You check your UAE credit score through the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) — in its app or website, or via partner bank apps — by verifying your identity with your Emirates ID and paying a small report fee. Your score is a three-digit number, generally between 300 and 900, built from how you have handled credit cards, loans and payments in the UAE. If you spot an error, you dispute it with the AECB, which checks the record with the bank or lender that reported it.
Quick facts
- Who holds your score: Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), the UAE’s federal credit bureau
- Cost: a credit report is typically around AED 84–105 and a score-only check less — check the official app/portal for the current fee; some bank apps show a free indicative score
- Time needed: about 10 minutes to buy and read your report online
- What you need: Emirates ID, passport details and a UAE mobile number for verification
- Where it happens: the AECB app or website, its customer service centres, or participating bank apps
Step by step: checking your score
- Download the AECB app or open its website. Use only the official Al Etihad Credit Bureau channels — never a third-party site asking for your Emirates ID and card details together.
- Create your account and verify your identity. Enter your Emirates ID and details exactly as printed. Verification may use a one-time code sent to the mobile number linked to your ID.
- Choose a report with the score included. A score alone tells you the number; the full report shows every card, loan and payment record behind it. If you plan to apply for a loan or mortgage, buy the full report.
- Pay the fee by card. Reports are delivered digitally, usually within minutes, as a PDF you can download and keep.
- Read the score in context. Higher is better: lenders generally view scores above roughly 700 as strong, while lower scores mean closer scrutiny or higher pricing. Treat any banding as a guide — each bank applies its own policy on top of the AECB score.
- Review every line of the report. Check each credit card, loan and facility: limits, balances and, most importantly, the payment history. Look for late payments you do not recognise, accounts you never opened, and loans you settled still showing a balance.
- Check your personal details too. Wrong employer, address or ID details can merge your file with someone else’s. Note anything incorrect for your dispute.
How to correct an error on your report
If something is wrong, raise a dispute with the AECB through the app, website or a customer service centre, describing the error and uploading evidence — for example a bank clearance letter showing a loan was settled, or statements proving a “late” payment was made on time. The AECB sends the dispute to the institution that supplied the data; that institution must investigate and confirm or correct its record. You will be notified of the outcome, and the report is updated if your claim is upheld. Keep copies of everything: dispute reference, evidence and the corrected report. While a dispute runs, tell any lender you are applying with — some will note the pending correction rather than simply declining you.
What actually moves your score
Your payment history matters most: pay every card and loan on or before the due date, even if it is only the minimum on a tight month. Next comes utilisation — keeping credit card balances well below their limits looks far healthier than cards permanently near maxed out. Bounced cheques and missed payments are recorded and weigh heavily. Applying for many products in a short burst also dips the score temporarily, because each application can trigger an enquiry. Time helps you: a long record of clean payments is the strongest signal you can build, and old negative marks fade in importance as newer clean behaviour accumulates.
Common mistakes
- Assuming no credit history means a good score. If you have never borrowed in the UAE, lenders have little to judge and may be cautious. A single card used lightly and paid in full builds a file safely.
- Paying a settled loan but never checking the report. Mistakes happen — a closed loan left showing an open balance is one of the most common errors worth disputing.
- Only paying the minimum while balances grow. Minimum payments keep you “on time” but high utilisation still drags the score down and costs you heavily in interest.
- Ignoring a card you no longer use. An annual fee on a forgotten card can post, go unpaid and become a late mark. Cancel unused cards properly and confirm zero balance in writing.
- Using unofficial “score check” websites. Your Emirates ID plus payment details is a fraudster’s starter kit. Only use the AECB or your own bank’s app.
FAQ
Does checking my own score lower it?
No. Checking your own report is a “soft” enquiry and does not affect your score. Only enquiries made by lenders when you apply for credit are recorded as applications, and even those have a small, temporary effect.
How often should I check my AECB report?
Once or twice a year is sensible, and always a few months before applying for a car loan, personal loan or mortgage, so you have time to dispute errors and tidy up balances first.
How long do late payments stay on my report?
Your report shows several years of credit behaviour, and lenders weight recent conduct most heavily. A late payment from years ago matters far less if everything since has been on time — which is why starting clean habits now genuinely works.
