Which UAE credit card to use for what: the best card for each category (October 2026)
The top UAE credit card for dining, groceries, fuel, travel, online shopping and cinema, on one page, with cashback, points and miles ranked separately.
No single card pays the most everywhere. This page shows the top card in each of the 6 spending categories we rank, taken from our catalogue of 114 cards from 21 banks. Cashback, points and miles each get their own table, because they are different units and we never add them together.
Best cashback card for each category
| Category | Top card | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | RAKBANK World Mastercard Annual fee: AED 997.5 · Min. salary: AED 20,000 Small print: Up to 10% dining — TIERED based on monthly spend (AED 10k+ req. for max tier) · No cashback unless you spend AED 10,000 in the statement cycle. The 10% categories are capped: supermarkets and dining AED 300 each, travel and hotels AED 400, AED 1,000 combined (RAKBANK). | 10% |
| Groceries | Commercial Bank of Dubai CBD Super Saver Annual fee: AED 420 · Min. salary: AED 5,000 Small print: Advertised as 'up to 10%' on bills, education, supermarkets and fuel. Cashback is capped at AED 600 a month (CBD). | 10% |
| Fuel | Emirates Islamic RTA Credit Card Annual fee: No fee · Min. salary: AED 3,000 Small print: No cashback unless AED 1,000 is posted to the statement for the month. 10% on fuel and RTA is capped at AED 75 each a month (Emirates Islamic). | 10% |
| Travel | First Abu Dhabi Bank FAB Travel Card Annual fee: AED 1,575 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 Small print: 12% on flights and hotels needs AED 5,000 spend the month before. Capped at AED 1,800 a month, paid as FAB Rewards (FAB). | 12% |
| Online shopping | Liv Cashback+ Annual fee: AED 735 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 Small print: Advertised as 'up to 4%'; the rate for each kind of spend isn't published. Savings are capped at AED 1,500 a month (Liv). | 5% |
| Cinema | Dubai Islamic Bank Consumer Cashback Annual fee: AED 249 · Min. salary: AED 5,000 Small print: 3% entertainment within monthly cap · No cashback unless you spend AED 4,000 in the statement cycle. Monthly caps: supermarkets and school fees AED 300 each, car servicing AED 400, fuel, telecom and utility bills AED 150 each, Salik and Nol AED 50 (DIB). | 3% |
Best points card for each category
Points are shown as each bank states them, with an approximate % value (≈) where the bank publishes what a point is worth.
| Category | Top card | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | Ajman Bank Platinum Annual fee: No fee · Min. salary: AED 8,000 · earns Ajman Bank Reward Points | 7% |
| Groceries | Emirates NBD Duo Credit Card Annual fee: AED 840 · Min. salary: AED 8,000 · earns ENBD Plus Points Small print: 5% on grocery, electronics, utilities, education and fuel needs AED 5,000 spend a statement; otherwise 1.5%. Capped at 500 Plus Points a statement (Emirates NBD). | 5% |
| Fuel | Emirates NBD Duo Credit Card Annual fee: AED 840 · Min. salary: AED 8,000 · earns ENBD Plus Points Small print: 5% on grocery, electronics, utilities, education and fuel needs AED 5,000 spend a statement; otherwise 1.5%. Capped at 500 Plus Points a statement (Emirates NBD). | 5% |
| Travel | Emirates NBD Voyager World Elite Annual fee: AED 1,575 · Min. salary: AED 25,000 · earns ENBD Reward Points | 6% |
| Online shopping | Ajman Bank Platinum Annual fee: No fee · Min. salary: AED 8,000 · earns Ajman Bank Reward Points | 10% |
| Cinema | Emirates NBD SHARE Visa Private Annual fee: AED 1,575 · Min. salary: AED 50,000 · earns SHARE Points | 2% |
Best miles card for each category
Miles per AED 1, as each bank states them. Miles are never converted to dirhams.
| Category | Top card | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Annual fee: AED 999 · Min. salary: AED 20,000 · earns Emirates Skywards Miles | 3 miles |
| Groceries | Emirates Islamic Emarati Card Annual fee: No fee · Min. salary: AED 12,000 · earns EI SmartMiles | 2.5 miles |
| Fuel | Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Annual fee: AED 999 · Min. salary: AED 20,000 · earns Emirates Skywards Miles | 1.5 miles |
| Travel | First Abu Dhabi Bank FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Annual fee: AED 2,625 · Min. salary: AED 30,000 · earns Etihad Guest Miles | 7 miles |
| Online shopping | Emirates Islamic Emarati Card Annual fee: No fee · Min. salary: AED 12,000 · earns EI SmartMiles | 2.5 miles |
| Cinema | Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature Annual fee: AED 299 · Min. salary: AED 8,000 · earns Emirates Skywards Miles Small print: BOGO Reel Cinema 2 tickets/mo (AED 3k min spend) | 10 miles |
Open a category for the full top 10 of each type. Each card’s small print is shown under it; caps and minimum spend often matter more than the headline rate.
How to use this
- Find your two or three biggest spending categories.
- Pick one reward type (see cashback vs points vs miles).
- If the same card tops most of your categories, one card may be enough. If not, two cards used for different things usually earn more.
- Check you meet each card’s minimum salary, then run your numbers through Card Match.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one UAE credit card that is best for everything?
No. Among cashback cards, 6 different cards top the 6 categories we rank. Carrying two cards and using each where it pays most usually beats one card.
Should I use cashback for one category and miles for another?
You can. We rank cashback, points and miles separately and never add them together, because a point or a mile has no fixed dirham value. Pick the type you’ll actually redeem, then use the best card of that type for each category.
How often is this table updated?
Every time our card catalogue changes, this page is rebuilt from it. Card data was last checked against bank sites on 25 Oct 2026.
How do I find the best pair of cards for my spending?
Use the card picker: enter what you spend in each category and it suggests the best card, and a second card if one would add to it.
Keep going
- Best cards by category: the full rankings
- Card Match: tell us how you spend and see which card pays you most
- The CardMax app: the best of your own cards at every shop
- Best credit card for groceries
- Best credit card for fuel
- Best credit card for dining and food delivery
Figures come from the CardMax catalogue of 114 UAE credit cards, taken from each bank’s published terms and checked up to 25 Oct 2026. They update automatically whenever the catalogue changes. Terms change often, so confirm on the bank’s site before you apply. How we rank.