The Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) is rolling out its next-generation credit score under the name 3i, with the launch starting in October. The bureau describes the new model as more intelligent, insightful and inclusive, and it changes what feeds your score and how quickly the score moves. The bureau set out the main changes in November 2025.
📈 What is changing in the AECB score
Today's AECB score runs from 300 to 900 and sits behind most lending decisions on credit cards and loans. The next-generation model changes three things.
- Quarterly score adjustments. The score is recalculated on a quarterly basis, so recent payment behaviour shows up sooner.
- A faster exit from the red zone. Under the current model, a person who misses more than three consecutive payments stays in a delinquency category for 24 months. Under the new model, the AECB says a customer can leave the red zone within six months and improve their score in under a year.
- Data from beyond the banks. The bureau is widening its inputs to telecom, water and electricity providers, courts, real estate registries and Buy Now Pay Later providers.
The bureau's Director General, H.E. Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, described the model as a "fundamental transformation" in how scores are calculated.
⭐ What it means for residents
New residents and people without a loan or card. A score built only on bank products leaves anyone without a credit history with little to show. Utility, telecom and real estate payments give the bureau something to score.
People recovering from missed payments. Twenty-four months in a delinquency category is a long time to wait to apply for a card or loan. A six-month exit changes that timeline.
Everyone else. Because the score updates quarterly, a paid-down balance or a run of on-time payments no longer waits a full year to register.
Users will also be able to see the precise reasons behind a change in their score through the bureau's digital platform and mobile app. The redesigned app already offers real-time tracking, simulations of how future payments or borrowing could affect the score, and access to data that was previously visible only to lenders.
✅ How to prepare
- Check your current report. Open your AECB report and score through the bureau's website or mobile app with UAE PASS, and dispute anything that is wrong.
- Pay every bill on time. Utilities and telecom are moving into scope, so a late DEWA or telecom payment is no longer invisible to the score.
- Keep card utilisation low. Keeping balances below 30% of your limit is a common benchmark.
- Apply for credit only when you need it. Each application triggers a hard enquiry on your report.
- Keep old, fee-free cards open. Length of credit history counts in your favour.
If you are planning a new card application around the changeover, compare options on the credit card comparison page.
Kredit provides informational content only and does not offer financial advice. We do not guarantee accuracy and recommend consulting a licensed financial professional before making decisions.