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Discount membership cards across the GCC

MembershipUAEQatarSaudi ArabiaKuwaitBahrainOmanLast checked

The short answer

The UAE has several well known discount cards: Fazaa, Esaad, Homat Al Watan and Sanad. Each is tied to who you are or where you work. We could not confirm a comparable public card in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman, so we do not list one.

Quick facts

Fazaa
UAE discount card, tied mostly to employer or situation (source: Fazaa official site)
Esaad
UAE discount card for eligible groups, not open to direct application, per Property Finder (source: Property Finder: Esaad card)
Homat Al Watan
UAE card for military and Ministry of Defence members, civilians and veterans (source: Khaleej Times: discount card for UAE servicemen)
Sanad
Dubai card for People of Determination, issued by the CDA (source: Dubai Community Development Authority: Issue Sanad Card)
Other GCC countries
No public equivalent confirmed (source: Fazaa official site)

Fazaa

Fazaa is a UAE discount card kept in the Fazaa app. Offers cover travel, dining, shopping and entertainment. It is mostly tied to your employer, for example government, semi-government and approved private sector staff. See our full Fazaa guide for levels, how to apply and how to renew.

Esaad

Property Finder says Esaad is issued only to people eligible through participating government entities, organisations or approved programmes, and that you cannot apply for it directly. It lists groups such as federal and local government employees, some private sector staff, certain professions, Golden Visa holders, People of Determination and registered family members. Read our Esaad guide for more.

Homat Al Watan

Homat Al Watan is for people serving in the UAE military, civilian affiliates of the Ministry of Defence, and retirees and veterans, according to Khaleej Times. It reports the card goes only to people who served at least six months. Read our Homat Al Watan guide for details.

Sanad

Sanad is issued by Dubai's Community Development Authority for People of Determination, and the CDA says the service is free. Khaleej Times reports it is valid for five years for citizens and residents, with benefits such as free parking, Salik exemptions, hospital discounts and phone plan reductions. See our Sanad guide for documents and how to apply.

Which one suits whom

The cards are not alternatives you pick from. Which you can hold depends on your job, service or situation. Some people qualify for more than one, such as a government employee who is also a Person of Determination. Where more than one applies, compare each offer, because partners set their own terms and many say offers cannot be added to other discounts.

  • Government or semi-government staff: look at Fazaa and Esaad
  • Armed forces, Ministry of Defence, veterans: Homat Al Watan
  • People of Determination in Dubai: Sanad

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman

We looked for public discount cards like these in the other five countries and did not confirm one in the research for this page, so we do not name any. That does not mean none exist. It means we could not confirm one from an official source.

What you will find instead are loyalty programmes run by phone companies, banks and airlines, which work differently: you earn points on spend rather than showing a card for a fixed discount. See our guides for Saudi Arabia and Qatar. If you know of an official card in Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman, check its issuer directly.

How Fawz helps

Fawz is not released yet, and you can join the waiting list. When it is out, it will keep your membership cards (Fazaa, Esaad, Homat Al Watan) on your phone, and they are only sent to us if you choose. At the till it suggests which of your cards or memberships to use.

It also tracks minimum monthly spend and caps so you hit the higher cashback rate, and compares supermarket flyer prices. Fawz never stores card numbers or bank logins and never reads SMS.

Join the waiting list

Questions people ask

What discount cards are there in the UAE?

The best known are Fazaa, Esaad, Homat Al Watan and, in Dubai, Sanad. Each has its own eligibility rules.

Can I apply for an Esaad card directly?

Property Finder says no. It is issued through participating government entities, organisations or approved programmes.

Who can get a Homat Al Watan card?

Serving military members, civilian affiliates of the Ministry of Defence, and retirees and veterans, according to Khaleej Times.

Who issues the Sanad card?

The Community Development Authority in Dubai, for People of Determination.

Is there a Fazaa-style card in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman?

We could not confirm a public equivalent from an official source, so we do not name one.

Can I use more than one discount card?

You can hold more than one if you qualify, but partners often say offers cannot be combined with other discounts. Read the terms.

Sources

  1. Fazaa official sitefazaa.ae
  2. Property Finder: Esaad cardpropertyfinder.ae
  3. Khaleej Times: discount card for UAE servicemenkhaleejtimes.com
  4. Dubai Community Development Authority: Issue Sanad Cardcda.gov.ae
  5. Khaleej Times: free Sanad cardkhaleejtimes.com

Last checked . Terms change, so check the current terms before you rely on an offer.

Fawz is not affiliated with the companies named here. Names and trademarks belong to their owners.