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Get notified about UAE latest credit card products
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Compare UAE travel cards for miles, lounges, hotel rewards, FX costs and insurance.
See cardsLast updated: - Sourced from official issuer documents and product pages.
Start with the reward style and travel benefits you will actually use, then check the costs and conditions that can change the winner: the annual fee, foreign-spend cost, airport lounge access and travel insurance. A higher earn rate is not necessarily better if FX charges, unused premium perks or benefit conditions erase the extra value.
For airline-focused travellers, compare UAE airline credit cards, Skywards cards and Etihad Guest cards. Hotel-first travellers can compare hotel rewards cards. If the permanent card benefits are less important than a current promotion, browse live travel and flight card offers instead of treating a temporary deal as part of a card's long-term value.
Kredit separates recurring economics from one-off offers and verifies card data against issuer sources. The comparison below combines card economics, editorial picks and dedicated travel subtopics so one broad page can answer the main travel-card decision without creating a separate URL for every modifier.
These are the cards that stand out after comparing ongoing value, travel perks, fees and eligibility. We explain why each made the cut, then let you scan the same welcome offer, rewards, benefits and fee details used on the full card page.
Best for airline miles
Emirates NBD
Our strongest pick for travellers already committed to Emirates and Skywards. The card makes most sense when you redeem miles deliberately for flights or upgrades; if you regularly switch airlines, a more flexible rewards card is easier to justify.
Best travel-rewards card
Rakbank
The best all-rounder here for travellers who want useful value across both flights and hotels without locking themselves into one airline. We would choose it for someone willing to optimise the plan tier, because that choice materially changes the card's travel economics.
Best free travel card
Emirates NBD
The cleanest low-commitment entry into travel rewards in this shortlist. It suits occasional travellers who want meaningful travel value without building their whole wallet around airline status or a premium-card strategy.
Reviewed by Kredit Editorial Team · data verified 2026-08-07
Best for spending abroad
Sinder
Our pick for travellers who care more about what everyday spending abroad costs than about collecting points. It works particularly well as a companion travel card: use it for overseas purchases and keep a separate rewards card for flights or premium perks.
Useful perks relevant to this card category.
AIRALO
NORDVPN
YANGO DRIVE
A side-by-side snapshot of annual fees, salary requirements, and standout benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 30,000 | Earn Emirates Skywards miles on every spend, lounge access, Emirates travel benefits |
![]() | AED 735 | AED 12,000 | 1.5 Skywards Miles per USD on Emirates and flydubai; up to 40,000 bonus Miles; 10 lounge visits a year; from AED 12,000 salary |
![]() | AED 2,625 | AED 5,000 | 8 Marriott Bonvoy points/USD at Marriott hotels, 15 elite night credits, Free Night Award worth 85,000 points annually |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 25,000 | Earn Marriott Bonvoy points, elite night credits, free night award annually |
![]() | Free | AED 12,000 | Free for life; 75,000 welcome Voyager Miles after AED 35,000 spend in 3 months; up to 6 miles/AED on the travel portal |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 25,000 | 150,000 welcome Voyager Miles after AED 70,000 spend in 3 months; up to 12 miles/AED on the travel portal; first year free |
![]() | AED 617.40 (waivable) | AED 35,000 | Up to 4 Rewards points/AED; about 3% value on airline/hotel redemptions; only Privilege removes the bank FX surcharge |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 | 12% back on flights and hotels after AED 5,000 monthly spend, capped at AED 1,800 per month; travel insurance included |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 | 10% back on airline tickets and hotel stays after AED 5,000 monthly spend, within the AED 1,500 combined monthly cap |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 30,000 | 3 ThankYou Points/USD on non-AED spend, 2 points/USD on local spend |
| Card | Annual fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 30,000 | Earn Emirates Skywards miles on every spend, lounge access, Emirates travel benefits |
![]() | AED 735 | AED 12,000 | 1.5 Skywards Miles per USD on Emirates and flydubai; up to 40,000 bonus Miles; 10 lounge visits a year; from AED 12,000 salary |
![]() | AED 2,625 | AED 5,000 | 8 Marriott Bonvoy points/USD at Marriott hotels, 15 elite night credits, Free Night Award worth 85,000 points annually |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 25,000 | Earn Marriott Bonvoy points, elite night credits, free night award annually |
![]() | Free | AED 12,000 | Free for life; 75,000 welcome Voyager Miles after AED 35,000 spend in 3 months; up to 6 miles/AED on the travel portal |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 25,000 | 150,000 welcome Voyager Miles after AED 70,000 spend in 3 months; up to 12 miles/AED on the travel portal; first year free |
![]() | AED 617.40 (waivable) | AED 35,000 | Up to 4 Rewards points/AED; about 3% value on airline/hotel redemptions; only Privilege removes the bank FX surcharge |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 | 12% back on flights and hotels after AED 5,000 monthly spend, capped at AED 1,800 per month; travel insurance included |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 | 10% back on airline tickets and hotel stays after AED 5,000 monthly spend, within the AED 1,500 combined monthly cap |
![]() | AED 1,575 | AED 30,000 | 3 ThankYou Points/USD on non-AED spend, 2 points/USD on local spend |

ENBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

ENBD Skywards Signature Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy ADIB Visa Infinite Card

ENBD Marriott Bonvoy World Elite

ENBD Voyager World Credit Card

ENBD Voyager World Elite Credit Card

Rakbank Elevate Credit Card

FAB Travel Credit Card

ADCB Traveller Credit Card

Citi Prestige Credit Card
Compare airline-specific Skywards earning with flexible Voyager Miles that can be used for portal bookings or transferred to participating travel partners.
EMIRATES NBD
EMIRATES NBD
EMIRATES NBD
Sinder prices foreign spend as a monthly allowance rather than a rate on every transaction: no markup up to a monthly ceiling, then a published rate on the excess. It spends money you already hold, so it opens no credit line, charges no interest and builds no AECB history — and within the allowance it matches the lowest published foreign-spend cost on this page.
SINDER
Earn Marriott Bonvoy points on every spend, with strong welcome bonuses and accelerated earn at partner properties across the UAE and globally.
ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK (ADIB)
EMIRATES NBD
FAB Travel waives both the bank surcharge and network charge. ADCB Traveller waives the bank margin but uses Mastercard's scheme rate. Rakbank Elevate Privilege waives the bank surcharge while Mastercard's 1.15% processing charge still applies.
FIRST ABU DHABI BANK (FAB)
ABU DHABI COMMERCIAL BANK (ADCB)
RAKBANK
These cards include lounge access through major networks, but visit allowances, guest rules, activation spend and app enrolment are card-specific. Compare those rules separately from the card's headline travel rewards.
CITIBANK
EMIRATES NBD
EMIRATES NBD
Travel-insurance benefits differ on activation, covered travellers, trip duration, medical limits, cancellation, baggage and claims. Compare the current policy terms rather than inferring cover from card tier.
CBD
EMIRATES NBD
RAKBANK
For travelers who prefer straightforward cash value over miles or points programs, these cards deliver competitive cashback on travel and everyday spend without the complexity of redemption.
RAKBANK
WIO BANK
Miles cards (Skywards, Etihad) offer the highest ceiling for frequent flyers who redeem on business class. Cashback cards return real AED value on every trip regardless of destination. Hotel cards concentrate value at partner chains and suit frequent hotel bookers.
A card earning 2 miles/AED but charging 2.99% on foreign spend often delivers less value than a card earning 1 mile/AED with 0% FX fees. For international trips, compare the net value — not just the headline earn rate.
Many travel cards offer welcome bonuses worth more than one year's annual fee when redeemed on flights or hotels. Factor the bonus value into your year-one cost when comparing annual fees.
Decide whether you primarily need airline miles, hotel rewards, low foreign-spend cost, lounge visits, insurance or simple cashback. A card can be excellent at one and ordinary at the others.
Compare the rewards you can realistically earn, recurring perks you will use, annual fee and foreign-spend cost. Treat the welcome bonus as a separate first-year layer rather than permanent value.
Lounge visits, insurance and travel credits can depend on enrolment, qualifying spend, booking channel or paying for travel with the card. Read the current issuer terms for the exact product.
If FX, lounges, insurance, airline miles or hotel rewards will determine the winner, use the dedicated Kredit comparison for that sub-intent instead of stretching one broad ranking to answer everything.
Travel cards rarely win on every dimension. Pick the factor that matters most to you; each option opens a focused page that explains how that cost or benefit works and compares the cards that handle it best.
You care about lounge visits, guest access or a specific lounge network more than the headline earn rate.
You expect to spend abroad and want to know what the card really costs before counting rewards.
Flights and upgrades are the goal, and the airline or miles programme matters more than simple cashback.
Built-in cover could replace a separate policy, but activation rules and exclusions may change the value.
You are booking soon and a temporary flight, hotel or booking promotion could outweigh the card's usual economics.
Hotel points, status or free-night value matter more to you than airline-specific rewards.
Commercial relationships do not determine Kredit Ratings or market rankings. Use the published methods and data sources below to inspect how the comparison is built.
How verified card economics become a 1–5 editorial verdict.
How Kredit benchmarks eligible UAE cards across seven disclosed pillars.
The model behind foreign-spend cost comparisons.
AED-equivalent values used to interpret travel rewards.
Put the comparison into your own numbers, or open the underlying market data before you choose.
Calculator
Test an award booking against its cash price and see whether using miles is actually good value.
Calculator
Convert major UAE airline and rewards-programme balances into an estimated AED value.
Calculator
Enter your monthly spend and compare the AED value different UAE cards could return.
Data tool
See the all-in cost of spending abroad across UAE cards at several monthly spend levels.
14 cards in the UAE
SINDER
FIRST ABU DHABI BANK (FAB)
ABU DHABI COMMERCIAL BANK (ADCB)
RAKBANK
EMIRATES NBD
EMIRATES NBD
WIO BANK
CITIBANK
CITIBANK
CITIBANK
ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK (ADIB)
EMIRATES NBD
EMIRATES NBD
EMIRATES NBD
General requirements for credit card applications in the UAE. Exact thresholds vary by bank and card tier.
| Minimum age | 21 years |
| Monthly salary | AED 5,000–36,750 |
| Employment | Salaried employees or self-employed professionals |
| Residency | UAE residents with a valid Emirates ID and residence visa |
| Credit history | AECB credit score is checked; a clean record strengthens approval |
| Minimum age | 21 years |
| Monthly salary | AED 5,000–36,750 |
| Employment | Salaried employees or self-employed professionals |
| Residency | UAE residents with a valid Emirates ID and residence visa |
| Credit history | AECB credit score is checked; a clean record strengthens approval |
Always confirm the latest eligibility details with the issuing bank before applying.
Prepare these before you start an application. Some banks accept digital uploads; others require originals at a branch.
The final list of required documents may differ based on the bank and card. Self-employed applicants may also need a trade licence and audited financial statements.
Common questions about Best Travel Credit Cards in the UAE
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