82% of UAE residents have a credit card

Credit cards are the most popular form of credit in the UAE, with 82% of residents owning at least one. According to a joint survey by YouGov, Al Etihad Credit Bureau and Citibank UAE, 82% of the respondents that make over AED 29,000 a month mainly use credit cards. Three quarters of the respondents had more than one card, and this form of credit was used frequently with almost a third using their cards daily and almost half using it weekly. The survey also found that an overwhelming 88% of wealthy people living in the UAE have credit obligations.