Cashback Credit Card (3% tier, Groceries + Fuel)

A free Islamic cashback card where you choose 2 of 5 categories for a higher rate, which reaches 5% only in a calendar month your total retail spending on the card is above AED 8,000, capped at AED 250 a month on each chosen category; most other retail spending earns 1%.

No annual fee and no joining fee. Up to 3 supplementary cards are free; the 4th and each one after that cost AED 105. Changing your chosen categories is free for the first 2 changes in a calendar year; the 3rd change and each later one cost AED 25.

Spending abroad costs about 4.29% all in: Al Hilal's 3.14% (2.99% plus VAT) on foreign currency transactions and on AED transactions made outside the UAE, plus 1.15% for Mastercard, which is Perkly's standard estimate because Al Hilal's schedule of fees does not itemise the scheme charge. Spending at merchants in the European Economic Area earns only 1% cashback, even if international spending is one of your chosen categories.

The 3% depends on AED 3,000.01 to AED 8,000 of total retail spending on the card in the calendar month, not just spending in the chosen categories; at AED 3,000 or less the chosen categories earn only 1%. Above AED 8,000 of total retail spending the chosen categories earn 5%, capped at AED 250 a calendar month on each, and all cashback on the card stops at AED 500 a month. You can change your chosen categories at most once a calendar month, in the Al Hilal app, and a change takes effect only from the next calendar month.