Emirates Skywards, the award-winning frequent flyer programme of Emirates Airline and flydubai, has partnered with the Saudi British Bank (Sabb) and Visa to launch a co-branded credit card.

Emirates Visa Signature Credit Card is the first Emirates Skywards co-branded card in Saudi Arabia and offers customers the opportunity to earn Skywards Miles whilst enjoying a range of benefits both in Saudi Arabia and internationally.

The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Riyadh by Naif Alabdulkareem, SABB general manager Retail Banking and Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, senior vice president, Emirates Skywards, in the presence of Andrew Torre, visa’s regional president for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), along with a number of senior executives from SABB, Emirates and Visa.

Commenting on the launch, Alabdulkareem said: "We are delighted to be the exclusive partner of Emirates Skywards, a partnership that, with Visa, brings together three established and respected brands to deliver a very exciting new product into the market. The co-branded credit card aligns perfectly with our objective to bring innovative new products to the market that offer customers value for money and are supported by the highest standards of service that you can expect to receive from SABB, Emirates Skywards and Visa.”

The SABB Emirates Visa Signature Credit Card will offer customers a range of benefits which include:
• Ability to earn Skywards Miles on all spends, with a higher Skywards Miles earning rate on Emirates spends as well as foreign currency transactions
• Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver status for 12 months on a minimum spend of SR1,500 ($399.3) in a single transaction with Emirates
• 10,000 bonus Skywards Miles on a minimum spend of SR10,000 ($2,662.64) within the first three months
• No annual fee for the first year
• Free, unlimited access to over 1,000 lounges worldwide via LoungeKey
• Priority check-in when flying Emirates from airports in Saudi Arabia
 
Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, senior vice president Skywards, added: “We are very pleased to launch the Sabb Emirates Visa Signature Credit Card. Saudi Arabia is one of the most exciting and dynamic markets in the world, and an important market for Emirates Skywards. We have nearly half a million Emirates Skywards members based in the kingdom and the card will allow them to earn Skywards Miles on everyday spend whilst enjoying a comprehensive range of features and benefits. We also look forward to welcoming many more new customers to the Emirates Skywards programme.”

Torre commented: “We are proud to collaborate with both Sabb and Emirates to launch a co-branded credit card that brings together a compelling set of services to enhance the travel experiences of Saudi consumers while enabling them to earn special rewards on their travel and spend. The card offers travellers the benefits of Visa’s global acceptance at more than 46 million merchant locations worldwide, and the peace of mind of being protected by Visa's global, secure network.”

The SabbEmirates Visa Signature Credit Card will be available from October 7. - TradeArabia News Service