Perkly Card Index · August 2026 · Rewards
Best rewards credit cards in the UAE: August 2026
Flexible points cards and bank rewards programmes: the 7 rewards cards Perkly users showed the most interest in during August.
By the Perkly research team · Published · Updated · Covers August 2026 · Card details checked 19 September 2026
Based on Perkly data for August 2026: more than 500 card searches, and the card pages, Apply clicks and applications that followed, on perkly.ae between 1 and 31 August 2026. Card fees, rates and offers on this page update live from Perkly’s card database.
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Rewards cards pay in points rather than cash or airline Miles, and the best ones let you choose where those points go. They were a smaller share of searches on Perkly in August than cashback or travel, and none received an application through Perkly, so this list is ordered by Apply clicks and card page visits added up, with a click counting three times a visit.
The key question for any points card is what a point is worth when you spend it, which varies by how you redeem. The card panels below show Perkly's estimate of the return on each category.
Apply for the top picks
- #1American Express Platinum Credit CardAED 735 a year · salary from AED 21,250
- #2Aafaq World Elite Credit CardAED 1,050 a year · salary from AED 20,000
- #3Emirates Islamic Flex Elite Credit CardAED 735 a year · salary from AED 15,000
How this list is made. The order comes from Perkly’s own data and nothing else. No bank pays to appear here, and no placement on this page can be bought. If you apply through Perkly and a bank issues your card, Perkly may earn a referral fee, which never changes the order or the figures you see.
Annual fee
AED 735
Min. salary
AED 21,250
Rewards in
Membership Rewards Points
Top rate
2.82% travel
1 Membership Rewards point per AED 2, transferable to 14 airline and 3 hotel partners, 12 Priority Pass lounge visits a year for the main cardholder (guests use visits from the same 12), 10% cashback on dining up to AED 50 a month in months you spend AED 4,000, and a grocery statement credit of up to AED 75 a month. AED 735 a year.
Best for: People who want flexible points and lounge access for a modest fee.
- Earn 1 Membership Rewards Point per AED 2 spent, transferable to 14 airline and 3 hotel partners
- 12 Priority Pass lounge visits a year (basic card) plus 8 visits a year for 1 supplementary cardmember, guests included in allowance
- 10% dining cashback up to AED 600 a year, plus AED 75 monthly grocery credit up to AED 900 a year
Current welcome offer: Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome offer
- Apply clicks:
- #1 rewards card
Aafaq World Elite Credit Card
Rewards · Islamic
Aafaq Islamic Finance
World Elite Credit Card
Annual fee
AED 1,050
Min. salary
AED 20,000
Rewards in
AIF Rewards
Top rate
3.75% dining & food
AIF Rewards at 5 per AED 1 on dining and online shopping (capped at 10,000 AIF Rewards a month each, so the first AED 2,000 of each), 3 on non-AED spend and 1 on other retail, with lower rates in categories such as petrol, supermarkets and utilities. Cinema, valet, golf and padel benefits are complimentary in months you spend AED 8,000. AED 1,050 a year, free in year 1 and waived from year 2 on AED 100,000 of annual spend.
Best for: Regular diners and online shoppers who want an Islamic card, up to about AED 2,000 a month in each.
- Earn 5 AIF Rewards per AED 1 on dining and online shopping, 3 on non-AED spend, 1 on other retail (excluding petrol, supermarkets, utilities and many common categories)
- Complimentary airport lounge access for cardholder and one guest
- With AED 8,000 monthly spend: 6 BOGO cinema tickets, 6 valet visits, 2 golf and 2 padel games per month
Current welcome offer: Earn up to AED 600 cashback in your first 90 days
Emirates Islamic Flex Elite Credit Card
Rewards · Islamic
Emirates Islamic
Flex Elite Credit Card
Annual fee
AED 735
Min. salary
AED 15,000
Rewards in
EI SmartMiles
Top rate
3.75% international spend
Up to 3.75 EI SmartMiles per AED 1 on international spend and 2.5 on domestic spend, which you can transfer to Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Marriott Bonvoy, Qatar Airways Avios, Air Arabia and more. 2 lounge visits a year with a guest. AED 735 a year.
Best for: Travellers who want to keep their airline options open.
- Earn up to 3.75 EI SmartMiles per AED 1 on international spend, 2.5 on domestic
- 2 complimentary lounge visits yearly (1,200+ lounges) plus 1 guest included
- Unlimited golf at 5 UAE courses and up to 3 BOGO Reel Cinema tickets monthly (spend conditions apply)
Current welcome offer: Earn up to 175,000 EI SmartMiles worth AED 1,750
Annual fee
AED 105
Min. salary
AED 5,000
Rewards in
FAB Rewards
Top rate
0.3% travel
Aimed at younger spenders: 1 FAB Reward per AED on retail spend (worth about 0.3%), no FAB foreign transaction fee on international and online spend, free Careem Plus and noon One memberships for a year, and 20% cashback on Netflix, Spotify and PlayStation up to AED 50 a month after a month with AED 3,000 of card spend. Free in the first year, then AED 105.
Best for: Young professionals (salary from AED 5,000) who shop online in other currencies.
- Earn 1 FAB Reward per AED on retail spend (0.5 on supermarkets, fuel, transport, utilities, education and rent)
- No FAB foreign transaction fee on international and online spend
- Free Careem Plus and Noon One memberships, plus 20% cashback on Netflix, Spotify, PlayStation and more (up to AED 50/month)
Current welcome offer: No annual fee for the first year
Annual fee
Free
Min. salary
AED 5,000
Rewards in
FAB Rewards
Top rate
15% utilities (partner only)
15% back applies to du telecom spend only (plans, data, devices); all other spend earns base FAB Rewards.
15% back in FAB Rewards on du spend, including plans, data and devices, after a month with at least AED 2,500 of card spend, and 1 FAB Reward per AED on general spend, worth about 0.3%. No annual fee.
Best for: du customers who want their phone bill to earn rewards.
- Earn 15% back in FAB Rewards on du spend (data, devices, pre/postpaid plans)
- 1 FAB Reward per AED 1 on general spend; 0.5 per AED 1 on groceries, fuel, rent and similar categories
- Complimentary airport lounge access on flight delays
Current welcome offer: Earn a free Amazon voucher worth AED 500
Expected offer expiry: November 2026
Mashreq Emirati Solitaire Credit Card (Al Islami)
Rewards · Islamic · UAE Nationals only
Mashreq
Emirati Solitaire Credit Card (Al Islami)
Annual fee
Free
Min. salary
AED 25,000
Rewards in
Mashreq Vantage Points
Top rate
2.08% travel
A card for UAE nationals: 6 Mashreq Vantage Points per AED on all local and international spend with no cap, 12 lounge visits and 6 airport transfers a year, and no annual fee. Minimum salary AED 25,000.
Best for: UAE nationals who want a free premium card that earns on everything.
- Earn 6 Mashreq Vantage Points per AED on all local and international spend, no caps
- 12 airport lounge visits a year (1,000+ lounges), 6 airport transfers a year, 2 valet visits a billing cycle
- 4 golf games a billing cycle (max 2 at weekends) at Arabian Ranches, Meydan, Abu Dhabi and more
Current welcome offer: Earn up to AED 2,500 as a welcome bonus
Annual fee
AED 414.75
Min. salary
AED 15,000
Rewards in
Membership Rewards Points
Top rate
1.41% travel
1 Membership Rewards point per AED 4, uncapped and never expiring, transferable to 14 airlines including Emirates, Etihad and British Airways Avios, with up to 5 Priority Pass visits a year. AED 414.75 a year, plus AED 99.75 for the Membership Rewards programme, so AED 514.50 in all.
Best for: People new to points who want Amex's transfer partners without a premium card fee.
- Earn 1 Membership Rewards Point per AED 4 spent, points never expire and no cap on earnings
- Transfer points to 14 airline partners (including Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, British Airways) and 3 hotel partners
- Up to 5 complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits a year, shared with a supplementary cardmember
Current welcome offer: Earn 15,000 welcome Membership Rewards points
Expected offer expiry: December 2026
Side by side
Live figures from Perkly’s card database. Earn rates are the value you get back per AED spent, after converting miles or points to dirhams.
| Card | Annual fee | Min. salary | Top rate | Welcome offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1American Express Platinum Credit Card | AED 735 | AED 21,250 | 2.82% | Yes |
| #2Aafaq World Elite Credit Card | AED 1,050 | AED 20,000 | 3.75% | Yes |
| #3Emirates Islamic Flex Elite Credit Card | AED 735 | AED 15,000 | 3.75% | Yes |
| #4FAB Z Card | AED 105 | AED 5,000 | 0.3% | Yes |
| #5FAB du Credit Card | Free | AED 5,000 | 15%* | Yes |
| #6Mashreq Emirati Solitaire Credit Card (Al Islami) | Free | AED 25,000 | 2.08% | Yes |
| #7American Express Gold Credit Card | AED 414.75 | AED 15,000 | 1.41% | Yes |
* Applies only at the card’s partner merchants or airline; other spend earns less.
Points, miles or cashback?
Cashback is simplest: AED 1 is AED 1. Airline Miles can be worth more, but only on that airline. Transferable points sit in between: they are usually worth less than cash on everyday redemptions and more when moved to an airline for a good flight. If you would never bother transferring points, a cashback card will probably serve you better.
How we built this list
This list is built from what people did on Perkly between 1 and 31 August 2026, not from what banks advertise and not from payments: no bank can pay to appear here or to move up. We count four things per card, and each visit counts once, at the furthest point it reached: an application submitted through Perkly, an application started, a click on Apply now, and a visit to the card's page. Each is weighted by how far it went: an application counts 10, a started application 5, a click on Apply now 3 and a page visit 1, and the list is ordered by the total. So a card many people explored closely can sit above one with a single application, and the signal shown beside each card is its strongest one, not the whole picture.
The data covers more than 500 card searches in August. Our own testing is excluded, and visitors who opted out of analytics are not counted. At this scale a single application can move a card several places, so read the order as "what people gravitated to", not as a precise league table. We publish ranks rather than raw counts for the same reason.
Card details in the text were checked on 19 September 2026 against Perkly's card data, which was reviewed against each bank's own documents between 15 and 19 September 2026. The fees, earn rates and welcome offers shown in each card panel are live from Perkly's card database, so they stay current after this article was written. Always confirm the final terms with the bank before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best rewards credit card in the UAE?
In August 2026 the American Express Platinum Credit Card was the most popular rewards card on Perkly. Its points transfer to 14 airlines and 3 hotel programmes, and it includes 12 Priority Pass lounge visits a year, with any guests using visits from the same 12.
Can I transfer credit card points to Emirates Skywards?
Yes, with several cards. American Express Membership Rewards and Emirates Islamic SmartMiles can both be transferred to Emirates Skywards, among other airline programmes.
How often is this list updated?
Every month. Each edition of the Perkly Card Index covers one calendar month of activity on Perkly and is published early the following month. Card details on every page update automatically from Perkly's card database.
Is one of these your best card?
Popular is not the same as right for you. Tell Perkly your salary and how you spend and it ranks every card in the UAE for you, or talk your options through with Perkly Chat.
The August 2026 series
16 articles, each on August 2026 data.
- 1Best cashback credit cards in the UAE: August 202619 September 202619 September 2026
- 2Best travel credit cards in the UAE: August 202619 September 202619 September 2026
- 3Best Emirates Skywards credit cards in the UAE: August 202619 September 202619 September 2026
- 4Best Etihad Guest credit cards in the UAE: August 202619 September 202619 September 2026
- 5The 10 most popular credit cards in the UAE: August 202619 September 202619 September 2026
- 6Best rewards credit cards in the UAE: August 2026You are reading thisYou are reading this
- 7Best no annual fee credit cards in the UAE: August 202619 September 202619 September 2026
- 8Best Islamic credit cards in the UAE: August 202620 September 202620 September 2026
- 9How the UAE chose credit cards in August 202621 September 202621 September 2026
- 10The best credit cards for an AED 5,000 salary in the UAE, August 202622 September 202622 September 2026
- 11The best credit cards for an AED 10,000 salary in the UAE, August 202623 September 202623 September 2026
- 12The best credit cards for an AED 15,000 salary in the UAE, August 202624 September 202624 September 2026
- 13The best credit cards for an AED 20,000 salary in the UAE, August 202625 September 202625 September 2026
- 14The best credit cards for an AED 25,000 salary in the UAE, August 202626 September 202626 September 2026
- 15The best credit cards for an AED 30,000 salary in the UAE, August 202627 September 202627 September 2026
- 16The best credit cards for an AED 50,000+ salary in the UAE, August 202628 September 202628 September 2026
More from August 2026
Best cashback credit cards in the UAE: August 2026
The 8 cashback cards Perkly users applied for, clicked and read about most in August, and the conditions that decide what each one really pays.
Read the list →
Best travel credit cards in the UAE: August 2026
Airline cards, travel cashback and flexible points: the 8 travel cards Perkly users were most interested in during August.
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Best Emirates Skywards credit cards in the UAE: August 2026
Seven Skywards co-brand cards from three banks, ordered by the interest Perkly users showed in August, with what each one earns and costs.
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Best Etihad Guest credit cards in the UAE: August 2026
Five Etihad Guest cards from three banks, ordered by the interest Perkly users showed in August, with what each earns and costs.
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- August 2026
- Rewards
- Points
- American Express
- Transfers