There are a wide variety of credit cards available for consumer use in the United Arab Emirates.
These credit cards include mainstream examples such as those that are best for the likes of Etihad Guest Miles, Cashback, Emirates Skywards Miles, and Hotel Loyalty Cards.
However, there are also some credit cards available to consumers in the UAE that are rather stranger in nature.
One such credit card is the Royale Card by Dubai First.
The Dubai First Royale MasterCard, to give it its full and correct title, is one of the world’s most exclusive credit cards.
The credit card is trimmed with real gold, and firmly embedded in its centre is a .235-carat diamond.
The Royale Card is a credit card that actually has no spending limit and comes with its own dedicated relationship manager, according to the chief executive officer of Dubai First, Ibrahim al Ansari.
Al Ansari adds that the key aspect of the Dubai First Royale MasterCard is not so much money as the unprecedented level of customer service that is provided to someone who has possession of it.
However, the credit card is not without its drawbacks – a number of things about the Royale Card are undisclosed, including APRs, annual fees and spending rewards.
The Dubai First Royale MasterCard is, perhaps obviously, available only by invitation.
Another oddity when it comes to credit cards in the UAE is the Selfie Card by Mashreq bank.
Mashreq customers are offered the option to have their favourite picture actually be printed onto their credit card.
The Selfie Card is something of a novelty item, but it does has a number of practical applications.
For one thing, having a selfie photo on the actual card will cut down on the need for further identification, making it obvious that a customer is who they say they are.
Apple says that the Selfie Card is also the only such credit card to be equipped with facial recognition technology.
However, aside from this unusual gimmick, the Selfie Card is essentially exactly the same in use and benefits as the Mashreq Platinum Credit Card.
Also available in the UAE are football co-branded credit cards.
While sporting the emblem of a beloved football club on a credit card may not be that strange given the relatively small size of the UAE, it seems a little odd that there are actually four cards of this nature.
These credit cards are the Manchester United Card from Emirates NBD, the Manchester City Infinite Credit Card from FAB, the FC Barcelona Platinum Credit Card, and the ADIB Football Gold Card.
These cards are essentially unremarkable other than in their appearance.
All credit cards issued in the UAE should be used responsibly.
