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Emirates NBD vs FAB credit cards

Short answer: Choose Emirates NBD for a wider range, more free for life cards and more Emirates Skywards cards; choose FAB for more Islamic cards, more dedicated cashback cards and more Etihad Guest cards. Below, every Emirates NBD (ENBD) and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) card open to new applicants, compared.

Emirates NBDFirst Abu Dhabi Bank

Key differences

  • Emirates NBD has the wider range: 33 cards open to new applicants, against 23.
  • Emirates NBD has more free for life cards: 16 to 6.
  • FAB has more Islamic cards: 5 to 0.
  • FAB has more dedicated cashback cards: 3 to 0.
  • Emirates NBD has more Emirates Skywards cards: 2 to 0.
  • FAB has more Etihad Guest cards: 6 to 2.
  • Emirates NBD has more hotel points cards: 2 to 0.
  • FAB has more cards with no foreign transaction fee: 2 to 1.
  • Emirates NBD has more cards with a welcome bonus: 19 to 12.
  • Both banks have cards from a AED 5,000 minimum salary.

Side by side

Emirates NBDFAB
Cards open to new applicants333 more for nationals or private clients232 more for nationals or private clients
Free for life166
Islamic cards05
Annual feesFree to AED 2,625Free to AED 2,625
Lowest published salaryAED 5,000AED 5,000
Cashback / travel / rewards / shopping0 / 10 / 10 / 133 / 7 / 4 / 9
Emirates Skywards cards20
Etihad Guest cards26
Hotel points cards20
No foreign transaction fee12
Cards with airport lounge access2317
Cards with a welcome bonus1912

Counts cover cards open to new applicants, checked against each bank's own pages. Updated 2 Nov 2026. Information only, not financial advice.

Best cards from each bank

Top Emirates NBD cards

  1. 1 Emirates NBD Voyager World Credit Card

    Emirates NBD

    Voyager World Credit Card

    Free for life, with 6% back on the Voyager travel portal and 3% on other flight and hotel bookings.

    Fee: Free for lifeSalary: AED 12,000

  2. 2 Emirates NBD Mastercard Platinum Credit Card

    Emirates NBD

    Mastercard Platinum Credit Card

    Free for life with lounge access and golf.

    Fee: Free for lifeSalary: AED 12,000

  3. 3 Emirates NBD noon One Visa Credit Card

    Emirates NBD

    noon One Visa Credit Card

    Up to 20% back as noon credits across noon, noon Food and NowNow, free for life.

    Fee: Free for lifeSalary: AED 5,000

See all 33 Emirates NBD cards →

Top FAB cards

  1. 1 First Abu Dhabi Bank Etihad Guest Infinite Credit Card

    First Abu Dhabi Bank

    Etihad Guest Infinite Credit Card

    Up to 220,000 Etihad Guest Miles in the welcome offer for big spenders, plus 7 Miles per AED 10 on Etihad.

    Fee: AED 2,625Salary: AED 30,000

  2. 2 First Abu Dhabi Bank Blue FAB Signature Credit Card

    First Abu Dhabi Bank

    Blue FAB Signature Credit Card

    7% back at Al-Futtaim brands like IKEA, M&S and ACE, free for life.

    Fee: Free for lifeSalary: AED 15,000

  3. 3 First Abu Dhabi Bank Etihad Guest Signature Islamic Credit Card

    First Abu Dhabi Bank

    Etihad Guest Signature Islamic Credit Card

    Etihad Guest Miles on an Islamic card with up to 140,000 welcome Miles.

    Fee: AED 1,575Salary: AED 15,000

See all 23 FAB cards →

Questions people ask

Is Emirates NBD or FAB better for credit cards?

It depends on what you want from the card. Choose Emirates NBD for a wider range (33 cards to 23), more free for life cards (16 to 6), more Emirates Skywards cards (2 to 0), more hotel points cards (2 to 0) and more cards with a welcome bonus (19 to 12); choose FAB for more Islamic cards (5 to 0), more dedicated cashback cards (3 to 0), more Etihad Guest cards (6 to 2) and more cards with no foreign transaction fee (2 to 1). Both banks have cards from a AED 5,000 minimum salary.

Which has more free for life credit cards, Emirates NBD or FAB?

Emirates NBD, with 16 free for life cards against 6.

What salary do I need for a credit card from Emirates NBD or FAB?

Emirates NBD's lowest published minimum salary is AED 5,000 and FAB's is AED 5,000 a month.

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