FAB Cashback Credit Card
The FAB Cashback Credit Card from the UAE's largest bank offers high cashback on groceries and dining and 3% on international spends for an AED 300 annual fee, plus airport lounge access for added travel value.
Why it ranks
- Strong cashback on everyday essentials
- Modest AED 300 annual fee
- Lounge access included
What holds it back
- Cashback categories may be capped monthly
- Foreign currency markup on overseas spend
- Top rates may require a minimum monthly spend
Advertiser disclosure: we may be paid if you apply through our links. Ratings are editorial. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's site — offers change.
Why the FAB Cashback Credit Card ranks where it does
FAB Cashback is a solid household card for people who spend at least AED 3,000 a month on it, and a poor one for anyone who does not. It pays 5% on dining, groceries and fashion, each capped at AED 150 a month, 3% on international spends and 1% on everything else, with an overall cap of AED 1,000. None of it applies in a month that follows one with less than AED 3,000 of spend.
The fee is AED 300, AED 315 with VAT, which is easy to recover: the three 5% categories can return up to AED 450 a month between them. Each cap is reached at AED 3,000 of spend in that category, so a family spending AED 2,000 on groceries and AED 1,000 on dining is well inside the limits. The 3% international rate is unusually high for a UAE cashback card, although the currency spread still applies.
The card also includes up to 8 free lounge visits a year for the cardholder and 6 for a companion, rare at this fee level. Spending on government services, utilities and similar categories earns 0.15%. The minimum salary is AED 5,000, so it suits most working households that put their regular spending on one card.
Good fit if
- Households spending AED 3,000 or more a month on one card
- Families with steady grocery and dining bills
- Occasional travellers who want lounge visits for a companion
Skip it if
- Anyone who spends under AED 3,000 in some months
- People who want a card with no annual fee
Assume AED 2,000 a month on groceries, AED 1,000 on dining, AED 500 on fashion and AED 1,500 on other spends, AED 5,000 in total. Groceries earn 5%, AED 100; dining AED 50; fashion AED 25; other spends 1%, AED 15. That is AED 190 a month, all below the category caps, or AED 2,280 a year. Subtracting the AED 315 fee including VAT leaves AED 1,965. The previous-month AED 3,000 condition is met every month, and cashback is taken at face value.
How it stacks up
The Mashreq Cashback is free for life and pays 5% on dining with no minimum spend, but only 1% on groceries and fashion. The ADCB 365 Cashback pays more on dining and fuel, 6% and 5%, for AED 383.25 from year two, but needs AED 5,000 of spend every month to earn anything. FAB sits between the two: a small fee in exchange for broader 5% categories.
The FAB Cashback Credit Card from the UAE's largest bank offers high cashback on groceries and dining and 3% on international spends for an AED 300 annual fee, plus airport lounge access for added travel value.
FAB Cashback Credit Card at a glance
| Issuer | First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) |
| Card network | Mastercard |
| Annual fee | AED 300 (AED 315 including VAT) |
| Welcome bonus | Welcome cashback offer for new cardholders |
| Rewards rate | 5% on dining, groceries and fashion, 3% on international spends, 1% elsewhere |
| Intro APR | Not applicable |
| Regular APR | Approx. 3.25% per month on outstanding balances |
| Foreign transaction fee | Foreign currency markup applies (approx. 2.99%) |
| Credit needed | Stable income, UAE residency |
| Best for | Households wanting fee-free cashback on essentials |
| Airport lounge access | Yes |
Rewards & benefits
- Up to 5% cashback on groceries and dining
- 3% cashback on international spends
- AED 300 annual fee (AED 315 including VAT)
- Complimentary airport lounge visits
Eligibility & who it suits
- UAE resident with valid Emirates ID
- Minimum salary of approximately AED 5,000 per month
- Stable, verifiable income
- Pass FAB's credit assessment
How to apply
Check current rates on First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)’s official site →
This opens the issuer’s official application page in a new tab. We may earn a commission if you are approved — it never changes the terms you receive.
Rates, fees, welcome offers and benefits are provided for general information, can change at any time, and may not reflect current terms. Always confirm the latest details on the issuer’s official site before applying. This is not financial advice.
How it ranks against similar UAE cards
| Rank | Card | Annual fee | Rewards | Welcome offer | Foreign fee | Who qualifies | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAFirst Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)FAB CashbackAED 300/yr · AE FAB Cashback Credit CardHouseholds wanting fee-free cashback on essentials |
AED 300/yr | 5% on dining, groceries and fashion, 3% on international spends, 1% elsewhere | Welcome cashback offer for new cardholders | Foreign currency markup ap… | Stable income, UAE residency | |
| 2 | ADAbu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB)ADCB 365 CashbackAED 383.25/yr · AE ADCB 365 Cashback Credit CardDining, fuel and grocery spenders who put AED 5,000+ a month on one card |
AED 383.25/yr | 6% dining (incl. online orders), 5% fuel and Salik, 5% home digital entertainmen… | See issuer for the current offer | See issuer | Minimum monthly salary AED 5,000… | |
| 3 | MMashreq BankMashreq CashbackNo annual fee · AE Mashreq Cashback Credit CardEveryday spenders wanting fee-free cashback |
None | 5% on dining, 1% on other spends in the UAE and abroad | Welcome cashback offer for new cardholders | 2.89% spread on internatio… | Stable income, UAE residency | |
| 4 | ADAbu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)ADIB Cashback Visa CoveredAED 103.95/yr · AE ADIB Cashback Visa Covered CardShariah-compliant cashback on groceries, fuel, school fees and dining for a low fee |
AED 103.95/yr | 4% cashback on groceries (AED 300 cap), fuel and automobile (AED 300), school an… | See issuer for the current offer | 2.3% service fee on non-AE… | See issuer (ADIB does not publis… |
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