Ajwaa vs Etihad Guest: which loyalty program wins?

We score Ajwaa and Etihad Guest 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

Ajwaa is best for Premium cardholders making large non-everyday purchases, while Etihad Guest is best for Frequent flyers.

Skip Ajwaa if Daily spenders on groceries, fuel, telecom, and government bills, and skip Etihad Guest if Domestic flyers.

Overall rating

	Ajwaa	Etihad Guest
Overall rating	3.2 / 5	3.1 / 5
Earning	3.0 / 5	2.0 / 5
Redemption	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Network	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Ease of use	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Expiry	4.0 / 5	2.0 / 5

Earning structure

Ajwaa	Cardholders earn 3 points per 1 SAR on Ajwaa Infinite and Signature credit cards (lower rates on Plus and Standard tiers). Earnings drop to 0.5 points per SAR in selected categories: groceries, supermarkets, restaurants, fast food, family clothing, transportation, variety stores, gift shops, and cosmetics. The following earn no points at all: SADAD, government payments, GAZT, charities, utilities, fuel stations, telecom, education, auto dealers, fund transfers, ATM withdrawals, and e-wallet funding. Ajwaa Plus cardholders earn additional quarterly bonus points. Points appear in the account within a few days of the transaction.
Etihad Guest	Members earn Etihad Guest Miles by flying with Etihad Airways or 25+ partner airlines including American Airlines, ANA, Air Canada, Air France-KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Australia, SAS, and others. Earning also extends to 300,000+ hotels through Accor, Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, car rentals with Avis and Budget, the Etihad Guest shopping portal, and dining partners. Members can also purchase miles (up to 100,000 per year, 150,000 for Platinum) and use the MilesBooster feature for retroactive miles on past flights. For Tier Miles (which qualify members for status), only Etihad flights and Etihad-issued payment cards count — partner flights no longer earn Tier Miles as of June 2024.

Redemption structure

Ajwaa	Points redeem through the Ajwaa portal (separate from the main Bank Aljazira online banking). Options include cashback to the Ajwaa credit card (10,000 points = 100 SAR, minimum threshold applies), vouchers from partner merchants, flight bookings, hotel bookings, car rental, and transfers to airline frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs. Members can purchase additional points using their Ajwaa credit card if they have insufficient balance for a desired redemption. Travel booking cancellations incur a 150 SAR fee per ticket or hotel booking, plus any supplier charges. Cancelled redemptions return points to the account.
Etihad Guest	Miles redeem for flights and upgrades on Etihad Airways and 25+ partner airlines using a distance-based award chart. Members can also redeem for hotel stays worldwide via Accor, Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, car rentals, and items in the Etihad Guest Reward Shop. Premium-cabin awards (Business and First) on Etihad's own routes deliver the highest typical value. Note: as of November 2025, Value awards are non-cancellable, and higher-tier awards have a 72-hour no-change window. Some partner award redemptions require calling the Etihad Guest call centre. Members can also use the Cash + Miles option for partial payment on flights.

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	Ajwaa	Etihad Guest
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	0	5
Top tier	—	Emerald
First-tier qualification	—	25,000 points
Point expiry	36 months	18 months inactivity (reset on earn)

Open in loyaup