Introducing Hisab Circle: a free 12-week support group for people paying off debt in the UAE

Hisab Circle is a free support group for people in the UAE who are paying off debt, and the first batch starts in November 2026. You're put in a group of 4 for 12 weeks, and you take part under a nickname, so nobody sees your figures. There's no cap on numbers, and you join through the free Hisab app.

Why we're starting Hisab Circle

The Hisab app handles the practical side of debt. It shows you which debt to pay first, drafts the email to your bank and explains what's in your credit report. What an app can't give you is other people working on the same thing at the same time.

Paying off a debt usually takes months, and a lot of people in the UAE do it without telling family, friends or colleagues. Circle gives you a small group for 12 weeks: people who know which debt you're working on, who you'll speak to regularly, and who are doing the same thing themselves.

How the 12 weeks work

The first batch starts in November. Everyone who joins is put in a group of 4, and you stay with the same group for all 12 weeks. Because it's the same people every time, you explain your situation once instead of starting again at every call. If more people join than one batch can hold, we'll start another batch rather than turn anyone away.

Your group has a call every week for the first month, then every two weeks after that. The calls are online, most likely on Microsoft Teams, and the exact dates and times are shared in the First Batch room. When you join a call, set the name shown on screen to your Circle nickname, so everyone on the call knows each other by the names they chose in the app.

At the start, you choose which debt you want to work on and write your goal for it. It could be clearing a credit card, closing a buy-now-pay-later plan, or getting a lender to agree to a smaller instalment. You write the goal in your own words, and nobody sees your figures.

What everyone agrees to

Everyone in a batch agrees to the same four things for the 12 weeks. They're the same for everyone, whatever you owe.

1. Take on no new debt. That means no new cards, loans or buy-now-pay-later plans while the 12 weeks run.
2. Pay more than the minimum. On a UAE credit card, the minimum payment mostly covers interest, so paying even a little more is what brings the balance down. The credit card guide shows the arithmetic.
3. Have one conversation with a lender. UAE banks have teams that handle hardship requests, and our bank directory lists the contacts for six major banks. If you're not sure what to say, this email template is a good starting point.
4. Check your total once a week. The Hisab app keeps every debt on one screen, so this takes a minute. A list on paper works too.

Your privacy in Circle

Joining asks for one thing, a nickname. You don't give an email address, a phone number or your real name.

Your debt records stay on your phone and are kept separate from Circle. Nothing about your debts goes into Circle unless you choose to share a milestone, and even then only your nickname goes with it, never a balance or a lender's name.

You never have to post. Reading is enough.

On the group calls, you appear under whatever name you type when you join. Use your Circle nickname there too, rather than your real name.

If a message breaks the guidelines, you can report it, and a moderator reviews every report. You can also delete your community profile at any time. That removes your nickname, posts and messages, and it doesn't touch the debt records on your phone.

Circle's guidelines

These are the rules everyone in Circle agrees to, word for word from the app:

• Be kind. Everyone here is working through something.
• No lenders, brokers, or "DM me for a loan". Report them.
• Never share account numbers, passwords, or Emirates ID.
• No guarantees dressed up as financial advice.
• Keep it about money, life in the UAE, and support.
• Report scams and impersonation — moderators act fast.

Who Circle is for

Circle is for anyone in the UAE who is paying off a debt: a credit card, a personal loan, a car loan or a buy-now-pay-later plan. You don't need to be behind on payments, and you don't need a plan yet, because choosing the debt and the goal is the first thing you do.

Circle is peer support. It isn't financial or legal advice, and the other people in your group aren't advisers. If a debt has already gone to court, the travel ban guide explains how that process works.

Support outside Circle

If money worries ever feel like more than you can manage, you can call 800-SAKINA (725462), a 24-hour mental health support line that answers in Arabic and English. In an emergency, call 999.

How to join

1. Download the free Hisab app at gethisab.com/download. It's on iPhone and Android.
2. Open the Circle tab. It's the last tab along the bottom of the app.
3. Tap First Batch, choose a nickname and say hello.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to do before November?

Nothing beyond joining. Download the app, pick a nickname and say hello in the First Batch room. If you'd like a head start, think about which debt you want to work on for the 12 weeks.

What happens if more people join than there are places?

We start another batch. The first batch starts in November, and if more people say hello than one batch can hold, the next batch starts after it, so nobody who wants a group is turned away.

Where do the calls happen?

They're online. We're planning to hold them on Microsoft Teams, and the dates, times and link are shared in the First Batch room. When you join, you type the name that's shown on screen. Use your Circle nickname, so everyone on the call uses the name they chose in the app.

Can I leave if it isn't for me?

Yes. You can delete your community profile at any time in the app. That removes your nickname, posts and messages, and it doesn't touch the debt records on your phone.

What if someone offers me a loan in Circle?

Report the message. Lenders, brokers and "DM me for a loan" are banned under Circle's guidelines, and moderators act on every report. Never share an account number, a password or your Emirates ID with anyone in Circle.

Will anyone at my bank or my job know I've joined?

Not from Hisab. The app doesn't connect to your bank, and Circle never asks for your name, email or phone number. In Circle you're a nickname, and nothing about your debts goes into it unless you choose to share a milestone.

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Join the First Batch

The First Batch room is open now, and the first batch starts in November. Download the free Hisab app, open Circle and say hello.

Get the free Hisab app →