Etihad Credit Bureau launches Score 3i credit scoring model for UAE residents

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Credit Bureau has introduced Score 3i, the third generation of its credit scoring model. It was announced at a media briefing held at Al Qana, Abu Dhabi, alongside the soft opening of the bureau’s new walk-in Centre.

The redesign aims to make scores easier to understand, give people a clearer path back after financial setbacks, and open the system to residents with no banking credit history.

“This score is actually going to be as a game changer for the industry,” said Marwan Ahmad Lufti, Director General of Al Etihad Credit Bureau.

Through the bureau’s app or website, consumers can now see the factors behind their score, including both positive and negative influences, in real time.

Score 3i follows the bureau’s first-generation score, launched in 2018, and a second generation after it. Unlike a refresh of the existing model, the new version was rebuilt around UAE market demographics and dynamics.

Lufti said it also draws on consumer feedback, particularly about how people can recover after a default.

“Our intention is always not to penalize more than actually how to support. And I think that was one of the main issues that we sort of received or at least learned more repetitively.”

The Etihad Credit Bureau says the new model is tailored to the UAE and uses 36 months of credit behaviour.

It let's people who recover from a default begin moving out of the lowest score range sooner, potentially after six months of good payment behaviour, compared to 24 months under the previous model.

Drawing on a broader range of indicators related to financial obligations and repayment patterns, this extended assessment period provides a more comprehensive view of how credit behaviour evolves over time, supporting a better understanding of credit profiles and more informed risk assessments.

According to Lufti, this initiative is intended to make sure the process is easy on people.

“People do not need to reach out to us. We created score factors, which are live factors that are built to read what are the most important things that are impacting the score.”

Beyond the extended assessment period, the new model also enables the assessment of eligible new-to-credit individuals and new to country who have limited credit histories. It uses two distinct scoring models tailored to cater two different customer segments based on the length of their credit history.

Score 3i includes a dedicated segment for New-to-credit residents, who can get an initial score within a month, capped at 650. The full 300-850 range opens after three to four months as more data builds up.

Rather than relying on bank credit facilities they don’t have yet, the credit scores will be set based on the non-banking information.

The new model also improves coverage of buy-now-pay-later and short-term loans, including Tabby, Tamara, and Cash Now, which will bring more everyday borrowing into the picture.

The enhanced model will give banks, financial institutions and eligible fintechs fuller credit data for risk assessment, and may also serve government, regulatory, SME and real estate needs, subject to data access rules. Lending decisions will still rest with individual lenders.