Getting started with points, miles and credit cards in the UAE

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Using points and miles instead of cash to pay for flights and hotels sounds like a dream come true for any frequent (or aspiring) traveller. The good news: it's actually within reach for most UAE residents — and your first steps into the hobby can be far simpler than they look.

If you've never thought about it before, paying for travel with points can feel like a secret reserved for finance experts. It isn't. The mechanics are straightforward once someone walks you through them, and the rewards you earn from a single welcome bonus can cover a return flight or a few nights in a hotel that you'd otherwise pay for out of pocket.

There are countless ways to earn rewards in the UAE, and just as many ways to redeem them. Trying to digest it all at once is a great way to burn out, so this guide does the opposite: it gives you a clear, beginner-friendly path from "I have no idea what these are" to "I just booked a flight with points."

That's where this guide comes in. If you know about award travel and just want to compare cards, head straight to our best credit cards in the UAE ranking. Otherwise, read on — by the end you'll know enough to get started without diving in up to your chin.

What are points and miles?

So you've probably heard of them, but what are they? Points and miles are types of rewards currencies offered by banks and airlines. The only real difference between a "point" and a "mile" is the name — they function the same way. A Skywards Mile and a bank rewards point are both just units that have value when you redeem them.

Airline miles and hotel points each cost a certain number of these to redeem. If you have enough rewards to cover the cost, you can redeem them for a flight ticket or a hotel night without paying the full cash price (though you'll usually still owe taxes and fees). When you do this, the ticket you receive is referred to as an award ticket or reward flight.

For example, you could book a one-way Emirates flight from Dubai to the Maldives for 27,500 Skywards Miles and roughly AED 240 in taxes and fees. Pay cash and the same seat might cost AED 1,600 — so those miles effectively saved you the difference.

As points and miles enthusiasts, we often use the term "transferable rewards" when discussing bank rewards. Major UAE issuers — including those behind cards like FAB Rewards, Mashreq Cashback and ADCB TouchPoints — let some cardholders move their points or miles into airline and hotel partners. That flexibility is what makes transferable rewards so powerful.

Not all rewards work this way. You can also earn rewards directly with airlines and hotels, but these currencies are typically tied to a single program. In most cases, they can't be transferred to other brands — Skywards Miles earned the standard way stay Skywards Miles.

Why points and miles are worth caring about

When you ask any travel enthusiast why they do it, you'll likely get a near-identical answer: because without points and miles, they wouldn't be able to afford to travel the way they do.

That's exactly why we invest so much time and energy in points and miles. Without them, far fewer people would be able to spend a long weekend in the Maldives, fly business class to London, or treat their family to a holiday they'd otherwise have to skip.

Even if you prefer to travel in economy and stay in budget hotels, points and miles can save you a lot of cash. Paying just a few dirhams in taxes and fees for a one-way domestic flight, for example, is a real saving compared to paying a few hundred dirhams for the same ticket.

How to earn points and miles

The easiest and most efficient way to earn points and miles is through credit-card spending. You'll earn the most rewards at once from earning a welcome bonus.

Issuers offer welcome bonuses on their credit cards to encourage new applications. For the majority of cards, you'll need to spend a certain amount of money in a fixed window to earn the welcome offer.

For example, this is the current welcome offer on the popular Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite card: earn 30,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending AED 5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

After earning a welcome bonus, you can continue to earn more points or miles by spending on your card. Each card earns points or miles at a different rate, so it's important to pick one that matches your spending habits.

For instance, the Mashreq Cashback card earns a great 5% back on groceries and supermarkets, but 1% on everything else. If you spend a lot at the mall or online, a card like the FAB Rewards card (whose bonus categories may be a better fit) could earn you more rewards per dirham spent on shopping.

You can also earn points and miles through online shopping portals by spending with that airline or hotel brand. Earning airline or hotel rewards through your spending is a great way to supplement what you earn from credit-card welcome bonuses and spending, so it's worth learning how this works for your chosen program.

Cashback vs. miles: which should a beginner pick?

If you're just starting out and the idea of award charts feels intimidating, a flat-rate cashback card is a perfectly good first step — the rewards are simple and predictable. Miles can be worth more per dirham, but only if you redeem them well. Many UAE residents keep both: a cashback card for everyday spending and a miles card for travel categories.

How to redeem points and miles

Once you have a good stash of points or miles on hand, it's time to redeem them for part or all of a trip. If the rewards you've earned are directly from an issuer, your best bet is to transfer them to one of that issuer's travel partners.

Issuers don't have the same exact transfer partners, so make sure to do your research before investing in earning points or miles from a certain card.

Let's use the Skywards Infinite as an example. Say you earned 60,000 bonus points on the card after spending AED 9,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You would transfer those points to one of the card's transfer partners — for this example, let's use Emirates Skywards — and then book your reward seat directly through the airline.

What can you actually book?

Multi-night stays in higher-end hotels or business-class flights often cost thousands of dirhams in cash. Those are usually the redemptions where points stretch furthest. But even modest redemptions — a short-haul economy ticket, a weekend hotel night — can be worth it when they save you real money. The golden rule for beginners: don't chase the "perfect" redemption. A good redemption you actually use beats a perfect one you never book.

Choosing your first card

With dozens of UAE cards competing for your attention, the choice can feel overwhelming. Narrow it down by answering three questions: Where do you spend the most each month? Do you already favour one airline or hotel group? And can you comfortably pay your balance in full every month?

If you fly Emirates often, a Skywards co-branded card is an easy starting point. If your spending is spread across groceries, fuel and bills, a strong cashback card will likely out-earn a miles card. And if you're not sure yet, a flexible bank-rewards card keeps your options open while you learn.

When you're ready to compare specific options side by side, our editors maintain an up-to-date ranking of the best credit cards in the UAE, complete with welcome offers, fees and eligibility.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

Carrying a balance. This is the big one. UAE card interest rates are high enough that a single month of interest can erase the value of a year's rewards. Rewards cards only make sense if you pay in full.

Chasing every welcome bonus at once. Opening several cards quickly can stretch your finances thin and make it hard to meet each minimum spend. Start with one card, learn how it works, then expand.

Hoarding points forever. Rewards lose value over time as programs devalue. Earn with a plan to redeem within a reasonable window rather than letting a balance sit idle for years.

Points and miles can genuinely change the way you travel — but like any skill, it's best learned one step at a time. Start with a single card that fits your spending, pay it in full, earn a welcome bonus, and book your first reward trip. Once you've done it once, you'll wonder why you waited.