Emirates Skywards vs Etihad Guest credit cards in the UAE (October 2026)
All 16 UAE credit cards that earn Emirates Skywards or Etihad Guest miles, side by side: miles per AED on travel, dining and groceries, annual fee and salary.
11 cards in the CardMax catalogue earn Emirates Skywards Miles and 5 cards earn Etihad Guest Miles. Each table is ordered by miles per AED 1 on travel.
Emirates Skywards cards 11
| Card | Travel | Dining | Groceries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Annual fee: AED 999 · Min. salary: AED 20,000 | 4 miles | 3 miles | 1.5 miles |
| 2. Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite Annual fee: AED 999 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 | 3 miles | 2.25 miles | 1 miles |
| 3. HSBC UAE Emirates Skywards Infinite Annual fee: AED 2,625 · Min. salary: AED 30,000 | 2.75 miles | 1 miles | 0.25 miles |
| 4. Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature Annual fee: AED 299 · Min. salary: AED 8,000 | 2 miles | 1.5 miles | 0.38 miles |
| 5. HSBC UAE Emirates Skywards Signature Annual fee: AED 1,050 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 | 1.75 miles | 1.75 miles | 0.1 miles |
| 6. Citibank Citi Ultima Annual fee: AED 5,250 · Min. salary: AED 36,750 | 0.68 miles | 0.68 miles | 0.68 miles |
| 7. Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Annual fee: AED 1,575 · Min. salary: AED 30,000 | 0.54 miles | 0.27 miles | 0.27 miles |
| 8. Dubai Islamic Bank Emirates Skywards DIB Infinite Annual fee: AED 2,625 · Min. salary: AED 20,000 | 0.54 miles | 0.27 miles | 0.27 miles |
| 9. Emirates NBD Emirates Skywards Signature Annual fee: AED 735 · Min. salary: AED 10,000 | 0.41 miles | 0.2 miles | 0.2 miles |
| 10. Dubai Islamic Bank Emirates Skywards Signature Annual fee: AED 1,575 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 | 0.41 miles | 0.2 miles | 0.2 miles |
| 11. Dubai Islamic Bank Emirates Skywards DIB Platinum Annual fee: AED 525 · Min. salary: AED 8,000 | 0.27 miles | 0.14 miles | 0.14 miles |
Etihad Guest cards 5
| Card | Travel | Dining | Groceries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. First Abu Dhabi Bank FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Annual fee: AED 2,625 · Min. salary: AED 30,000 | 7 miles | 2 miles | 1 miles |
| 2. Al Hilal Bank Al Hilal Etihad Guest Signature Annual fee: AED 787 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 | 3 miles | 1.5 miles | 1 miles |
| 3. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank ADIB Etihad Guest Infinite Annual fee: AED 3,000 · Min. salary: AED 30,000 | 0.88 miles | 0.63 miles | 0.25 miles |
| 4. Emirates NBD Etihad Guest Elevate Annual fee: AED 1,575 · Min. salary: AED 15,000 | 0.75 miles | 0.75 miles | 0.5 miles |
| 5. Emirates NBD Etihad Guest Inspire Annual fee: AED 735 · Min. salary: AED 10,000 | 0.6 miles | 0.6 miles | 0.35 miles |
Miles per AED 1, as each bank states them. “Not stated” means the bank publishes no rate for that category; “Under review” means we’re re-checking it.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Emirates Skywards or Etihad Guest?
It depends on which airline you fly and where. Miles from the two programmes aren’t worth the same, and what a mile is worth depends on the flight you book with it, so we don’t compare them in dirhams. Pick the airline you’d actually redeem with, then the card that earns most on your spending.
How many Skywards and Etihad Guest credit cards are there?
We track 11 cards earning Emirates Skywards Miles and 5 cards earning Etihad Guest Miles.
Which card earns the most miles?
Skywards: 11 cards; the highest travel earn is 4 miles on the Emirates Islamic Skywards Black (annual fee: AED 999); the lowest annual fee is AED 299 (Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature). Etihad Guest: 5 cards; the highest travel earn is 7 miles on the First Abu Dhabi Bank FAB Etihad Guest Infinite (annual fee: AED 2,625); the lowest annual fee is AED 735 (Emirates NBD Etihad Guest Inspire). Rates are miles per AED 1, as each bank states them.
Are miles cards worth the annual fee?
Only if you fly enough to redeem the miles. If you rarely fly, a cashback card is usually simpler. See cashback vs points vs miles.
Keep going
- Best miles credit cards
- Credit cards with airport lounge access
- 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
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.