Al Ansari widens credit report reach

Al Ansari Exchange has expanded its partnership with Etihad Credit Bureau, enabling individuals to obtain official credit reports through more than 285 branches across the UAE in a move that broadens physical access to personal financial data and underlines a wider push towards transparency in consumer finance.

The service marks an extension of a relationship that had already covered corporate credit reports, and it arrives as financial institutions and regulators place greater emphasis on informed borrowing, payment discipline and easier access to verified credit information. Under the new arrangement, customers can request individual credit reports through Al Ansari’s nationwide network rather than relying only on digital channels, giving the offering stronger reach among people who prefer face-to-face service or need branch support.

For Al Ansari Exchange, the move is more than an add-on product. It reflects a deliberate attempt by the company to deepen its role beyond remittances and foreign exchange and position itself as a broader financial services platform. In its statement, the company said the launch forms part of its strategy to expand value-added services, improve financial literacy and support responsible financial practices. Chief executive Ali Al Najjar described the rollout as a step towards financial inclusion, saying access to credit information can help customers understand their financial standing and make better decisions.

Etihad Credit Bureau framed the initiative as part of a larger effort to widen access to trusted data across the financial ecosystem. Hammad Khan, the bureau’s director of customer experience, said the partnership would help individuals better understand and manage their credit profiles. That message is aligned with the bureau’s broader direction. In late March, it said it had expanded its reporting framework by integrating non-banking financial data from government entities to strengthen the depth of information available in credit assessments, particularly on the corporate side.

Credit reports in the UAE have become a more important consumer tool as lenders tighten underwriting standards and borrowers face closer scrutiny over repayment behaviour, existing liabilities and bounced cheque histories. Etihad Credit Bureau’s individual credit report provides a summary of personal information, financial obligations and bill data over the past three years, while its credit scoring system runs from 300 to 900, with higher scores indicating stronger creditworthiness. Access to that information can affect loan approvals, credit card applications and borrowing costs, making convenience a significant factor in whether consumers check their standing before seeking finance.

What makes this development notable is the method of delivery. Consumers in the UAE can already obtain credit reports through official digital channels including UAE Pass-linked services, TAMM and DubaiNow. By adding a large branch network, the partnership bridges the gap between digital finance and over-the-counter accessibility. That matters in a market where high smartphone use coexists with strong demand for branch-based support, especially for documentation, identity verification and financial products that customers still prefer to handle in person.

Al Ansari also has commercial reasons to keep widening its menu of services. The parent group, Al Ansari Financial Services, reported net income of AED 1.33 billion for 2025 and profit after tax of AED 400.9 million, with management describing its operations as a combination of branch-based, digital and smart-counter channels. Those figures show a mature business seeking incremental growth not only from traditional money exchange and remittance activity, but from adjacent services that can deepen customer engagement and lift transaction value across its network.

The partnership may also have a signalling effect beyond the exchange-house sector. As the UAE builds out a more data-rich credit environment, physical distribution partnerships can help normalise the use of credit reports among salaried workers, small traders and households that may not have checked their records before. Easier access can support healthier borrowing habits, but it may also sharpen awareness of how much personal financial behaviour is now visible to lenders and other institutions. That tension sits at the heart of modern credit systems: wider transparency can improve discipline and risk assessment, yet it also increases pressure on consumers to actively monitor their financial footprint.