How We Calculate

Last reviewed: August 2026

Every number produced by our calculators traces to a rule listed here. If a figure on this page is wrong or outdated, every tool on the site inherits the error — so this page is the one we maintain most carefully.

Regulatory limits applied

Rule Value Source
DBR cap 50% of gross income CBUAE Circular 29/2011
DBR cap, retirees 30% of pension CBUAE Circular 29/2011
Personal loan size 20× monthly salary CBUAE Circular 29/2011
Personal loan tenure 48 months CBUAE Circular 29/2011
Card limits in DBR 5% of total limits Standard bank practice under the regulation

Formulas

DBR = (monthly loan payments + 5% × total card limits + any new payment) ÷ gross monthly income.

Headroom = 50% × gross income − current obligations.

Maximum loan (reducing balance): P = EMI × ((1+r)n − 1) ÷ (r × (1+r)n), where r is the monthly rate and n the tenure in months. The result is capped at 20× salary for personal loans.

Known limitations

  • Banks apply additional criteria inside the regulatory caps — minimum salary, employer listing, AECB score — which our tools cannot see. Results are capacity estimates, not approvals.
  • Some banks use flat-rate quotes; our loan tool assumes reducing-balance. Ask your bank for the reducing-balance equivalent when comparing.
  • Rules change. Each page carries a last-reviewed date, and figures are re-verified against CBUAE publications when regulations are amended.