Best Rewards Credit Cards in the UAE

For Emirates flyers, ENBD Skywards Infinite earns Skywards Miles directly. For flexibility, Citi Rewards earns ThankYou Points convertible to multiple airline programmes. For cashback-as-rewards, Liv Cashback+ pays out as cashback or convertible to Skywards Miles in the Liv app.

Cashback returns a percentage of spend as direct AED credit. Rewards points (or miles) accumulate in a programme you redeem against flights, hotels, vouchers, or merchandise. Cashback is simpler and easier to value; points can deliver higher value per AED if you redeem strategically (especially for premium airline cabins).

Earn rates vary by category — ENBD Voyager World Elite earns up to 12 Voyager Miles per AED 1 on selected categories. Direct airline cards (Skywards, Etihad Guest) typically earn 1-2 miles per AED 1 spent with bonus multipliers on the airline's own spend.

Yes for ThankYou Points (Citi Rewards), Upoints (ENBD U by Emaar), and several other bank-loyalty programmes — they typically convert to Skywards, Etihad Guest, Marriott Bonvoy, and others at published conversion rates. Direct airline cards already credit miles to your frequent flyer account each month — no conversion needed.

Bank-loyalty points (ThankYou, Salaam, Upoints) usually have an expiry of 1-3 years from earning, often refreshed by recent card activity. Direct airline miles (Skywards, Etihad Guest) follow the airline's expiry rules — typically 2-3 years from last activity in the programme.