Asia Miles vs ICSAB+: which loyalty program wins?

We score Asia Miles and ICSAB+ on the same five factors — earning rate, redemption value, partner network, ease of use, and point expiry — to help you choose the right program for how you actually spend.

Verdict

Asia Miles is best for Premium-cabin redemption seekers who travel to East, while ICSAB+ is best for Households paying SADAD and government bills.

Skip Asia Miles if Anyone wanting to earn through daily spend, and skip ICSAB+ if Heavy spenders on groceries, fuel, and restaurants.

Overall rating

	Asia Miles	ICSAB+
Overall rating	3.9 / 5	3.6 / 5
Earning	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Redemption	5.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Network	5.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Ease of use	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Expiry	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5

Earning structure

Asia Miles	Members earn Asia Miles by flying Cathay Pacific (direct from Riyadh to Hong Kong) and on 15+ oneworld alliance partners including Qatar Airways, British Airways, American, JAL, Qantas, Iberia, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Royal Jordanian. Earning rate depends on flight distance, cabin class, and fare type (Economy: 25-100% of flown miles; premium cabins up to 200%). Status Points (separate from miles) are earned on Cathay/partner flights for tier qualification. Members can also transfer points to Asia Miles from Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio, 5,000 bonus per 60,000 transfer), Hilton Honors, and Amex Membership Rewards (5:4 ratio, March 2026 update). No Saudi bank issues a Cathay co-branded credit card — the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard is Hong Kong-only.
ICSAB+	Members earn ICSAB+ points across a wide range of activities: credit card spend (7.5–12.5 points per 100 SAR domestic, 10–15 points international, depending on card type), Mada debit card spend (0.5 points domestic, 1 point international per 100 SAR), digital banking registration and activity (10–40 points), paperless statement enrollment (10–20 points), ITM and e-Desk services (10 points each), AQSAT installment plans (10–30 points), IPO enrollment (20–40 points), and personal/home finance applications (100–200 points). Digital payment behavior boosts earnings: contactless +5%, digital wallet +10%, online purchases +15%, recurring digital payments +20%.

Redemption structure

Asia Miles	Asia Miles redeem according to three fixed award charts: Cathay Pacific-operated flights (distance-based), airline partners (zone/distance-based), and oneworld multi-carrier awards (for round-the-world tickets). Cathay's Economy short-haul Asia routes from 7,000 miles one-way; Business HKG-Sydney for 58,000; Business HKG-LHR for 88,000; First HKG-LHR for 125,000. Most premium-cabin partner awards deliver outsized value. Fuel surcharges apply on most redemptions and are priced by region. Online booking for Cathay and many oneworld partners; some partner awards require calling Asia Miles. Round-the-world award tickets uniquely available. Members can also redeem for cabin upgrades, extra legroom seats, baggage allowance, hotel stays, car rentals, and merchandise.
ICSAB+	Points redeem through six channels via SAB Mobile or SAB Online: Instant ICSAB+ Cash (1,000 points = 70 SAR, deposited to account or credit card instantly via app or within 3 working days, 200 SAR minimum), Pay with ICSAB+ for SADAD and government payments directly through SAB, E-vouchers at 150+ merchants (1,000 points = 100 SAR — the highest-value path), Online Travel (flights, hotels, car rentals booked directly through the ICSAB+ portal, 1,000-point minimum), Charitable donations to Ehsan or Joodeskan (500 points = 50 SAR, no upper limit), and Points Exchange transfers to airline, hotel, and telecom partner programs. Travel redemptions cannot be cancelled or refunded once confirmed. Most other redemptions are also non-refundable. Redemption requires accepting program T&Cs on first use

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	Asia Miles	ICSAB+
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	5	0
Top tier	Diamond Exec	—
First-tier qualification	300 points	—
Point expiry	18 months inactivity (reset on earn)	12 months

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