Independent insights. Better banking decisions.Made for the UAE 🇦🇪
UAE CARD COMPARISON

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite vs FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite: Frequent Emirates flyers who use premium benefits. FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic: Etihad Guest under the published conditions. Start with eligibility, reward use and total recurring cost.

Which card matches your situation?

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite — official bank artwork
Emirates NBD · CONVENTIONAL

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite

Frequent Emirates flyers who use premium benefits

Published minimum salary: AED 30,000 / month

Suits you if

  • You meet the higher salary requirement and can use the published premium benefits.
  • Your eligible spending and realistic redemptions justify the extra joining and renewal cost.

Skip it if

  • You mainly want the least expensive way to earn Skywards Miles.
  • Your budget is dominated by reduced-rate bills, or premium perks would go unused.

Partial reward estimate · Restricted points or miles value

Read the full Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite review →

Etihad Guest under the published conditions

Published minimum salary: AED 30,000 / month

Suits you if

  • You can use Etihad Guest rewards at the stated redemption value.
  • The listed fees fit the value you expect from your existing budget.

Skip it if

  • You need a verified AED reward estimate before deciding.
  • Your salary is below the published minimum, or you cannot meet the bank’s other criteria.

AED rewards not estimated · Reward value unconfirmed

Read the full FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic review →

Carrying a balance? Interest or profit charges can outweigh rewards. Check repayment costs before choosing a rewards card.

What will the fees and rewards mean in AED?

Same AED 10,000 monthly budget, paid in full. Net value is eligible rewards plus qualifying welcome offers, less modelled card, joining and plan fees. FX charges, borrowing costs and unpriced perks are excluded.

CompareEmirates NBD Skywards InfiniteFAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic
Minimum monthly salaryAED 30,000AED 30,000
Modelled fees · first yearAED 3,148.95AED 2,625
Modelled fees · ongoing yearAED 1,575AED 2,625
Estimated first-year netAED -284.82Not estimated
Estimated ongoing net / yearAED -635.87Not estimated
Reward redemption modelRestricted points or miles valueReward value unconfirmed
Bank FX charge1.99%; scheme charges may apply2.61%; scheme charges may apply
Earning spend gateCategory and programme conditions applyCategory and programme conditions apply

An AED-value winner is not established because a reward conversion or recurring fee is unconfirmed. Use the verified differences and ask the issuer about missing terms.

A higher estimate does not establish eligibility. Restricted points and miles need a redemption you can use. Benchmark calculated 2026-10-25; product terms retain the review dates below. Negative values show fees exceeding modelled rewards.

See the budget, welcome value and fee assumptions

Monthly budget: Groceries: AED 2,500; School Fees: AED 1,500; Utilities: AED 1,000; Dining: AED 1,500; Fuel: AED 1,000; Online Shopping: AED 1,000; International Spend: AED 500; Other: AED 1,000.

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite assumptions

Conditional welcome and campaign value included: AED 1,925. It requires the bank’s new-customer, application-date and spending conditions; it is not a guaranteed payment.

Published renewal fee used; unverified discretionary or relationship waivers are excluded.

Foreign input assumes eligible non-EU/UK purchases; EU/UK earns 0.75 miles per USD. Approved credit limit or AED 100,000 statement spend cap applies, whichever is lower. Utilities paid through ENBD banking channels and ineligible transactions do not earn; merchant categories, rounding and invoice timing can change actual awards. AED 0.055/mile is an editorial assumption.

FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic assumptions

Conditional welcome and campaign value included: Not estimated. It requires the bank’s new-customer, application-date and spending conditions; it is not a guaranteed payment.

Published renewal fee used; unverified discretionary or relationship waivers are excluded.

Published earning is described separately. An annual forecast is unavailable until this product’s full redemption, merchant exclusions, caps and qualification rules are represented.

Read the full AED valuation methodology

How does the answer change with your budget?

A lighter budget can miss a spending gate; a bill-heavy budget can earn reduced rates. These examples use the same rules as the personal selector.

Compare three example budgets

Light everyday · AED 3,000/month

Emirates NBD Skywards InfiniteOngoing net / year: AED -1,300
FAB Etihad Guest Infinite IslamicOngoing net / year: Not estimated

An AED-value winner is not established because a reward conversion or recurring fee is unconfirmed. Use the verified differences and ask the issuer about missing terms.

Monthly category amounts

Groceries: AED 1,000; School Fees: AED 0; Utilities: AED 300; Dining: AED 500; Fuel: AED 500; Online Shopping: AED 200; International Spend: AED 0; Other: AED 500.

Family bills · AED 10,000/month

Emirates NBD Skywards InfiniteOngoing net / year: AED -635.87
FAB Etihad Guest Infinite IslamicOngoing net / year: Not estimated

An AED-value winner is not established because a reward conversion or recurring fee is unconfirmed. Use the verified differences and ask the issuer about missing terms.

Monthly category amounts

Groceries: AED 2,500; School Fees: AED 1,500; Utilities: AED 1,000; Dining: AED 1,500; Fuel: AED 1,000; Online Shopping: AED 1,000; International Spend: AED 500; Other: AED 1,000.

Dining & travel · AED 10,000/month

Emirates NBD Skywards InfiniteOngoing net / year: AED 150.49
FAB Etihad Guest Infinite IslamicOngoing net / year: Not estimated

An AED-value winner is not established because a reward conversion or recurring fee is unconfirmed. Use the verified differences and ask the issuer about missing terms.

Monthly category amounts

Groceries: AED 1,000; School Fees: AED 0; Utilities: AED 500; Dining: AED 3,000; Fuel: AED 500; Online Shopping: AED 1,000; International Spend: AED 2,500; Other: AED 1,500.

Use your own salary, spending and repayment habits

The selector can check published eligibility and compare first-year with ongoing value for your profile.

Find cards for my budget

What should you confirm with the bank?

Check approval criteria, payment-channel exclusions, fee waivers and the benefits you plan to use. Product-source dates are shown separately; this comparison is not bank approval.

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite: benefit conditions and official sources

Perks and exclusions

  • Lounges: Visa Airport Companion registration required. From 1 June 2026, make a foreign-currency transaction equivalent to USD 1 at least 10 days before the lounge visit. Visit and guest entitlements depend on the registered card; USD 32 per visit applies if qualification is not met.
  • Cinema: Buy 1 Get 1 at VOX and Reel Cinemas; AED 5,000 spend in the month of benefit use. Below-threshold use can be charged back. Eligible formats, booking channels and monthly ticket limits apply.
  • Joining fee AED 3,148.95 applies in year one; renewal annual fee AED 1,575.
  • Current issuer conversion rate USD 1 = AED 3.672 is used, replacing the generic AED 3.6725 assumption.
  • ENBD international transaction fee is 1.99%, additional to approximately 1.15% scheme processing and acquirer markup, if any.
  • Golf access is conditional: two bookings/month, AED 30 processing fee and AED 5,000 spend in benefit-use month; AED 249 can apply for no show / under-spend.
  • Paid Express Miles programme is excluded.

Product terms reviewed 2026-10-18.

Open the complete Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite review
FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic: benefit conditions and official sources

Perks and exclusions

  • Lounges: Worldwide complimentary access advertised; confirm exact visits, guest allowance, app and activation conditions.
  • Cinema: No current offer verified.
  • Annual fee AED 2,625.00 includes VAT on the bank’s published pre-VAT fee.
  • Product advertises 55,000 welcome miles on activation. Acquisition-campaign deadlines and conditions are separate; no welcome miles included in forecasts.
  • Bank international transaction component 2.61% plus published 1.15% scheme charge; total stated components 3.76%.
  • Tier miles, status benefits, Wi-Fi and miles-discount vouchers are not cash and are excluded from the net AED estimate.

Product terms reviewed 2026-10-24.

Open the complete FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Islamic review

Read the reward calculation methodology · Browse practical UAE card comparisons

YOUR SHORTLIST

A clearer side-by-side view.

Your comparison starts here

Add up to 3 cards or accounts from the directory.