In this article, we provide some further background to the role of the Credit Bureau, and comment on some of the data protection considerations addressed in the related law and regulations.

Al Etihad Credit Bureau was established in 2010 pursuant to Federal Law No. 6 of 2010 (Credit Information Law). The recent approval of Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2014 (Regulations) provides greater visibility of some of the operational aspects of the Credit Bureau.

The Credit Bureau was established to provide a single source of reliable data regarding credit information relating to natural and legal persons in the UAE. The basic intention is to enable lenders to better assess the credit-worthiness of prospective borrowers, and to provide a mechanism for limiting the ability of borrowers to take on unserviceable levels of debt.