Etihad Credit Bureau will shorten the credit score recovery period to as little as six months for UAE customers who resume regular repayments after financial difficulties.
Etihad Credit Bureau plans to introduce the change through a new credit report format. Formal details are expected in the coming weeks. Customers can currently remain affected by previous defaults for up to two years.
Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, Director General of Etihad Credit Bureau, confirmed that the revised system will respond faster to improved repayment behaviour.
Customers who settle outstanding obligations and maintain regular payments will have their credit information updated automatically. Scores can then recover progressively during the six months.
Lutfi said customers who demonstrate improved financial behaviour will no longer face prolonged restrictions from earlier payment delays. He said, “The customer will no longer be restricted for long periods by the impact of previous payment delays”.
Etihad Credit Bureau identified the change after reviewing customer complaints involving borrowers who had resolved previous financial difficulties.
Six months will not guarantee a higher score or a specific rating. Overall debt obligations, repayment behaviour and information contained within each credit report will continue to determine the final score.
UAE banks and finance companies use credit scores when assessing personal loans, credit cards and other financing applications.
Credit scores run from 300 to 900 points, with higher scores representing lower credit risk. Lenders use the figure alongside other underwriting criteria rather than as a standalone approval mechanism.
Etihad Credit Bureau records payment history, outstanding balances, overdue instalments and active credit facilities. Credit card utilisation, bounced cheques and financial obligations relative to income also contribute to assessments.
Credit reports provide three years of payment history across active and closed credit facilities and services. Reports also contain personal information, bills, financial obligations and the customer’s last reported salary. Data comes from banks, finance companies, telecom operators, utility providers, courts and government entities.
Etihad Credit Bureau says its reports let individuals track missed payments and see how repayment behaviour affects creditworthiness.
Etihad Credit Bureau also plans to provide customers with more detail on factors affecting individual scores.
Existing reports provide the final credit score alongside payment and borrowing records. Revised reporting will give customers clearer information on the factors driving changes in their rating.
Borrowers can use that information to manage balances, maintain scheduled repayments and control credit card utilisation. Multiple financing applications over short periods also form part of the wider credit assessment process.
Etihad Credit Bureau will continue updating customer information automatically as new data enters its systems.
Credit reports already allow customers to request corrections where information supplied by a bank or another provider is inaccurate. UAE Central Bank regulations require information providers to respond to correction requests within 10 working days, according to Etihad Credit Bureau’s support service.
Etihad Credit Bureau expanded its credit data coverage in July 2026 by incorporating buy now, pay later account information.
Etihad Credit Bureau’s website confirms the addition as part of its 2026 reporting expansion. The bureau also aggregates information from banks, telecom companies, government entities and utility providers.
Buy now, pay later records give lenders additional payment-behaviour data on consumers using short-term instalment products.
Etihad Credit Bureau has also widened access to personal credit reports during 2026. An April initiative allowed customers to obtain individual reports through Al Ansari Exchange branches, while digital reports remain accessible through the bureau’s application, UAE Pass-linked services, TAMM and DubaiNow.
Faster score recovery will shorten the period between restored repayment discipline and potential improvement in recorded credit standing. Lending decisions will remain with individual banks and finance companies.
