Cashback Credit Card (5% tier, Groceries + Education)

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 5% depends on more than AED 8,000 of total retail spending on the card in the calendar month, not just spending in the chosen categories. With 5% on both chosen categories, the two AED 250 category caps already add up to the AED 500 ceiling, and the 1% on other spending draws on that same AED 500. 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.