First Abu Dhabi Bank

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is the federal-scale balance sheet of the UAE banking system — the largest lender in the country by assets, formed in 2017 by the merger of First Gulf Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi, and the default high-street bank in the capital. For an expat household FAB is the Abu Dhabi mirror of what Emirates NBD is to Dubai: dense branch network, government-payroll partnerships, a card ladder covering the AED 5,000 entry tier through to invitation-only Mastercard World Elite.

What sets FAB apart is the structure of its proprietary points currency. FAB Rewards do not auto-credit; they pool in the FAB Mobile app and you redeem on demand — statement cashback, partner shopping, or transfer to selected airline programmes. Transfer ratios are not generous, but the flexibility is real — the right structural choice for a reader who does not yet know which airline they will fly most.

Card ladder at a glance

FAB’s consumer credit-card line-up is narrow — four cards as of May 2026 — but it covers the full salary spread.

• FAB Cashback Card — entry Mastercard, AED 5,000 minimum salary, no salary-transfer requirement, AED 315 annual fee (first year waived under the current Amazon Gift Card promo). FAB Rewards earn at 5 points per AED 1 on dining, supermarkets and fashion (subject to AED 3,000 monthly minimum spend), 1 elsewhere, capped at the equivalent of AED 1,000 cashback per month.
• FAB Etihad Guest Infinite — the bank’s direct Etihad co-brand and the only FAB card that earns Etihad Guest Miles outright. AED 2,625 annual fee, AED 30,000 minimum salary, no salary-transfer requirement. 55,000-mile welcome bonus on activation plus up to another 55,000 on AED 100,000 spend in the first three months (limited-time offer to 30 June 2026).
• FAB Elite Credit Card — Mastercard lifestyle card: AED 1,260 annual fee, AED 40,000 minimum salary, salary transfer required. The marquee perks (ADV+ beach clubs, BOGO cinema, valet) gate behind AED 10,000 monthly spend — a card for a household running serious AED through the account, not a status buy.
• FAB World Elite Mastercard — invitation-only; no published annual fee or minimum salary. If FAB private banking has not reached out, you cannot apply.

Reward currency, in plain English

FAB Rewards is the single mechanic behind every FAB credit card outside the Etihad Guest Infinite. Points accrue on eligible spend at the card-specific rate, pool in the FAB Mobile app, and sit there until you redeem — statement cashback (the par-redemption baseline), partner-merchant catalogues, FAB Rewards Shop merchandise, or a thin list of airline transfers. Take the cashback rate as the floor; treat airline-transfer ratios as upside that requires you to read the current month’s transfer table in the app before committing a balance. Earn rates vary materially by card — see each card page for the figures.

Salary transfer and eligibility

FAB does not currently run a published, year-round salary-transfer cash bonus of the kind ENBD operates — when FAB runs one it is typically a tactical quarterly promo tied to a specific card. The structural rule is that the FAB Elite Credit Card requires salary transfer (AED 40,000+ salary), while the Cashback Card and the Etihad Guest Infinite do not. Salary transferred to FAB establishes salary history with the bank, which unlocks the unsecured personal-loan and mortgage book at sharper rates than the open-market quote. Standard UAE Central Bank rules apply throughout: the 50% Debt Burden Ratio cap on total repayments, AECB reporting on every product, and end-of-service clawback protocols on any promotional bonus if you leave the country mid-tenure.

Customer-service notes

The call centre on +971 2 681 1511 runs 24/7 in English and Arabic with reliable Hindi/Urdu cover in office hours. Branch density is highest in Abu Dhabi, respectable in Dubai (Sheikh Zayed Road, DIFC, JLT, Dubai Mall), thinner in the northern emirates than ENBD or RAKBank. The FAB Mobile app handles card controls, FAB Rewards redemption, salary-account opening and most service requests without a branch visit; loan restructures and large statement disputes still funnel to a branch officer. FAB reports to AECB in line with Central Bank rules; missed payments register within 30 days.

Bottom line

FAB suits the Abu-Dhabi-anchored expat, the government-payroll household that wants its bank one bus stop from work, or the reader who values redemption optionality over a single locked-in airline currency. Take the Cashback Card at the AED 5,000–10,000 entry tier; the Etihad Guest Infinite if you fly Etihad and are not yet at salary-transfer commitment level; the Elite only if you can credibly run AED 10,000+ monthly through it. FAB is the wrong choice if you want a salary-transfer cash bonus today (look at ENBD or ADCB), if you fly exclusively Emirates (Skywards depth is at ENBD), or if your home base is the northern emirates.