AECB Credit Score and Report in the UAE: How to Check It and What Lenders See
What is in the report, how to get yours or your company's, and how to improve it before you apply.
Your AECB report is the first thing most UAE lenders look at, whether you are applying for a personal loan, a credit card or a business facility. This guide explains what is in it, how to check yours, how to get the company version, and how to improve a weak report before you apply.
What is AECB and what does the report contain?
AECB is a public joint stock company wholly owned by the UAE federal government. It issues credit reports to individuals, both nationals and residents, and to companies. Banks and finance companies use them when they review a loan, card or other credit application.
According to the UAE government portal, a report summarises your personal information, financial obligations and bills for the past three years, plus your last reported salary. Its main parts are:
- Credit score - a number that represents your ability to pay your loans and financial obligations.
- Income utilisation ratio - how your payments affect your last reported income.
- Payment history - a record of loan and bill payments for the last 36 months.
- Credit contracts - a summary of your loans and credit cards.
- Court obligations - a summary of court-ordered financial obligations.
The bureau collects data from banks, finance companies, telecom and utility providers, courts and government entities, so credit behaviour beyond loans can show up in your file.
What is a good AECB credit score in the UAE?
AECB scores are reported on a 300-900 scale, and a higher score means lower assessed risk. There is no single "good" score: each lender sets its own cut-offs by product, so a score that is enough for a card at one bank may not be enough for a loan at another. Treat the score as one input next to your income, your employer category and your existing debt.
How to check your AECB credit score and report (individuals)
- Open the AECB website or app (etihadbureau.ae).
- Log in with UAE Pass.
- Choose "Credit report" or "Credit score" and pay the fee online. The fee is shown before you pay, so we do not quote one here.
- Download the PDF. The government portal says it is available instantly.
How to get an AECB report for a company
A company report matters when you apply for a business loan, a corporate card or trade finance. As published on the UAE government portal, the process is:
- Submit the company's application on the AECB website.
- Note the application number you receive.
- Visit an Al Ansari Exchange branch (the portal says there are more than 250 across the UAE) with the application number, a copy of the trade licence, and the Emirates ID of a partner, shareholder or manager listed on the licence.
Steps and fees can change, so confirm them on the AECB website before you go. Business owners should also check their own personal report, because lenders often assess the owners as well as the company. Our business loan guide shows where that fits in an application.
What lenders look for in your AECB report
- Payment history - late or missed payments in the last 36 months.
- Credit contracts - how many loans and cards are open and how much of each limit you use.
- Income utilisation - how much of your income already goes to repayments. UAE Central Bank rules cap total obligations at 50% of gross salary, as our personal loan guide explains.
- Court obligations - any court-ordered financial obligations on file.
- For companies - the company report together with the owners' personal reports and the company's bank statements.
Want a lender-ready check of your report before you apply?
Talk to a Fintrust financing advisor →How to improve your AECB credit score
- Pay every instalment and bill on time - the report records 36 months of payment history, so recent behaviour counts most.
- Keep card balances well below their limits instead of running them close to the maximum.
- Clear overdue amounts and keep the settlement letter as proof.
- Do not apply for several credit products at once. A scattershot approach can itself look like a red flag to lenders.
- Check the report for errors. If an entry is wrong, raise it with the lender that reported it and ask them to correct it with AECB.
- Review high-cost debt - see our guide to debt consolidation, buyout and settlement for ways to reduce it.
No tool or consultant can promise a score by a set date: changes follow what your lenders report.
Can you get a loan with a low AECB score?
Sometimes, but usually with fewer lenders, a smaller amount or a higher rate. The realistic options are a secured loan, a guarantor or co-applicant, waiting to repair the report first, or restructuring the debt that is dragging the score down. A broker can match your file to lenders whose criteria fit it, rather than you collecting rejections one bank at a time. For business borrowing, see what lenders ask for on a business loan.
Source: UAE government portal: financial credibility for individuals and companies. The 300-900 score range is as widely reported; confirm current figures and fees on the AECB website.
About the author
Ajith Prasad is the founder of Fintrust, an independent banking and financial consultancy serving businesses in Dubai and across the UAE, built on 25+ years inside the UAE banking and financial services industry - most recently as Manager of Issuance and Acquiring at Mercury Payment Services LLC, with earlier leadership roles at Standard Chartered, Dunia Finance, Banque Misr, and National Bank of Dubai. Full bio →
Frequently asked questions
AECB is the Al Etihad Credit Bureau, the UAE's federal credit bureau, wholly owned by the UAE federal government. It issues credit reports and scores to individuals and companies, and lenders use them when reviewing loan, credit card and other credit applications.
Log in to the AECB website or app with UAE Pass, choose Credit report or Credit score, and pay the fee online. The UAE government portal says the report is then available instantly as a PDF.
AECB scores are reported on a 300-900 scale and a higher score means lower assessed risk. Each lender sets its own cut-offs by product, so there is no single score that is good enough everywhere. Banks also weigh income, employer category and existing debt.
Submit the company's application on the AECB website, then take the application number, a copy of the trade licence and the Emirates ID of a partner, shareholder or manager listed on the licence to an Al Ansari Exchange branch. Confirm the current steps and fees on the AECB website first.
Pay every instalment and bill on time, keep card balances well below their limits, clear overdue amounts and keep the settlement letter, and check the report for errors. The report records 36 months of payment history, so recent behaviour counts most. No one can promise a score by a set date.
Related guides:
Not sure what lenders will see?
We can walk through your report and match you to lenders whose criteria fit it.