Emarati Credit Card

What makes this card Islamic

Emirates Islamic builds this card on a Murabahah contract. The bank buys the thing you want, then sells it to you at a stated cost plus a stated profit, payable later.

Bank states: 'All our Credit Cards are based on a Shariah compliant structure of Murabaha. Murabaha is a form of contract of sale whereby the Bank sells Wakala Certificates which are being purchased and in the possession of the Bank against a price which is equal to cost of acquisition and a defined profit.' The Shariah Certificate for the 'Covered Card (Based on Murabaha)' details the mechanism: the Bank buys EIFL Certificates (USD 10 each, a common share in a pool of Shariah-compliant assets - sukuk, shares, private equity and ijarah assets), sells them to the customer on Murabaha via an emailed Murabaha Offer Letter (no objection within a set period = implied consent), and the customer may sell them on Nasdaq Dubai; the cash proceeds credited to an account with the Bank represent the unutilised card limit. This is an organised-Murabaha (tawarruq-like) structure, NOT the fixed-monthly-ujrah model used by most UAE Islamic card issuers. Profit is charged monthly on unpaid balances and is not charged at all if the statement balance is settled in full by the due date, at the Bank's discretion.

Approved by Internal Shariah Supervision Committee (ISSC), under the supervision of Central Bank of the UAE.

What it costs

Every figure below comes from Emirates Islamic’s own published documents. Where the bank does not publish a number we say so rather than estimate it.

Annual fee

No Annual Membership Fee.No Annual Membership Fee.source

Supplementary card

AED 0Free – up to 4 supplementary cards.source

Profit rate

3.59% a month on the outstanding balance43.08% a year as stated by the banksource

Cash withdrawal

3.15% of the cash advance amount or AED 103.95, whichever is higher, per transaction. Maximum cash advance per transaction AED 10,000 or 50% of the card limit, whichever is lower.

Late payment

AED 131.25

Over limit

AED 261.45

Foreign currency spend

2.3% on top of the exchange rate

Replacement card

AED 210

Takaful cover

Optional Credit Shield takaful at 1.04% of the outstanding amount per month. Complimentary multi-trip travel takaful (trips up to 90 days) is bundled on several cards.

What you get back

• International spend: 3.75 EI SmartMiles per AED 1
• Domestic spend: 2.50 EI SmartMiles per AED 1
• European Economic Area countries and UK spends: 0.33 EI SmartMiles per AED 1
• Supermarkets: 1 EI SmartMile per AED 1
• Quick Service Restaurant spends: 0.31 EI SmartMiles per AED 1
• Insurance, Car dealership and Auto related: 0.18 EI SmartMiles per AED 1
• Education, Fuel, Real Estate, Government, Utility, Telecommunication and Charitable Social Service Organizations: 0.12 EI SmartMiles per AED 1
• Bank's worked example: an international spend of AED 1,000 earns 3,750 EI SmartMiles worth AED 37.50, i.e. 3.75% value back
• Welcome offer: AED 1,500 in EI SmartMiles on AED 30,000 of spend within 60 days of card opening; the headline banner advertises up to 150,000 welcome bonus EI SmartMiles
• SmartMiles transfer partners: 10,000 SmartMiles converts to 1,750 AirRewards by Air Arabia / 1,500 Etihad Guest Miles / 2,500 Marriott Bonvoy Points / 1,750 Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios / 1,000 Emirates Skywards Miles / 1,000 UPoints by Emaar; 7,500 SmartMiles converts to 5,000 Smiles
• Instant SmartMiles redemption at over 300 airlines and 180,000+ hotels from as low as 4,000 SmartMiles, with no blackout dates

Other benefits

• Airport lounge access; Meet & Greet Silver service; global concierge
• 2 complimentary valet parking services per month
• Complimentary access to Sharjah Ladies Club
• 50% savings on talabat food orders twice a month
• Multi-trip travel takaful; Visa Luxury Hotel Collection; extended warranty; purchase protection
• Instant Purchase — redeem SmartMiles against any purchase at any merchant, credited as a statement credit within 5 days

Before you apply

• Restricted to UAE Nationals.
• Card replacement costs AED 210, against AED 78.75 on most other Emirates Islamic cards. That is materially above the CBUAE Consumer Protection Standards replacement-fee cap of AED 75 net of VAT (AED 78.75 with VAT).
• Education, fuel, real estate, government, utility, telecom and charity spend earns 0.12 SmartMiles per AED — about 0.12% back, against the 3.75% headline. Supermarkets earn 1 (1%).
• EEA and UK spend earns 0.33 SmartMiles per AED against 3.75 for other international spend — a 91% haircut.
• SmartMiles are valid for two years.
• Profit is waived on a fully-settled statement balance only 'at the sole discretion' of the Bank (KFS wording) - it is not an unconditional contractual waiver.
• The late charge is a 'Commitment to Donate Amount' of AED 131.25 per month, charged whenever the Minimum Payment Due is not received by the due date; the Bank pays it to a charity approved by its Internal Shariah Supervision Committee after deducting actual expenses. It is a purification charge rather than bank income, but it is still a real AED 131.25 monthly cost to the cardholder.
• The bank's own two primary documents conflict on the FX fee: the Schedule of Charges states 2.54% (2.34% Amazon, 2.30% Emarati/Skywards Black) while the Key Fact Statement (CCB/CCD/0526/V7.5) states 2.34% for all other cards and 1.84% for Emarati/Skywards Black.
• A Visa/Mastercard network processing fee of approximately 1.15% applies ON TOP of the bank's FX fee. A separate 1.99% fee applies to transactions settled in AED at an overseas point of sale (dynamic currency conversion).
• Over-limit fee AED 261.45 per month; Direct Debit return fee AED 105; maximum cash advance AED 10,000 or 50% of the card limit per transaction.
• Optional Credit Shield takaful is charged at 1.04% of the OUTSTANDING amount every month, not a flat fee.

Can you get it?

Age

21 and over

Other conditions

Minimum age 21 ('you must be at least 21 years old'). Employed applicants must meet the card's minimum income requirement; self-employed applicants qualify on computed income. Applicants who are unemployed or below the income threshold may still obtain a card against a Fixed Deposit Account holding the minimum deposit for that card. Salary transfer to Emirates Islamic is NOT stated as a requirement on any published eligibility page. Cards are issued to non-account-holders. 5 business day cooling-off period applies.

What to have ready

• Original Emirates ID or passport
• Latest salary certificate (for employed customers)
• Trade license (for self-employed customers)
• Bank statement for the last three months
• Security cheque (if applicable)

Where these figures come from

Last checked against Emirates Islamic’s published documents on 2026-08-17. Banks change fees without notice, so treat the bank’s own document as the final word, not this page.

• “Emarati | 3.59% | No Annual Membership Fee — Schedule of Charges, Profit based Cards”
• “Annualized Percentage Rate (APR) for Purchase — Emarati Credit Card 43.08% — Key Fact Statement (KFS) – Credit Cards”
• “International spend-Up to 3.75 EI SmartMiles per AED 1 ... Domestic Spend-Up to 2.50 EI SmartMiles per AED 1 — Emarati Credit Card product page”
• “Get AED 1,500 in the form of EI SmartMiles when you spend AED 30,000 and more upon completing 60 days of the card opening date. — Emarati Credit Card product page”
• “Emirates Islamic Emirati Card is fully compliant with the Shariah principles. The card does not charge any interest to customers. As such, the bank charges a fixed profit for extending various features and benefits to customers. — Emarati Credit Card FAQ”
• “Replacement Card Fee — Skywards Black Credit Card - AED 420; Emarati Credit Credit Card - AED 210; All other Credit Cards - AED 78.75 — Schedule of Charges”
• “Categories* | EI SmartMiles Earning for every AED 1 spent — International Spend 3.75 | Domestic Spend 2.50 | European Economic Area (EEA) countries and UK spends 0.33 | Supermarkets 1 | Quick Service Restaurant Spends 0.31 | Insurance, Car dealership and Auto related 0.18 | Education, Fuel, Real Estate, Government, Utility, Telecommunication and Charitable Social Service Organizations 0.12 — Emarati Card - Earn EI SmartMiles on every spend”
• “For example: For an international spend of AED 1,000, you will earn 3,750 EI SmartMiles (3.75*1000) which is worth AED 37.50, or 3.75% in terms of value back. — Emarati Card SmartMiles rate page”
• “Maximum eligible spends: In any given month, a Card member shall only be entitled to earn [rewards] for transactions carried out up to the extent of the assigned Credit Limit on the Card. ... ATM transactions, balance transfers, cash-on-call and cash advance are NOT eligible for Miles earning. ... Bill payments on utilities, telecommunications, RTA, and other services made via Emirates Islamic banking channels (Online Banking, Mobile App, ATM/CDM, and Call center) will NOT earn rewards. — Emirates Islamic Miles earning pages”
• “Shariah based Murabaha — All our Credit Cards are based on a Shariah compliant structure of Murabaha. Murabaha is a form of contract of sale whereby the Bank sells Wakala Certificates which are being purchased and in the possession of the Bank against a price which is equal to cost of acquisition and a defined profit. — Key Fact Statement (KFS) – Credit Cards”
• “If we receive payment of the statement balance in full on or before the payment due date, you do not have to pay any Billed Profit on the statement balance. This is at the sole discretion of Emirates Islamic Bank (P.J.S.C) (the “Bank”). — Key Fact Statement (KFS) – Credit Cards, CCB/CCD/0526/V7.5”
• “Commitment to Donate Amount — AED 131.25 per month will be charged to the Card Account if the Minimum Payment Due is not received by the Payment Due Date (the Bank shall pay any such amounts on behalf of the Customer to a charity approved by the Bank’s Internal Shariah Supervision Committee, after deducting the actual expenses). — Key Fact Statement (KFS) – Credit Cards”
• “Profit-free period — Up to 55 days for Retail Purchases together with any related fees and charges, and any profit or fees that are not related to a specific balance type. For example, profit free period does not apply for Cash Advances, Balance Transfers, special promotions, and any profit or fees related to these balance types. — Key Fact Statement (KFS) – Credit Cards”
• “Cash advance charges | 3.15% of cash advance amount or AED 103.95 whichever is higher | Per transaction ... Over limit Fee | AED 261.45 | Per month ... Supplementary Card Fee | Free (One-time joining fee of AED 525 will be charged for Skywards Black Metal Supplementary cards only) ... Credit Shield | 1.04% of outstanding amount | Per month — Schedule of Charges, Other Fees and Charges for Credit Cards”
• “The Covered Card product offered by Emirates Islamic Bank (“the Bank”) is based on the Murabaha of investment certificates according to the following mechanism: On the transaction date, or before it, the Bank shall purchase (“EIFL Certificates”) which represent a common share in a pool of Shariah compliant assets, i.e. Sukuk, shares, private equity and Ijarah assets. Value of each certificate is USD 10. — Shariah Certificate, Covered Card (Based on Murabaha), Internal Shariah Supervision Committee”

• Product page
• Schedule of charges