Citi Ultima Credit Card
1,500 statement credit after 25,000 in 60 days
at Citibank UAE's secure site
New Citi credit card customers only, applying directly through the Citi website. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
The Ultima earns more per than anything else Citi sells in the UAE, and Fly with Miles turns those miles into a flat 20-to-1 travel credit on any airline. The hard part is the entry price: 3,000 with no first-year waiver, and the 30,000 anniversary miles that justify the fee do not arrive until year two.
Earning and redeeming Citi Miles
The Ultima earns 5 Citi Miles per USD 1 on anything charged in a currency other than the , and 2.5 per USD 1 on spend. Citi converts at a fixed 1 = 0.271 USD, so that works out to roughly 1.36 miles per abroad and 0.68 at home. European Economic Area currencies are cut to the rate, and a long list of categories — utilities, telecom, government services, education, insurance, real estate, transit and transport — drops to 1 mile per USD. Utility bills paid inside Citibank Online or the Citi Mobile app earn nothing at all.
Redemption is where the card separates itself. Fly with Miles gives a flat 20 Citi Miles = 1 statement credit against any airline, hotel or travel-agency purchase, with no award seats, blackout dates or partner airline involved — about 0.05 a mile, or 6.8% back on foreign spend. You can also transfer to 11 partner airline and hotel programmes including Turkish, Qatar and British Airways, or take a plain cash rebate at a rate Citi does not publish. Miles have no stated expiry, but Citibank reserves the right to introduce one.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 3,000 a year, plus 5% VAT on top. No first-year waiver.
- Interest rate
- 3.69% a month (44.28% APR) on retail and cash. Citi's footnote says 42% APR applies until 01 October 2026.
- Interest-free period
- Up to 52 days if you clear the full statement balance by the due date; the minimum is 21 days. Cash advances, instalment plans and balance transfers accrue interest from day one.
- Foreign currency fee
- 2.99% processing margin on international and foreign-currency transactions.
- Cash advance fee
- 3% of the amount or 99, whichever is higher, capped at 250.
- Late payment fee
- 230.
- Over limit fee
- 249, or the highest over-limit amount assessed daily during the statement period, whichever is lower.
- Minimum payment
- The higher of 100 or 2.74% of the statement balance, plus any fees, finance charges and instalment amounts.
- Supplementary cards
- Free. A metal supplementary card carries a one-off 1,000 issuance fee.
Rates taken from Citibank UAE's Credit Cards Key Facts Statement and the July 2026 Fees & Charges schedule. VAT of 5% applies over and above every fee listed.
Card benefits
Fly with Miles on any airline
20 Citi Miles = 1 as a statement credit against flights, hotels and travel agencies. Minimum 100 transaction and 2,000 miles; up to 5 transactions per request.
Third hotel night free
Book three or more consecutive nights through Citi Ultima Concierge and the average nightly rate of the first three is credited back. Unlimited times a year, no blackout dates.
14 lounge visits a year
Roughly 1,200 lounges via Mastercard Travel Pass, with one guest each for you and your supplementary cardholders. Needs a USD 1 non- transaction to unlock.
30,000 anniversary miles
Credited within 45 business days of each annual fee payment — worth 1,500 at the Fly with Miles rate. New cardholders get it from year two onwards.
Unlimited weekday golf
Unlimited complimentary weekday rounds at UAE partner courses, plus one weekend round a month.
Airport transfers and fast-track
4 Careem airport rides a year (up to 84 each, code MAUAE6), 3 security fast-track passes and 4 home check-ins a year.
Pros and cons
- The strongest published earn rate of any Citi UAE card — 5 Citi Miles per USD abroad and 2.5 per USD at home
- Fly with Miles redeems at a fixed 20 miles = 1 against any airline, class or date, with no award seats to hunt for
- 30,000 anniversary Citi Miles each year you pay the fee, worth 1,500 at the Fly with Miles rate
- Third night free on any three-night hotel stay, with no cap on how many times you use it
- Metal card, 14 lounge visits a year with a guest each, 4 Careem airport rides and unlimited weekday golf
- 3,000 a year plus 5% VAT, and there is no first-year waiver
- The 30,000 anniversary miles only start in year two for new cardholders — year one gives you nothing back on the fee
- 36,750 minimum monthly salary shuts out most applicants
- spend on utilities, telecom, government, education, insurance, real estate and transport earns 1 mile per USD instead of 2.5, and utility bills paid inside Citi's own app earn nothing
- Every headline travel benefit has to be booked through Citi Ultima Concierge — book direct or through an agent and you lose it
- 2.99% foreign-currency margin eats into the 5x earn rate on the exact spend the card is built for
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You spend heavily in foreign currency and want 5 miles per dollar without picking an airline
- You take at least a few three-night-plus hotel stays a year and are happy booking through a concierge desk
- You clear 36,750 a month and can absorb an 3,150 fee in year one
- You want a metal card with lounge access, golf and airport transfers in one product
Consider skipping it if
- Your spend is mostly in — 3.4% back does not cover an 3,000 fee at ordinary volumes
- You want a first-year fee waiver, which this card does not offer
- You prefer booking your own flights and hotels rather than going through Citi Ultima Concierge
- A large share of your spend is rent, schooling, government fees or utilities, which earn the reduced rate
Alternatives to consider
A quarter of the salary requirement and a tenth of the fee, with the same 14 lounge visits and 3 points per USD on dining, fuel and groceries.
Best travel credit cards →
The other UAE super-premium card, with hotel status and a broader concierge offering — but a weaker plain earn rate.
Best lounge access cards →
A transferable-miles alternative from a local bank, though the foreign-currency markup is higher than Citi's 2.99%.
Voyager miles cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the annual fee on the Citi Ultima Credit Card?+
AED 3,000 a year, with 5% VAT charged on top. There is no first-year waiver.
What salary do I need for the Citi Ultima?+
Citi's Key Facts Statement sets the minimum at AED 36,750 a month — the highest of any Citi UAE credit card.
How many Citi Miles does the Ultima earn?+
5 Citi Miles per USD 1 on non-AED spend and 2.5 per USD 1 on AED spend. Spend in European Economic Area currencies earns 2.5, and AED spend on utilities, telecom, government services, education, insurance, real estate and transport earns 1.
What are Citi Miles worth?+
Through Fly with Miles, 20 Citi Miles buy AED 1 of statement credit against airline, hotel and travel-agency purchases — about AED 0.05 a mile. That works out at roughly 6.8% back on foreign spend and 3.4% on AED spend. Citi does not publish the rate for plain cash rebates, which is lower.
Do Citi Miles expire?+
Citi does not currently apply an expiry date, but the programme terms reserve the right to introduce one at any time, and all miles are cancelled if you close the account or fall into arrears.
How does the free hotel night work?+
Book three or more consecutive nights at any hotel through Citi Ultima Concierge and pay upfront in full on the card. Citi credits back the average nightly rate of the first three nights. Taxes and resort fees are not covered, and bookings made anywhere else do not qualify.
How much lounge access does the Citi Ultima give me?+
14 visits a calendar year across roughly 1,200 lounges via the Mastercard Travel Pass app, for you and each supplementary cardholder, with one guest each. Since June 2025 you need a non-AED transaction of at least USD 1 to unlock access for three months — only two visits a year are available without it.
Is the Citi Ultima a metal card?+
Yes, the Citi Ultima Mastercard is metal. A metal supplementary card costs AED 1,000 as a one-off issuance fee.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.