SNB and Riyad Bank cards: compare annual fees, cashback, Sharia compliance, lounges and overseas costs.
This comparison examines 7 cards in Saudi Arabia, among them SNB Flexi Credit Card, AlAhli Cashback Credit Card, Riyad Bank DufaatPlus, SNB Global Multi Currency Credit Card, across the Visa, Mastercard networks. Three things genuinely separate one card from another, and the annual fee is only the first: next come the bundled insurances, trip cancellation, medical cover abroad, baggage, purchase protection, whose value often exceeds the fee as soon as you travel, and foreign exchange charges, which quietly cost 2 to 3 per cent of every purchase in another currency with traditional issuers and nothing at all with the neobanks. Payment and withdrawal limits matter too, and they are negotiable. The table compares them line by line, without an overall score: the right card for a frequent traveller is not the right card for someone who rarely leaves home. Anyone going abroad twice a year usually saves more with a no-foreign-fee card than a premium card's insurance ever returns in claims.
Select 2 to 4 cards to compare side by side.
Visa
Mastercard
| Criteria | SNB Flexi Credit Card Standard | AlAhli Cashback Credit Card Standard | Riyad Bank Visa Signature Cashback Islamic High-end Sharia Compliant |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | Zero annual fee and zero APR for all customer segments | No annual fees | Per the bank's Key Facts Statement |
Monthly Payment Limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit |
Weekly ATM Limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Trip Cancellation Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Baggage Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Purchase Protection | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Car Rental Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Concierge Service | Not stated | Not stated | 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge |
Airport Lounge Access | Not stated | Not stated | Complimentary VIP lounges at 1,300+ airports |
Cashback / Rewards | Not stated | Up to SAR 200 cashback per month | 10% cashback on eligible categories |
International Acceptance | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) |
Overview of all cards. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| Criteria | SNB Flexi Credit Card Standard | AlAhli Cashback Credit Card Standard | Riyad Bank DufaatPlus Standard Sharia Compliant | SNB Global Multi Currency Credit Card Premium | Riyad Bank Al Hilal Platinum Cashback Premium | Riyad Bank Visa Signature Cashback Islamic High-end Sharia Compliant | Riyad Bank Dream Credit Card High-end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | Zero annual fee and zero APR for all customer segments | No annual fees | No annual fees | Per the bank's Key Facts Statement | Per the bank's Key Facts Statement | Per the bank's Key Facts Statement | SAR 1,300/year |
Monthly Payment Limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit |
Weekly ATM Limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Trip Cancellation Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Baggage Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Purchase Protection | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Car Rental Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Concierge Service | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge | Not stated |
Airport Lounge Access | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Complimentary VIP lounges at 1,300+ airports | Not stated |
Cashback / Rewards | Not stated | Up to SAR 200 cashback per month | Not stated | Lak rewards points | Cashback up to 5%, up to 10% off at Al-Hilal stores, priority tickets | 10% cashback on eligible categories | Choose two partners (domestic and international) to earn miles or points |
International Acceptance | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) | Very wide (Visa or Mastercard) |
Explore the details of each type of coverage and service.
| Card | Medical Travel | Trip Cancellation | Baggage | Car Rental |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SNB Flexi Credit Card | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
AlAhli Cashback Credit Card | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Riyad Bank DufaatPlus | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
SNB Global Multi Currency Credit Card | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Riyad Bank Al Hilal Platinum Cashback | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Riyad Bank Visa Signature Cashback Islamic | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Riyad Bank Dream Credit Card | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
* Cover depends on each card's terms; "Not stated" means the issuer does not mention it on its product page.
Our recommendations based on your usage profile.
You travel often and want airport lounges.
Complimentary VIP lounges at 1,300+ airports, 24/7 concierge and 10% cashback on eligible categories, Sharia-compliant. SNB's multi-currency card applies zero FX markup.
You want a card with no annual fee.
Zero annual fee and zero APR for all customers. DufaatPlus: no annual fee, pay in 4 with 0% profit and no charges.
You want money back on your spending.
No annual fee, up to SAR 200 cashback a month. Al Hilal Platinum Cashback: up to 5% cashback and discounts at Al-Hilal stores.
You want to earn miles with partners.
SAR 1,300 a year: two partners of your choice, domestic and international, to earn miles or points. SNB multi-currency card: Lak points and zero FX markup.
mada is Saudi Arabia's national payment network, run by Saudi Payments. mada debit cards come with the current account and are accepted across the Kingdom; abroad, use a Visa or Mastercard.
Many are, using a profit margin instead of interest. Riyad Bank states this, for example, for its Visa Signature Cashback Islamic, and DufaatPlus offers pay-in-4 with 0% profit. Check the structure in each card's terms.
Yes. Collected in October 2026: SNB Flexi (no annual fee and 0% APR), AlAhli Cashback (no annual fee) and Riyad Bank DufaatPlus (no annual fee). By contrast, Riyad Bank's Dream Credit Card costs SAR 1,300 a year.
The SNB Global Multi Currency card applies zero FX markup. Other cards charge fees shown in their fee schedule. Always decline conversion into riyals offered by the terminal (DCC).
As of 3 October 2026, SAMA's repo rate is 4.50% and its reverse repo rate 4.00%. The riyal is pegged to the US dollar.
Saudi Arabia's card market is growing fast, driven by Vision 2030, which aims to reduce cash use. The mada network, run by Saudi Payments, powers debit cards, while banks (SNB, Al Rajhi, Riyad Bank, SAB) issue Visa and Mastercard credit cards, often Sharia-compliant. Several cards now have no annual fee.
Saudi Arabia has heavily digitised payments, and contactless payment by mada, Apple Pay or mobile wallets is now common. Banks compete with cashback (up to SAR 200 a month with the AlAhli Cashback), 0%-profit instalments (Riyad Bank DufaatPlus) and points programmes (Lak at SNB, mokafaa at Al Rajhi).
Saudi cards fall into mada cards (national debit, included with the current account), Visa or Mastercard credit cards and prepaid cards. High-end cards such as Riyad Bank's Visa Signature Cashback Islamic offer airport lounges (1,300+) and concierge; the Dream Credit Card (SAR 1,300 a year) earns miles or points with two partners.
Annual fees collected in October 2026 range from zero (SNB Flexi, AlAhli Cashback, DufaatPlus) to SAR 1,300 a year (Riyad Bank Dream). mada cards are included with the current account. Overseas fees appear in each bank's fee schedule; SNB's multi-currency card applies zero FX markup. SAMA supervises the sector; its repo rate is 4.50%.
For a Saudi Arabia resident, the mada card covers everyday needs. Add a credit card to suit your habits: a no-fee card (SNB Flexi, AlAhli Cashback) to start, SNB's multi-currency card for spending abroad, or a high-end card with lounges (Riyad Bank Visa Signature Cashback Islamic) if you travel often. Always pay the full amount due.
* Terms collected in October 2026 from issuers' official pages (SNB, Riyad Bank). Fees not published: see each card's Key Facts Statement. Supervised by SAMA (Saudi Central Bank).