Glossary
DBR (Debt Burden Ratio)
DBR is the share of your monthly income that goes toward debt repayments — UAE banks use it, capped by the Central Bank, to decide how much credit you're eligible for.
DBR is calculated as total monthly debt obligations (credit card minimum payments, loan instalments, and typically new financing being applied for) divided by gross monthly income. The UAE Central Bank caps consumer DBR at 50% of gross salary for most retail lending, though individual banks can apply stricter internal limits.
A high existing DBR is the single most common reason a credit card or loan application is declined or capped at a lower limit than expected — it is not about your credit score alone, it is about whether taking on more debt would push your obligations past the regulatory ceiling.
To improve your DBR before applying: pay down or close unused credit lines (an unused card still counts toward your available-credit exposure on some assessments), avoid taking new financing shortly before a card application, and be accurate about existing obligations — banks cross-check against Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) records, so understating debt does not help.