Etihad Guest Premium 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

AED 1,575CONFLICT between the bank's own primary sources: the Schedule of Charges states 'Welcome bonus 55,000 Etihad Guest Miles - AED 1,575', while the Key Fact Statement (CCB/CCD/0526/V7.5) states AED 2,625 for Etihad Premium. AED 1,575 is recorded because it is the fee tied to the welcome-bonus offer the product page promotes.source

Supplementary card

AED 0Free – up to 4 supplementary cards.source

Profit rate

3.69% a month on the outstanding balance44.28% 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

2.54% on top of the exchange rate

Replacement card

AED 78.75

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

• Spend at Etihad Airways: 3.5 Miles per USD 1
• International spend: 3 Miles per USD 1
• Domestic spend: 2 Miles per USD 1
• European Economic Area countries and UK spends: 2 Miles per USD 1
• Domestic and international spend on Supermarkets, Automobiles and Insurance, Education, Fuel, Real Estate, Government, Telecommunication, Quick Service Restaurants, Utilities and Charitable Social Service Organizations: 0.3 Miles per USD 1
• Purchases at etihad.com, Etihad branches or the Etihad call centre qualify for the 'Etihad Airways' earn rate
• Welcome bonus of 55,000 Etihad Guest Miles upon payment of the Annual Membership Fee
• Fast track to Etihad Guest Gold Tier for 12 months on AED 4,500 of Etihad Airways spend within 12 months of card issuance
• Up to two 60% Miles discount vouchers per anniversary year, at AED 165,000 and AED 300,000 of spend
• Upfront Etihad Guest Bronze tier status on issuance
• 50% cashback on movie tickets, capped at AED 100
• Etihad Guest Tier Miles earned on every purchase (these maintain tier status and cannot be redeemed)

Other benefits

• 4 complimentary airport transfers to or from Abu Dhabi airport
• Unlimited complimentary access to over 1,200 airport lounges with a guest
• Complimentary inflight Wi-Fi vouchers — one per Etihad.com transaction of AED 500 or more, 180 MB each, valid one year, single use
• 0% Easy Payment Plan on Etihad purchases
• Complimentary golf; valet parking; airport Meet & Greet; global concierge; multi-trip travel takaful

Before you apply

• The bank's two primary documents differ on the annual fee by AED 1,050 (Schedule of Charges AED 1,575 vs Key Fact Statement AED 2,625).
• Miles discount vouchers are blacked out in July, August and December — three of the most popular travel months — and expire 6 months after issue.
• Wi-Fi vouchers and airport transfers require Etihad spend booked directly through Etihad.com, Etihad branches or the Etihad call centre; travel-agent bookings do not qualify.
• Airport transfers are charged if there has been no Etihad Airways spend in the last 3 months.
• Etihad Guest Tier Miles cannot be redeemed for anything — they only maintain tier status.
• Supermarkets, insurance, education, fuel, real estate, government, telecom, quick-service restaurants, utilities and charitable organisations all earn 0.3 Miles per USD 1 — under a tenth of the 3.5 headline rate, and identical on every Etihad Guest card in the range.
• EEA and UK spend earns 2 Miles per USD, not the 3 Miles that other international spend earns.
• ATM transactions, balance transfers, cash-on-call and cash advances earn no Miles at all, and bills paid through Emirates Islamic own banking channels earn nothing.
• 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.

• “Etihad Guest Premium | 3.69% | Welcome bonus 55,000 Etihad Guest Miles - AED 1,575 — Schedule of Charges, Profit based Cards”
• “Product Name ... Etihad Premium ... Annual Fee ... 2625 — Key Fact Statement (KFS) – Credit Cards, CCB/CCD/0526/V7.5”
• “Enjoy 12 months of Gold Tier status when you spend 4,500 on Etihad Airways within 12 months of card issuance. — Etihad Guest Premium Card product page”
• “Earn up to two 60% miles discount vouchers when you spend 165,000 and 300,000 within your anniversary year. — Etihad Guest Premium Card product page”
• “Yes, there is a blackout period during the months of July, August, and December. Flights during these months cannot be booked using the Miles Discount Voucher. — Etihad Guest Card FAQ”
• “EI Etihad Guest Premium Credit Card: Max cashback capped at 100/- — Etihad Guest Card FAQ, movie offer”
• “Spend Category* | Etihad Guest Premium | Saqer | Ameera | Platinum — Spend at Etihad Airways 3.5 / 3 / 3 / 2 Miles | International Spend 3 / 2 / 2 / 1.50 Miles | Domestic Spend 2 / 1.50 / 1.50 / 1 Mile | European Economic Area (EEA) countries and UK spends 2 / 1.50 / 1.50 / 1 Mile | Domestic & International Spend on Supermarkets, Automobiles and Insurance, Education, Fuel, Real Estate, Government, Telecommunication, Quick Service Restaurant, Utilities and Charitable Social Service Organizations 0.3 / 0.3 / 0.3 / 0.3 Miles — Earn Etihad Guest Miles on every spend”
• “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