FAB Rewards Program – How to Earn and Redeem in 2026

Most people who use a FAB credit card in the UAE have heard of FAB Rewards. They know they are earning points every time they swipe their card. But if you ask them how the program actually works, how many points they have earned this year, or what those points are really worth in real money, most cannot answer. That is a lot of value sitting on the table waiting to be collected.

The FAB Rewards program is the loyalty system used by First Abu Dhabi Bank across almost every credit card, many debit cards, and even some account products. Every time you spend, you earn points. Those points can be turned into cashback, airline miles, shopping vouchers, utility bill payments, dining credits, and more. Used properly, a FAB customer can easily earn back several hundred dirhams a year in rewards without changing their spending habits at all.

This guide explains the full FAB Rewards program in simple language. We cover how points are earned on every FAB card, how much each point is actually worth, every way you can redeem points, tips to maximise what you earn, and the common mistakes that cause people to miss out on rewards they have already earned.

What Is the FAB Rewards Program

FAB Rewards is the official loyalty program of First Abu Dhabi Bank. It is built around a single currency called FAB Rewards points. Every time you make a purchase using a FAB credit card or debit card, or even just keep money in certain FAB accounts, you collect points. Points stack up automatically. You do not need to sign up separately. If you have a FAB credit or debit card, you are already enrolled in the program.

Points are tracked in real time and visible in the FAB Mobile App and on FAB Online Banking. When you want to use them, you go into the Rewards section of the app, choose what you want to redeem them for, and confirm. Most redemptions happen instantly.

FAB Rewards is separate from but connects with Etihad Guest Miles and Emirates Skywards Miles. This means if you also fly often, you can convert your FAB Rewards to airline miles and use them for free flights or upgrades. We will cover this conversion in detail later.

There is also a separate program called FAB Islamic Rewards for customers with FAB Islamic Banking credit cards. It works in almost exactly the same way as the standard FAB Rewards program, with the same earning rates and redemption options.

How Much Is a FAB Rewards Point Worth

This is the most important question to understand before you start stacking up points, and one that FAB does not always make clear. The standard value of a FAB Rewards point for cashback is 1 point equals AED 0.007. That means 1,000 points equal approximately AED 7, and 10,000 points equal approximately AED 70.

Here is a real example. If you earn 50,000 FAB Rewards points in a year, those points are worth around AED 350 in cashback. If you earn 100,000 points in a year, you have AED 700 of value sitting in your rewards balance.

Different redemption options give different values per point. Cashback is the simplest and has a fixed value. Conversion to airline miles can offer better value if you use those miles for premium cabin flights. Shopping vouchers typically sit in the same range as cashback. The absolute best value often comes from FAB’s bonus campaigns, where they offer 30% extra miles when converting to Etihad Guest or similar promotions that run throughout the year.

How to Earn FAB Rewards Points

Points are earned in three main ways: from credit card spending, from debit card spending on certain accounts, and from keeping a minimum balance in certain accounts. The earning rate depends entirely on which FAB card or account you have and what type of purchase you are making.

The 5x Online Shopping Rule

One of the most important things to know is that almost all standard FAB credit cards pay 5 FAB Rewards per AED 1 spent on online purchases. This is 5 times the rate of in-store spending. Online purchases include shopping on Amazon.ae, noon.com, and similar UAE online retailers, paying streaming subscriptions like Netflix and Spotify, ordering food on apps like Talabat, Deliveroo, and Careem Now, and booking flights directly on airline websites like etihad.com.

The simple rule is: if you can buy something online, buy it online with your FAB credit card. A family that shifts their grocery shopping, fuel payments when available, and subscription bills to online payment can easily earn 50,000 to 100,000 extra points a year just by making that small behaviour change.

The 0.5x Categories Trap

Not every purchase earns the full rate. FAB classifies certain categories as special spending that earns only 0.5 FAB Rewards per AED 1 spent. These include supermarkets (Carrefour, Spinneys, Lulu), fuel stations (ADNOC, ENOC), telecom bills (du, Etisalat), government payments, schools and education, charities, transport, rentals, insurance, and fast-food outlets.

This is important to understand because it means if you do AED 5,000 worth of supermarket shopping in a month, you earn only 2,500 FAB Rewards points, which is worth about AED 17.50 in cashback. The same AED 5,000 spent on online purchases would earn 25,000 points, worth AED 175. That is a massive difference for the same total spend.

How the FAB Travel Card Earns Differently

The FAB Travel Credit Card has a completely different earning structure designed to reward travel spending. It earns an exceptional 41 FAB Rewards per AED 1 on flights and hotel bookings, subject to a monthly cap of 612,000 FAB Rewards. That is the equivalent of 12% cashback on travel bookings, which is one of the highest travel rewards rates available on any UAE credit card.

For everyday non-travel spending on this card, you still earn 3 FAB Rewards per AED 1, which is better than the 1 point rate on standard cards for in-store purchases.

How the FAB One Account Debit Card Earns

One thing many customers do not realise is that FAB also rewards debit card spending on the FAB One Account. You earn 40 FAB Rewards for every AED 100 spent on the debit card, both domestically and internationally. You also earn 6 FAB Rewards for every AED 1,000 in average monthly balance, up to a maximum of 80,000 FAB Rewards per month. A minimum average balance of AED 10,000 is required to qualify for balance rewards.

Practically, this means if you hold AED 50,000 in your FAB One Account, you earn around 300 FAB Rewards per month just from balance rewards, plus whatever you earn from debit card spending. Over a year, that can add up to tens of thousands of points without any real effort.

How to Check Your FAB Rewards Points Balance

Your current points balance is available in multiple places. The easiest is the FAB Mobile App. Open the app, tap the Rewards section which is visible on the main home screen, and your balance is shown at the top. You can also see your earning history from the last few months, points earned per card if you have multiple FAB cards, and the complete catalogue of redemption options.

You can also check through FAB Online Banking by logging in at bankfab.com and going to the Rewards section. Your monthly card statement also shows your points balance and any points earned during the statement period.

For customers who carry cards with spending caps, the app shows how close you are to the monthly maximum. For example, the FAB Travel Card caps monthly travel rewards at 612,000 FAB Rewards. Once you hit that cap, additional travel spending does not earn the high rate until the next month starts.

All the Ways You Can Redeem FAB Rewards Points

Earning points is only half the equation. The real value comes from redeeming them well. FAB offers a wide variety of redemption options, each with slightly different value.

Option 1: Redeem for Cashback

Cashback is the simplest and most popular option. You convert points into real money that gets credited directly to your FAB credit card as a statement credit. The value is fixed: 1 point equals AED 0.007. Cashback must be redeemed in multiples of AED 50, which means 7,143 points for each AED 50 redemption.

Here is how to redeem cashback. Open the FAB Mobile App and navigate to the Rewards section. Select Cashback. Enter the amount you want to redeem, which must be in multiples of AED 50. Choose which FAB credit card you want the cashback credited to. Confirm the transaction. The credit appears on your card statement instantly.

Cashback is the best option if you want hassle-free value, you do not fly often enough to benefit from airline miles, and you like seeing real money instead of vouchers or store credits.

Option 2: Pay at the Store

FAB has integrated rewards redemption directly into the point-of-sale terminals at more than 4,500 partner stores across the UAE. This includes Al Futtaim Group stores, Al Shaya Group (which owns brands like Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, and The Body Shop), Americana Group restaurants, Lulu Hypermarket, GEMS Education schools, Cine Royal, and many others.

When you pay with your FAB card at a participating terminal, your FAB Rewards balance is displayed on the payment screen. You can choose to pay part or all of the purchase using your points. This is particularly useful if you have a large pile of points and want to cover a big purchase like new furniture, electronics, or a back-to-school shopping trip.

Option 3: Convert to Etihad Guest Miles

If you fly with Etihad Airways regularly, converting your FAB Rewards to Etihad Guest Miles can offer excellent value, especially for premium cabin redemptions. The conversion ratio depends on whether FAB is running a bonus campaign. In normal times, the conversion is straightforward. During promotional periods, FAB often adds 30% bonus miles on conversions.

Here is how to convert. In the FAB Mobile App, go to Rewards and select Convert to Miles. Choose Etihad Guest Miles. Enter your Etihad Guest membership number (you must have enrolled in Etihad Guest separately to use this option). Enter the number of FAB Rewards you want to transfer or the number of miles you want to receive. Confirm. Miles are credited to your Etihad Guest account in real time.

Option 4: Convert to Emirates Skywards Miles

Emirates Skywards is the frequent flyer program of Emirates and flydubai. If you fly these airlines more than Etihad, this conversion makes more sense. The process is the same as Etihad conversion: go to the Rewards section in the FAB Mobile App, select Convert to Miles, choose Emirates Skywards, enter your Skywards number, and confirm the transfer.

Emirates Skywards miles typically take up to 3 working days to credit to your Skywards account, which is slower than Etihad Guest conversions that happen in real time.

Option 5: Pay Your Bills

You can use FAB Rewards points to pay your utility and telecom bills directly. This means your DEWA, SEWA, du, Etisalat, and Salik payments can be covered from your points balance. The value per point is the same as cashback, approximately AED 0.007 per point.

To pay a bill with points, open the FAB Mobile App, go to Rewards, select Bill Payments, choose the biller, enter your customer reference number, and confirm the amount in points. The bill is paid immediately.

Option 6: Shopping Vouchers and Gift Cards

FAB offers vouchers for major UAE retailers including Amazon.ae, noon.com, Carrefour, Sharaf DG, and more. You choose the voucher value, redeem your points, and receive a digital voucher code by email or in the app. You then use this code when checking out at the retailer’s website.

The value of vouchers varies by retailer. Some offer better-than-cashback value through promotional rates. Check the current voucher catalogue in the app before redeeming to see if any are discounted at a favourable rate.

Option 7: Salik, Careem, and Dining

Smaller but useful redemption options include topping up your Salik tag balance, getting Careem ride credit, and redeeming restaurant dining vouchers. These are good options for customers who do not want a full cashback redemption but want to cover specific small recurring expenses.

Option 8: Spin the Wheel

FAB has introduced a gamified redemption feature called Spin the Wheel. When you redeem FAB Rewards, you get a chance to spin the wheel and win bonus prizes including extra points, vouchers from partner brands, and other surprises. This adds some fun to the redemption experience and occasionally gives you more than what you paid for. The Spin the Wheel option appears in the app after a successful redemption.

Tips to Maximise Your FAB Rewards

Most FAB customers leave thousands of points on the table every year without realising it. Here are the most effective strategies to squeeze maximum value from the FAB Rewards program.

Strategy 1: The Two-Card Combo

Most savvy FAB customers use two or more cards to optimise their earning. A common setup is a FAB Indulge Credit Card, which is free for life, for online purchases earning 5x points, plus a second card that matches your main lifestyle spending. For travellers, that second card is the FAB Travel Card. For Etihad loyalists, it is the FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Credit Card. For drivers, it is the FAB ADNOC Rewards Credit Card.

Using the right card for each type of spending rather than using one card for everything can double or triple your annual points earning without spending a single extra dirham.

Strategy 2: Move Bills to Your Card

Many people pay their DEWA, Etisalat, du, and insurance bills directly from their current account. This earns zero points. Set these up as automatic payments from your FAB credit card instead, then let the credit card auto-pay from your current account each month. The total amount you pay is the same, but every dirham of bill payment now earns points.

Even though bill payment categories often earn only 0.5 points per dirham, for a family spending AED 3,000 a month on bills, that is still 1,500 points or approximately AED 10.50 in cashback value per month, which adds up to AED 126 per year on top of all your other spending rewards.

Strategy 3: Watch for Promotional Campaigns

FAB runs regular promotional campaigns where they offer bonus earning rates or bonus conversion rates. Common promotions include double or triple FAB Rewards on specific categories (groceries during Ramadan, back-to-school spending in August, travel bookings in summer), bonus miles when converting to Etihad Guest or Emirates Skywards (often 20% to 30% extra), and welcome bonuses for specific cards that can be 20,000 to 300,000 points for meeting a minimum spend.

Check the FAB Mobile App home screen regularly for current promotions. Time your bigger purchases and airline mile conversions to coincide with these promotional windows.

Strategy 4: Do Not Let Points Expire

Depending on your card type, FAB Rewards points may have an expiry period, typically 3 years from the date they are earned. While this is a long window, points earned several years ago can genuinely expire if you never redeem. Check the oldest points in your account at least once a year and redeem them if you have not already. The simplest safeguard is to redeem cashback regularly rather than saving points for years.

Strategy 5: Avoid Earning Blockers

Certain transactions earn no FAB Rewards points at all, regardless of which card you use. These include cash advances, balance transfers, and FAB Rewards redemption transactions themselves. If you are focused on maximising points, avoid these transactions or understand that they will not contribute to your points balance.

FAB Islamic Rewards Program

FAB Islamic Banking has its own parallel rewards program called FAB Islamic Rewards. It operates under Shariah-compliant principles but works very similarly to the standard FAB Rewards program. Earning rates, redemption options, and point values are broadly the same.

The main difference is that FAB Islamic Rewards is built to comply with Shariah principles, meaning it avoids categories that would not align with Islamic finance. Customers with FAB Islamic credit cards like the FAB Emirati Islamic Credit Card or the FAB Islamic Etihad Guest Infinite Card earn FAB Islamic Rewards instead of standard FAB Rewards.

Redemption options for FAB Islamic Rewards include cashback, conversion to Etihad Guest Miles or Emirates Skywards Miles, bill payments, shopping vouchers, and dining. The redemption process through the FAB Mobile App is identical to the standard program.

Common Mistakes That Cost You FAB Rewards

Knowing the traps helps you avoid them. Here are the most common mistakes FAB customers make that cost them rewards value.

Using the wrong card for online shopping: If you have a FAB credit card with 5x online earning, always use it for every online purchase. Using a debit card or lower-earning card for online purchases is giving away free points.

Not claiming welcome bonuses: Many FAB cards offer welcome bonuses of 20,000 to 300,000 points if you spend a certain amount in the first 30 to 60 days. If you apply for a new card and then do not use it much, you are leaving free points on the table.

Paying bills from the wrong account: Paying utility and telecom bills directly from your current account earns zero rewards. Route them through your FAB credit card instead.

Not converting for bonus campaigns: FAB runs periodic bonus conversion campaigns. Converting to Etihad Guest during a normal period versus a 30% bonus period can mean 30% more miles for the same number of points.

Ignoring points on account balances: FAB One Account holders earn 6 points per AED 1,000 of average monthly balance. Many customers keep their balance in a low-interest current account without realising this.

Letting cards sit unused: If you hold a FAB card primarily for specific perks (like lounge access or free subscriptions), make sure you still use it for at least some spending each month to justify keeping it active.

FAB Rewards FAQs

What is 1 FAB Rewards point worth in cashback?

The standard value of 1 FAB Rewards point when redeemed as cashback is approximately AED 0.007. This means 1,000 points equal around AED 7 and 10,000 points equal around AED 70. Cashback redemptions must be made in multiples of AED 50, which works out to 7,143 points per AED 50. Value may differ for other redemption types like airline miles or shopping vouchers.

How do I check my FAB Rewards balance?

Open the FAB Mobile App and tap the Rewards section on the home screen. Your total points balance is displayed at the top, along with this month’s earnings and redemption history. You can also check through FAB Online Banking at bankfab.com by logging in and going to the Rewards section. Your monthly credit card statement also displays your current points balance.

How many FAB Rewards do I earn per AED 1 spent?

It depends on your card and what you are buying. Standard FAB credit cards earn 5 points per AED 1 on online purchases, 1 point per AED 1 on regular in-store purchases, and 0.5 points per AED 1 on categories like supermarkets, fuel, telecom, and education. The FAB Travel Card earns up to 41 points per AED 1 on flights and hotel bookings. The FAB One Account debit card earns 40 points per AED 100 spent.

Can I transfer my FAB Rewards to Etihad Guest Miles?

Yes. You can convert FAB Rewards to Etihad Guest Miles directly through the FAB Mobile App. Go to the Rewards section, select Convert to Miles, choose Etihad Guest, enter your Etihad Guest membership number, and confirm the transfer. Miles credit to your Etihad Guest account in real time. You must already be enrolled in Etihad Guest separately to use this feature. FAB often runs bonus campaigns giving 20 to 30% extra miles on conversions.

Can I convert FAB Rewards to Emirates Skywards Miles?

Yes. FAB Rewards can also be converted to Emirates Skywards Miles for Emirates and flydubai flights. The conversion happens through the FAB Mobile App in the Rewards section under Convert to Miles. You enter your Emirates Skywards number and the number of points to transfer. Skywards miles typically credit to your account within 3 working days.

Do FAB Rewards points expire?

FAB Rewards points can expire depending on the card type. Most cards have an expiry period of 3 years from the date points are earned. Points are used on a first-earned, first-used basis, meaning when you redeem, your oldest points are used first. To avoid any risk of expiry, redeem points at least once every couple of years. Regular cashback redemptions are a simple way to never lose value.

Can I redeem FAB Rewards in shops?

Yes. FAB has integrated rewards redemption into point-of-sale terminals at more than 4,500 participating stores across the UAE. When you tap or insert your FAB card at a partner store, your FAB Rewards balance appears on the payment screen. You can choose to use your points to pay part or all of the purchase. Partner brands include Al Futtaim Group, Al Shaya Group, Americana Group, Lulu Hypermarket, GEMS Education, and Cine Royal.

What is the minimum cashback redemption amount?

The minimum cashback redemption on FAB Rewards is AED 50, which requires approximately 7,143 points. Cashback must be redeemed in multiples of AED 50. Once you redeem, the cashback is credited to your chosen FAB credit card statement in real time. There is no annual limit on total cashback you can redeem.

Do I earn FAB Rewards on cash advances or balance transfers?

No. Cash advances, balance transfers, and FAB Rewards redemption transactions themselves do not earn FAB Rewards points. These transaction types are excluded from the rewards program. Only standard purchase transactions on your credit card or debit card qualify for point earning.

Is FAB Islamic Rewards the same as FAB Rewards?

FAB Islamic Rewards is the Shariah-compliant version of the FAB Rewards program, designed for customers with FAB Islamic Banking credit cards. It works in almost exactly the same way with the same earning rates, same point value, and the same redemption options including cashback, airline miles conversion, and shopping vouchers. The underlying structure complies with Islamic finance principles. Customers with conventional FAB cards earn standard FAB Rewards; customers with FAB Islamic cards earn FAB Islamic Rewards.

Can I combine FAB Rewards from multiple cards?

Yes. All FAB Rewards points earned across your different FAB cards and accounts are pooled together under your single FAB customer ID. If you have a Personal Current Account with a debit card, plus an Indulge Credit Card, plus a Travel Credit Card, all the points you earn across all three are added to one balance. You can then redeem from that combined balance for any redemption option.

What is the FAB Spin the Wheel feature?

Spin the Wheel is a gamified feature in the FAB Mobile App that gives you a chance to win bonus prizes when you redeem FAB Rewards. After a successful redemption, you can spin a virtual wheel to win extras like bonus FAB Rewards points, vouchers from partner brands, and other surprises. It is a fun addition to the standard redemption process. Terms and conditions apply and prizes are randomly selected.

All information in this article is based on data available as of April 2026. FAB updates earning rates, conversion ratios, and promotional campaigns periodically. Always check the Rewards section in the FAB Mobile App or bankfab.com for the most current details before redeeming.