DBR and maximum loan calculator
Enter your income and current repayments to see your debt burden ratio, how much room is left under the central bank cap, and the largest new loan that fits.
How DBR is calculated
DBR = (loan instalments + card limits × minimum payment % + other obligations) ÷ monthly income × 100
Room for a new instalment = income × cap − current repayments
Largest loan (flat) = room × months ÷ (1 + rate × years)
Largest loan (reducing) = room × (1 − (1 + r)^−n) ÷ r, where r = rate ÷ 12
Banks in the Gulf do not decide how much to lend from your salary alone. They add up every monthly repayment you already have, including a share of every credit card limit, and compare it with a cap set by the central bank. Whatever is left under the cap is the most a new instalment can be. The calculator then turns that instalment into a loan amount using the rate and term you enter, with the same flat and reducing formulas as our personal loan calculator.
The caps in each country
| Rule | Cap | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UAE, employee: all repayments incl. cards | 50% of gross salary and regular income | CBUAE Notice 2901/2011, Art. 7(1) |
| UAE, retiree | 30% of income or pension | Art. 7(2) |
| UAE personal loan size and term | 20 × monthly salary, 48 months | Arts. 2(3) and 7(2) |
| Saudi, salary-deduction finance | 33.33% of gross salary (25% retirees) | SAMA Responsible Lending Principles, Arts. 15–17(a) |
| Saudi, obligations excluding real estate (income under SAR 25,000) | 45% of income | Arts. 15(b), 16(b) |
| Saudi, all obligations incl. mortgage, income up to SAR 15,000 | 55% (65% with a Housing Ministry / REDF product) | Art. 15(c), amended 2018 |
| Saudi, all obligations, SAR 15,000 to 25,000 | 65% | Art. 16(c) |
| Saudi, SAR 25,000 and above | Bank's own policy | Art. 17(b) |
| Saudi consumer finance term | 60 months (not mortgages or cards) | Art. 18 |
Official texts: the CBUAE Rulebook and the SAMA Rulebook.
Worked examples
Example 1: UAE employee with a credit card
Gross salary AED 20,000, a car loan of 3,000 a month and cards with a total limit of 20,000. At 5% of the limit, the cards count as 1,000, so repayments are 4,000 and the DBR is 20%. The cap is 10,000, leaving 6,000 a month. At 4% flat over 4 years, that instalment supports a loan of about AED 248,276 (6,000 × 48 ÷ 1.16), below the 20 × salary limit of 400,000.
Example 2: Saudi employee
Gross salary SAR 12,000 (basic after GOSI plus housing and transport allowances) and an existing salary-deduction loan of 1,500. The 33.33% cap is 3,999.60, so the room is 2,499.60 a month. At 3% flat over 5 years, the largest new loan is about SAR 130,414.
Example 3: UAE retiree
A pension of AED 15,000 and no other debts. The retiree cap is 30%, so repayments can be up to 4,500. At 5% reducing over 4 years, that is a loan of about AED 195,403.
Example 4: Saudi buyer with a mortgage
Income SAR 14,000, a mortgage instalment of 4,500 and a card limit of 10,000 (counted as 500). Total obligations are 5,000, a DBR of 35.71%. The total cap at this income is 55%, or 7,700, leaving 2,700. Remember the separate 33.33% cap on salary-deduction finance (4,666) still applies to any personal finance.
Example 5: when the salary multiple is the limit
A UAE employee on AED 8,000 with no debts has 4,000 of room. At 0% over 4 years that would support 192,000, but personal loans are capped at 20 × salary, so the result is AED 160,000.
How to raise the amount you can borrow
- Cancel cards you don't use, or ask for lower limits. Each AED 10,000 of limit counts as about 500 a month.
- Clear small loans first. A loan with a few months left can block a much larger new one.
- Choose a longer term within the legal maximum (48 months for UAE personal loans, 60 months for Saudi consumer finance). The same instalment then supports a larger loan, but you pay more profit.
- Include regular income you can prove, such as rent received. Saudi rules count other verifiable income at half its monthly average.
Common mistakes
- Using basic salary instead of gross. Both rules use gross salary with fixed allowances.
- Leaving out credit cards because the balance is zero. Banks count the limit.
- Treating the cap as a promise. It is the most the rules allow, not what a bank must lend.
- Comparing a flat rate with a reducing one. Check the instalment with the loan calculator or car loan calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum DBR in the UAE?
Total repayments, including credit cards, must not exceed 50% of your gross salary and other regular income (UAE Central Bank Notice 2901/2011, Art. 7). After retirement, total repayments must not exceed 30% of income or pension.
What is the maximum DBR in Saudi Arabia?
Finance repaid by salary deduction is capped at 33.33% of gross salary for employees and 25% for retirees. All obligations including real estate finance are capped at 55% of income up to SAR 15,000 (65% with a Ministry of Housing or REDF product) and 65% between SAR 15,000 and 25,000. Above SAR 25,000 there is no fixed total cap (SAMA Responsible Lending Principles, Arts. 15 to 17).
Do credit cards count even if I never use them?
Yes. UAE rules count card payments within the 50% limit, and SAMA counts each card at the minimum repayment on its full limit, not on what you owe. Cancelling unused cards can raise the amount you can borrow.
Is DBR worked out on basic or gross salary?
On gross salary. In the UAE that is gross salary plus regular income. In Saudi Arabia it is basic salary after GOSI plus fixed monthly allowances, and other verifiable income counts at half.
What is the largest personal loan in the UAE?
Up to 20 times your monthly salary, repaid over at most 48 months, and always within the 50% limit (Notice 2901/2011, Arts. 2 and 7).
What about Qatar?
Qatar Central Bank also caps repayments as a share of salary, with different limits for Qatari nationals and residents. We have not yet been able to check the current QCB text, so choose "Another cap" and enter the limit your bank gives you.
Will the bank lend me the amount shown?
Not necessarily. The cap is a ceiling. Banks also look at your credit report (AECB in the UAE, SIMAH in Saudi Arabia), your employer, length of service and their own policy.
Results are estimates. The minimum card payment percentage is bank practice, not law; your bank's own figure, your credit report and its lending policy decide the final amount. This is not financial advice.
Last verified on 2026-11-09 against UAE Central Bank Notice 2901/2011 (Circular 29/2011), Arts. 2 and 7; SAMA Responsible Lending Principles for Individual Customers (2018, as amended), Arts. 13 to 18.