Etihad Guest vs Mukafaat Albilad: which loyalty program wins?

We score Etihad Guest and Mukafaat Albilad 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

Etihad Guest is best for Frequent flyers, while Mukafaat Albilad is best for Premium Tamkeen Plus cardholders.

Skip Etihad Guest if Domestic flyers, and skip Mukafaat Albilad if Anyone with mada Classic/Gold or Tamkeen Platinum.

Overall rating

	Etihad Guest	Mukafaat Albilad
Overall rating	3.1 / 5	3.6 / 5
Earning	2.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Redemption	4.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Network	4.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Ease of use	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Expiry	2.0 / 5	2.0 / 5

Earning structure

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.
Mukafaat Albilad	Members earn Mukafaat Albilad points on every purchase, with rates varying significantly by card type. Tamkeen Plus Signature and Infinite credit cards earn 5 points per SAR domestic and 6.5 per SAR international - among the highest in Saudi banking. Tamkeen Plus Platinum earns 3.5/4.5 (domestic/international); Tamkeen Plus Classic 2.5/3.5. Albilad Signature/Infinite credit cards earn 3 points/SAR. Albilad Silver/Gold credit cards earn 1 point/SAR. Most mada debit cards earn 0 points on domestic purchases (1 point on international only — except Signature/Infinite mada which earn 3 points internationally). Uniquely among Saudi banks, points are earned on SADAD bill payments, government payment websites, Saudi Electric and National Water websites (not via SADAD), and fuel stations.

Redemption structure

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.
Mukafaat Albilad	Points redeem through six channels via the Mukafaat Albilad portal at albiladmukafaat.com or via the Albilad app: airline tickets across 550+ carriers, hotel bookings across 175,000+ hotels worldwide, retail shopping vouchers from leading merchants, transfer to airline frequent flyer programs, charity donations to participating organizations, and cashback at any merchant - use points to repay the value of recent purchases made via Albilad card at any POS within 7 days of the original transaction. Limited-time campaigns offer enhanced transfer rates, such as the June 2026 promotion giving 30% bonus Avios on Mukafaat-to-Avios transfers. Vouchers redeemed are typically non-refundable. Points cannot be used to pay credit card fees.

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	Etihad Guest	Mukafaat Albilad
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	5	0
Top tier	Emerald	—
First-tier qualification	25,000 points	—
Point expiry	18 months inactivity (reset on earn)	12 months

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