbd and there is no any deduction from my salary for more than 3 years .
    how to fix this problem with UAE Al Etihad Credit Bureau .
    thanks

    1. Mkhalaf,
      I actually do not understand your query!
      Are you saying you had a bad loan history and you want that to be removed.
      I think that is not possible any more and the records of your past borrowing history are maintained at Etihad Bureau.
      If there was an error from banks, then may be, but not otherwise.

  4. Hi Deepak,
    I am seeking your advice on the below matter,
    I have one existing loan with a financial company(du…).
    Now I am applying for loan through the one of leading bank,
    NOW MY PROBLEM IS I HAVE ONE LATE PAYMENT STORY (PAYMENT IS DONE TOGETHER WITH LATE PAYMENT FEES )IN LAST YEAR.
    It’s SHOWING AS An OVERDUE IN ECB REPORT AS PER THE BANK SO THAT REASON BANK REJECT mine APPLICATION.
    HOW SHOULD I CLEAR THIS RECORD TO AVAIL A LOAN FROM A BANK.

    1. Hi Kanth,

      if you have cleared the late payment fee, the remark will always be there as a late payment.
      But as a proof of your clearance of late payment, request your bank to provide no liability certificate (if you no more have previous loan).
      You could submit this certificate to the new bank. You could also provide genuine reasons for late payment.

  5. Hello sir,

    I would like to know how soon banks update records with aecb? if I cancel my credit card today then how many days it take to get updated in aecb?

    thank you,

    1. Nitin,
      banks typically send their update data every quarter to the AECB.
      So if there are any changes, that will take affect after the quarterly data is received by AECB.

  6. is there anyway to clear the records of bounced cheque in al etihad credit bureau reported by my previous bank (payment for auto loan) if i already paid the and clear my outstanding balance for that loan.
    i was trying to apply for top up loan but in my credit report it shows that i had bounced cheque last 2016. to make it more clear i used to get my salary with Bank a then i took car loan with bank b so i issued the cheque to bank b from bank a, after a year i switched to bank c and took personal loan but i haven’t close my account with bank a and still doing my car loan payment from that bank. because of no salary coming into bank a they are eating the money i deposited for car loan and boom bounced cheque. now im trying to apply for top up loan in bank c and i already finished paying my auto loan but application got cancelled because of the history of bounced cheque.

    1. Dona,

      If you have cleared the bounce cheque, you could take an official letter from bank that you have cleared the cheque.
      You may then take this letter to the AECB and let them know about this.
      I also suggest that you first speak to the AECB to know the solution.

  7. Hi all
    I need some help or suggestions.
    I am having outstanding amount in Credit cards almost 13 cards I used it and I am paying it but the problem is I am getting my salary but I am paying more then my salary.(150%)
    only interest only I cant close the card now I am in situation to solve this can any one help how to fix this issue..

  8. How I can improve my score is now 468. I closed all credit cards and paid my personal loans now I don’t have any liabilities from banks nd other services. I got all clearance letters from banks. Advice me

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