Ajwaa vs IHG® One Rewards: which loyalty program wins?

We score Ajwaa and IHG® One Rewards 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 IHG® One Rewards is best for Frequent flyers.

Skip Ajwaa if Daily spenders on groceries, fuel, telecom, and government bills, and skip IHG® One Rewards if Anyone wanting predictable redemption costs or daily-spend earning.

Overall rating

	Ajwaa	IHG® One Rewards
Overall rating	3.2 / 5	3.2 / 5
Earning	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Redemption	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Network	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Ease of use	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Expiry	4.0 / 5	3.0 / 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.
IHG® One Rewards	Members earn 10 base points per USD spent at most IHG brands. Extended-stay brands (Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites) earn 5 points/USD. Elite tier members receive bonus points: Silver +20%, Gold +40%, Platinum +60%, Diamond +100%. Saudi users do not have access to IHG-branded credit cards - the IHG Premier and Traveler cards from Chase are US-only. Members can also earn points through Hertz car rentals (1,500 bonus + 125-500 points/day), OpenTable dining reservations, and point purchases.

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.
IHG® One Rewards	Points redeem for hotel stays at 6,300+ IHG properties in 100+ countries. Variable point pricing applies (no published award chart since 2018) - redemption costs shift based on cash rates. Members can also use Points + Cash flexibility, transfer to 30+ airline partners (typically poor 5:1 or 10:1 ratios), redeem for gift cards, merchandise, or Hertz car rentals. Platinum and Diamond Elite members get exclusive access to promotional Reward Night discounts. IHG dropped fixed award charts in favor of variable dynamic pricing, making redemption costs less predictable than competitors.

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	Ajwaa	IHG® One Rewards
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	0	5
Top tier	—	Diamond Elite
First-tier qualification	—	20,000 points
Point expiry	36 months	12 months inactivity (reset on earn)

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