Five UAE banks now issue Emirates Skywards co-branded credit cards: Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic, Dubai Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and HSBC UAE. Annual fees, welcome bonuses and mile earn rates vary a lot between them, and most listings online still quote fees in US dollars even though you will be billed in AED. Here is what each currently offers, in AED, so you can compare properly before applying.
How Emirates Skywards credit cards work
Every card on this list earns Skywards Miles on everyday spending in addition to whatever you already earn flying with Emirates. The miles go straight into your Skywards account and can be redeemed for flights, upgrades or partner rewards, and some cards also fast-track you to Silver or Gold tier status without needing to fly as much. The trade-off is the annual fee, which ranges from around AED 1,000 to nearly AED 5,000 depending on the card, so the right choice depends on how much you spend and how often you actually fly Emirates.
| Card | Annual fee | Welcome bonus | Earn rate on Emirates spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADIB Skywards Visa Signature | AED 1,575 | 25,000 miles | 2.5 miles per USD 1, automatic Silver status |
| Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite (10k) | AED 1,049 (waived with AED 30,000 spend in 180 days) | 10,000 miles | 2.0 miles per USD 1 |
| Emirates Islamic Skywards Black | AED 2,100 to 5,000 | None | Up to 3.5 miles per USD 1, strongest ongoing earn rate on this list |
| ADIB Skywards Visa Infinite | AED 4,725 | 50,000 miles | Gold status unlocked at USD 5,000 annual Emirates spend |
| Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite | Around AED 2,999 | Varies by promotion | Tiered by spend category |
| DIB Skywards Infinite | Around AED 2,625 | Varies by promotion | Tiered by spend category |
| HSBC Skywards Infinite | Around AED 2,625 | Varies by promotion | Up to 2.75 miles per USD 1 |
The catch most people miss
Nearly every card on this list quotes its earn rate per US dollar even though your spending happens in AED, and the headline rate almost never applies everywhere. Categories like groceries, DEWA, Salik top-ups, telecom bills and school fees are usually classed as restricted spend, earning somewhere between 5% and 15% of the headline rate rather than the full amount. If most of your spending falls into those categories, the real-world miles you earn will be far lower than the advertised rate suggests, so read the fine print on excluded categories before picking a card based on the headline number alone.
Which one actually makes sense
If you fly Emirates a handful of times a year and want the fee to pay for itself quickly, the ADIB Skywards Visa Signature’s 25,000 mile welcome bonus is close to a free return flight before you have even used the card. If you spend heavily and want the strongest ongoing earn rate rather than a one-off bonus, the Emirates Islamic Skywards Black has no welcome bonus but the highest sustained multiplier on this list. For everyone else, it is worth comparing these against a general cashback card first, since the best cashback credit cards in the UAE often work out ahead unless you are a genuinely frequent Emirates flyer. And if airline miles are not your priority, the loyalty programmes worth joining in Dubai covers retail and grocery rewards that stack regardless of which credit card you carry.<\/p>
TESTMARKER to frequent flyer value, and how they stack up against cashback and other travel cards in the UAE is laid out on the credit cards page.
\n\n
TESTMARKER to frequent flyer value, and how they stack up against cashback and other travel cards in the UAE is laid out on the credit cards page.
