How to Maximise Your Credit Card Rewards This Eid Al-Adha
Eid Al-Adha is almost here, falling on 26th May this year, and with it comes one of the biggest spending seasons on the UAE calendar. From new outfits and gifts to family gatherings, Eid brunches, and getaway trips, expenses add up fast. But if you're putting that spending on the right credit card, Eid can be one of the best times of year to rack up serious rewards. Here's how to make the most of it.
Match Your Card to Your Eid Spending
The first step is knowing where your Eid money goes. For most UAE residents, it typically breaks down like this:
- Dining out and Eid brunches
- Clothing, gifts, and electronics
- Groceries and food for family gatherings
- Travel - flights home or a long-weekend getaway
- Entertainment - cinemas, activities, days out
Different cards reward different categories, so it's worth using the right one for each.
Find out which card rewards your Eid spending the most at testmycard.ae.
Best Cards for Eid Dining and Brunches
Eid is peak dining season. If you are booking brunches at hotels or treating family to a restaurant meal, a dedicated dining card earns you significantly more. Top picks:
- SHAMS Infinite Covered Card (DIB): 5% back on dining and travel, up to 20,000 points/month one of the strongest options for food-heavy Eid spending
- SHAMS Signature Covered Card (DIB): 5% back on dining , AED 499/year with fee waived for year one
Best Cards for Eid Travel
The Eid Al-Adha break is one of the UAE's longer public holidays, making it prime time for a short trip. If you're flying whether home to see family or heading to Istanbul, Cairo, or Bali make sure you're on a travel card:
- Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card (DIB): 2 Skywards Miles per AED on Emirates ideal for those flying with the airline over Eid
- RAKBANK Elevate Credit Card: 1,300+ lounges worldwide, zero annual fee , plus a free travel eSIM with 5GB data for the trip
- Smiles World Covered Card (Sharjah Islamic Bank): free flights with 300+ airlines and free hotel stays in 300,000+ hotels great for Islamic banking customers
Best Cards for Everyday Eid Spending
Not everyone travels for Eid and there's plenty of local spending to optimise too:
- LIV Cashback+ Credit Card (ENBD): up to 4% cashback on travel, dining, groceries, and international spends a strong all-rounder for the Eid shopping rush plus B1G1 on VOX Cinemas 3 times a month
- RAKBANK RED Credit Card: 11.5% cashback on local and global spends , zero annual fee, AED 5,000 minimum salary ideal for residents who want strong cashback without any fee commitment
Watch for Eid Bank Promotions
Banks in the UAE regularly run seasonal campaigns around major holidays. Around Eid Al-Adha, look out for bonus miles or cashback on specific categories, merchant deals at popular malls, and zero-interest instalment plans on big purchases. Check your bank's app in the week before Eid - these offers are often published.
Thinking of Getting a New Card Before Eid?
Welcome bonuses are worth timing carefully. Many cards offer bonus miles or cashback when you hit a spending threshold within your first 60–90 days. With Eid spending naturally elevated, you may clear that threshold without changing your habits at all, effectively getting the bonus for free.
One final reminder: rewards only work in your favour if you pay your balance in full. Carrying a balance through Eid will cost you far more in interest than you'll ever earn back in points or cashback.
Compare welcome bonuses on current cards at testmycard.ae before Eid.
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