Best travel credit cards in the UAE

Updated July 17, 2026 Fact checkedEditorial integrity

Cards that earn airline miles or hotel points, include lounge access and skip foreign transaction fees — ranked by total travel value.

More best-card guides

Best OverallTravelEmiratesEtihadMarriottCash BackNo Annual FeeSigning Bonus0% Loans

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How to choose a travel credit card in the UAE

A good UAE travel card earns miles you will actually redeem, skips foreign-transaction fees and pays for its annual fee with perks you would use anyway — lounge access, travel insurance and airport transfers.

Decide on your programme first. If you fly Emirates, Skywards co-brands earn fastest; Etihad flyers should look at Etihad Guest cards; and if you split flights across airlines, flexible bank points such as TouchPoints keep your options open. Then compare the earn rate on international spend — that is where travel cards beat cashback cards.

Watch the effective annual fee: most premium cards waive year one, so the real question is whether year two’s fee is covered by perks you’d pay for anyway. Our Skywards Infinite editorial review walks through that maths in detail.

Yajool's top picks at a glance
EEmirates NBDEEmirates Skywards
#1Best premium travel card

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite

Travel Min. salary AED 15,000/mo
Yajool Editor’s Rating ?Card Rating is based on the opinion of Yajool’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.4.7 / 5Go to review

Our take: Strong for Emirates flyers who want Skywards Miles, lounge access and low foreign transaction fees.

Heads up: The boosted miles apply to Emirates flights only; everything else earns at the base rate, capped at 5,000 bonus miles a month.

Annual fee

AED 900AED 0/year
First year waived
Offer
Welcome offer40,000 Skywards Miles
How to unlockSpend USD 25,000 · 3 statements

Rewards rate

2xEarn 2 Skywards Miles per USD 1 on Emirates flights booked direct.
1.5xEarn 1.5 Skywards Miles per USD 1 on dining worldwide.
1.25xEarn 1.25 Skywards Miles per USD 1 on international spend.
1xEarn 1 Skywards Mile per USD 1 on all other purchases.

Key benefits

Foreign fees2%
Lounge accessUnlimited
Installments0% for 12 months
1st year valueAED 8,500
Apply now

Why we chose it

8x Skywards Miles on Emirates flights, 4x on international spend, unlimited lounge access and comprehensive travel insurance make this the benchmark UAE travel card.

Pros

  • First-year annual fee waived (AED 900 value)
  • Tiered welcome bonus worth up to 65,000 Skywards Miles
  • Unlimited lounge access via Visa Airport Companion
  • Strong earning on Emirates flights
  • Complimentary golf, cinema and valet benefits
  • Skywards Silver tier while the card is active
  • Clear, transparent minimum salary requirement

Cons

  • Annual fee becomes AED 900 after the first year
  • Best value depends on flying Emirates frequently
  • Rewards are less flexible than transferable bank points
  • Monthly earning capped at 5,000 bonus miles
  • AED 15,000 minimum salary excludes some applicants
  • Interest applies if you carry a balance — pay in full to avoid
Annual fee (year 1)AED 0 — waived
Annual fee (year 2+)AED 900
Minimum salaryAED 15,000/month
Foreign transaction fee2%
0% installment planUp to 12 months
Lounge accessUnlimited, worldwide
Welcome offer40,000 Skywards Miles · Spend USD 25,000 · 3 statements
Interest rate3.5% per month
Earning cap5,000 / month
NetworkVisa Infinite
AADIBEEtihad Guest
#2Best for Etihad flyers

ADIB Etihad Guest Visa Signature

Travel Min. salary AED 10,000/mo
Yajool Editor’s Rating ?Card Rating is based on the opinion of Yajool’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.4.3 / 5Go to review

Our take: The strongest Etihad Guest earner in the market, with tier-mile accelerators for Abu Dhabi flyers.

Heads up: Accelerated miles apply to Etihad bookings and international spend; local AED spend earns at the base rate.

Annual fee

AED 999AED 0/year
First year waived
Offer
Welcome offer60,000 Etihad Guest Miles
How to unlockSpend AED 5,000 · 3 statements

Rewards rate

3xEarn 3 Guest Miles per AED 1 on Etihad bookings.
2xEarn 2 Guest Miles per AED 1 on international spend.
1xEarn 1 Guest Mile per AED 1 on everything else.

Key benefits

Foreign feesNone
Lounge access8 visits / year
Installments0% for 12 months
1st year valueAED 4,100
Apply now

Why we chose it

The strongest Etihad Guest earner in the market, with a 60,000-mile welcome bonus and complimentary lounge access on a first-year fee waiver.

Pros

  • 60,000-mile welcome bonus
  • First-year annual fee waived (AED 999 value)
  • Tier-mile accelerators toward Silver and Gold
  • 8 lounge visits per year
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Sharia-compliant structure

Cons

  • AED 999 annual fee from year two
  • Base earn rate on local spend is modest
  • Best value requires flying Etihad regularly
  • Welcome bonus requires AED 5,000 spend in 90 days
Annual fee (year 1)AED 0 — waived
Annual fee (year 2+)AED 999
Minimum salaryAED 10,000/month
Foreign transaction feeNone
0% installment planUp to 12 months
Lounge access8 visits / year
Welcome offer60,000 Etihad Guest Miles · Spend AED 5,000 · 3 statements
Interest rate3.09% per month
NetworkVisa Signature
EEmirates NBDMMarriott Bonvoy
#3Best for hotel stays

Marriott Bonvoy World Mastercard

Hotel Min. salary AED 12,000/mo
Yajool Editor’s Rating ?Card Rating is based on the opinion of Yajool’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.4.2 / 5Go to review

Our take: Earns Bonvoy points on every purchase, with automatic Silver Elite status and an annual free night award.

Heads up: The free night award covers rooms up to 50,000 points; peak-season Dubai properties can price above the cap.

Annual fee

AED 1,575/year
Offer
Welcome offer50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points
How to unlockSpend AED 6,000 · 3 statements

Rewards rate

6xEarn 6 Bonvoy points per AED 1 at Marriott properties.
2xEarn 2 Bonvoy points per AED 1 on international spend.
1xEarn 1 Bonvoy point per AED 1 on everything else.

Key benefits

Foreign feesNone
Lounge accessUnlimited
Installments0% for 12 months
1st year valueAED 3,600
Apply now

Why we chose it

Earns Bonvoy points on every purchase, comes with automatic Silver Elite status and an annual free night award that can outweigh the fee on its own.

Pros

  • Annual free night award (up to 50,000 points)
  • Automatic Silver Elite status
  • 50,000-point welcome bonus
  • Unlimited lounge access
  • Points transfer to 35+ airline programmes

Cons

  • AED 1,575 annual fee is not waived
  • Free night capped at 50,000 points
  • Best value tied to Marriott stays
  • Higher AED 12,000 salary requirement
Annual feeAED 1,575
Minimum salaryAED 12,000/month
Foreign transaction feeNone
0% installment planUp to 12 months
Lounge accessUnlimited, worldwide
Welcome offer50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points · Spend AED 6,000 · 3 statements
Interest rate3.29% per month
NetworkMastercard World
RRAKBANKRRAK Rewards
#4Best free travel card

RAKBANK World Credit Card

Travel Min. salary AED 3,000/mo
Yajool Editor’s Rating ?Card Rating is based on the opinion of Yajool’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.4.4 / 5Go to review

Our take: Great entry-level card with solid travel rewards and no annual fee.

Heads up: No annual fee, but no lounge access, and the 4x travel rewards are capped at 2,000 points a month.

Annual fee

AED 0/year
Offer
Welcome offer15,000 RAK Rewards
How to unlockSpend AED 3,000 · 2 statements

Rewards rate

4xEarn 4x rewards on travel and airline purchases.
2xEarn 2x rewards on dining and restaurants.
1xEarn 1x rewards on all other purchases.

Key benefits

Foreign feesNone
Lounge accessNot included
Installments0% for 6 months
1st year valueAED 800
Apply now

Why we chose it

No annual fee, ever — with real travel rewards and a salary requirement low enough for almost anyone to qualify.

Pros

  • No annual fee — ever
  • 15,000 RAK Rewards welcome bonus
  • 4x rewards on travel and airlines
  • 2x rewards on dining
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Low AED 3,000 minimum salary

Cons

  • No complimentary lounge access
  • Lower reward rates than premium travel cards
  • Welcome bonus requires AED 3,000 spend in 60 days
  • Rewards less flexible than transferable points
  • Interest applies if you carry a balance
Annual fee (year 1)AED 0 — waived
Annual fee (year 2+)AED 0
Minimum salaryAED 3,000/month
Foreign transaction feeNone
0% installment planUp to 6 months
Welcome offer15,000 RAK Rewards · Spend AED 3,000 · 2 statements
Interest rate3.25% per month
Earning cap2,000 / month
NetworkMastercard World

Frequently asked questions

Most standard cards add 2–3% on non-AED spend. The top travel cards on this page waive or heavily reduce that fee — one of the quickest ways they pay for themselves.

Miles win if you redeem for business class or peak-season flights; cashback wins for simplicity. Frequent Emirates or Etihad flyers typically get 2–4 fils of value per mile.

On the cards listed here, yes for the primary cardholder. Guest and supplementary-card access varies by bank — check each card’s terms.

How we chose these cards

Yajool's editors score every UAE card on the same four pillars — rewards value, travel benefits, fees & costs, and eligibility. Category winners are re-checked monthly against current public offers. Read our full ratings methodology and see how the top pick performed in our Skywards Infinite editorial review.

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