The product matching framework: four inputs to one recommendation
The Cross-Sell AI builds a product recommendation from four inputs processed simultaneously. The first is the borrower's current product and their behaviour on it — a borrower who makes prepayments on a home finance / Ijara may be building equity towards a LAP; one who has never missed an SME instalment may be ready for a working capital enhancement. The second is the borrower's income and employment type — a salaried borrower's cross-sell path is different from a self-employed proprietor's, whose path differs from an SME's. The third is the borrower's financial trajectory — improving AECB credit score, growing income credits, reducing DBR (Debt Burden Ratio) — which determines which products the borrower is now eligible for that they may not have been at origination. The fourth is the triggered signals — the specific combination of signals that crossed the readiness threshold determines which product fits the moment, not just the profile.
The output is not a single product name — it is a ranked product recommendation with a fit score for each, a specific loan amount range that the borrower's current profile supports, and the one or two reasons why this product fits this borrower at this moment, expressed in terms specific to their situation.
Product recommendation for Gulf Horizon Contracting: ranked matches
SME Working Capital Top-Up · AED15–20 hundred thousand · 36 months
Gulf Horizon Contracting has a 14-month track record of on-time repayment on their existing AED28L SME term loan. VAT revenue grew 34% YoY. A new VAT registration in Saudi Arabia was filed last month — the expansion is underway. The AED 150,000–AED 200,000 working capital top-up gives the business the liquidity to fund the Saudi Arabia operations before revenues from the new territory come in. The instalment calculator use on Nov 12 suggests the proprietor is already modelling something in this range. Expected DBR (Debt Burden Ratio) post-top-up: 61% — within the 65% cap for SME borrowers.
SME Term Loan (standalone) · AED20–30 hundred thousand · 48 months
If the working capital top-up is not the right product for the Saudi Arabia expansion (e.g., if the borrower needs longer-tenor capital for machinery or infrastructure rather than working capital), a new standalone SME term loan at AED20–30L for 48 months is the next match. The borrower's demonstrated repayment capacity on the existing loan supports this ticket. The longer tenor keeps the incremental instalment manageable at ~AED55,000/month.
Loan Against Property (LAP) · AED40–60 hundred thousand · Against business premises
Gulf Horizon Contracting owns the business premises (declared in loan documentation). If the Saudi Arabia expansion succeeds over the next 6–12 months, a LAP against the business premises at AED40–60L would be the optimal capital structure for a larger phase 2 investment — secured, lower rate than an SME term loan, longer tenor. The Cross-Sell AI flags this as a future conversation, not an immediate offer.
The product-borrower fit matrix: what the Cross-Sell AI checks for each product
| Product | Borrower profile fit | Key eligibility check | Disqualifying signals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SME working capital top-up | SME borrower with ≥12 months on-time, revenue growing, new market or product line visible | Post-top-up DBR (Debt Burden Ratio) ≤65% · Existing loan at ≥60% repaid · No DPD in last 6 months | VAT filing irregularity · Revenue declining · Outstanding >85% of original |
| Home loan top-up | HL borrower with ≥18 months on-time, property value appreciated, or income significantly grown | Post-top-up LTV ≤75% · Income supports additional instalment · No DPD in last 12 months | DPD in last 12 months · LTV would exceed 75% · Property in disputed jurisdiction |
| Loan Against Property (LAP) | Borrower with clear property ownership, income to service, needing larger ticket than SME term allows | Property valuation current · Clear title · LTV ≤60% · DBR (Debt Burden Ratio) post-instalment ≤60% | Property in co-name without co-borrower · Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) <650 · DPD in last 6 months |
| Personal loan (top-up) | Salaried borrower with strong repayment history, Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) improvement, personal financial need | Salaried income confirmed · Post-instalment DBR (Debt Burden Ratio) ≤50% · Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) ≥700 · No missed instalment ever | DBR (Debt Burden Ratio) already above 40% · SME borrower (not appropriate product) · Any DPD in last 6 months |
| Education loan (new) | Salaried borrower nearing home finance / Ijara maturity, income strong, dependent child approaching higher education age (17–20) | Life stage signal · Income supports education instalment · Loan nearly closed = capacity freeing up | No dependent child in profile · Loan still in early stage |
The opportunity score panel: what the Cross-Sell AI shows the relationship manager
The recommendation that is right for the borrower and right for the institution is the only recommendation worth making
A cross-sell recommendation that produces a disbursement the borrower cannot service is a disbursement that will become an NPL in 6 months. The institution earned the commission and lost the relationship — and the net credit cost exceeds the commission earned. The Cross-Sell AI's product matching explicitly checks post-disbursement DBR (Debt Burden Ratio), post-disbursement LTV, and current Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) before recommending any product — not because the institution is conservative, but because a loan that fits the borrower is the only loan that stays performing. A 94% fit score means the product is right for the borrower. It does not mean the borrower will accept — but if they do, both parties benefit.