U by Emaar
U by Emaar is the wholly-owned loyalty rewards program of Emaar Properties PJSC, letting members earn and redeem Upoints across 100+ Emaar hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, fitness clubs, and malls in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Turkey, plus co-branded Emirates NBD credit cards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What U by Emaar does
U by Emaar is a multi-tiered consumer loyalty rewards program launched in 2016 and wholly owned by Emaar Properties PJSC (DFM: EMAAR). Headquartered in Dubai, the program enables members to earn and redeem a proprietary points currency called Upoints across more than 100 participating Emaar-controlled venues spanning hotels (Armani, Address, Vida, Palace, Rove), restaurants, spas, entertainment attractions (Dubai Opera, Reel Cinemas, Dubai Ice Rink, KidZania, Dubai Aquarium), fitness venues (VEO), and select malls (Dubai Mall, Dubai Hills Mall, Dubai Marina Mall). Members are organised into four tiers — Bronze (formerly Black), Silver, Gold, and Platinum — with progression tied to either Tier Upoints or qualifying hotel nights over a 12-month window, and access the program through iOS, Android, and Huawei mobile apps plus a regional website.
The underlying technology is a standard closed-loop loyalty platform tightly coupled to Emaar's single sign-on identity system (accounts.emaar.com), supporting multi-currency earn and redemption across AED, BHD, SAR, and TRY. The program monetises through transaction-based economics on member spend at Emaar venues, interchange revenue and card fees from co-branded Emirates NBD credit cards (Family, Signature, Infinite, Visa Infinite Emirati), and a separate 2026 Visa cardholder offer that delivers exclusive discounts at participating hotels and venues. Distribution runs through Emaar's owned digital channels, in-venue onboarding, the Emirates NBD banking channel, the Visa cardholder channel, social media (Instagram, Facebook), email, and exclusive member events.
U by Emaar is not a standalone commercial enterprise in the venture-funded sense — it is an internal customer-engagement and retention asset of Emaar Properties PJSC, with no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no publicly disclosed revenue. Its strategic function is to consolidate spend across Emaar's hospitality, entertainment, retail, and lifestyle portfolio and to deepen relationships with mass-affluent UAE consumers and regional travellers via banking co-brands.
U by Emaar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U by Emaar
- Legal name
- U By Emaar LLC
- Website
- https://ubyemaar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- U by Emaar is the wholly-owned loyalty rewards program of Emaar Properties PJSC, letting members earn and redeem Upoints across 100+ Emaar hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, fitness clubs, and malls in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Turkey, plus co-branded Emirates NBD credit cards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U by Emaar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality Loyalty Program
- NAICS
- Traveler Accommodation (7211), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Travel Subscription, Membership & Deal Clubs (THAKAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led) (CRAEADAK), Rewards & Loyalty Credit Cards (FSAKABAH)
Keywords
Where U by Emaar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
U by Emaar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Loyalty Program Revenue: U by Emaar generates revenue through transaction-based fees from participating Emaar hotels, restaurants, spas, and entertainment venues. Members earn Upoints on eligible spend, and the program benefits from increased customer spend and engagement at Emaar properties.
- Co-branded Credit Card Partnership: Partnership with Emirates NBD to issue U By Emaar co-branded credit cards (Family, Signature, Infinite, and Visa Infinite Emirati). Revenue derived from interchange fees and card spending volume.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free membership with tiered benefits (Black, Silver, Gold, Platinum) |
| Subscription | Annual | U By Emaar Family Card - Minimum AED 5,000 salary, Free for Life annual fee |
| Subscription | Annual | U By Emaar Signature Card - AED 12,000 minimum salary, AED 262.50 annual fee |
| Subscription | Annual | U By Emaar Infinite Card - AED 30,000 minimum salary, AED 1,575 annual fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
U by Emaar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
U by Emaar is a multi-tiered loyalty rewards programme operated by Emaar Properties PJSC that enables members to earn and redeem proprietary Upoints across 100+ participating Emaar hotels, restaurants, spas, entertainment attractions, and malls in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Turkey. The free membership program offers tiered benefits (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) spanning stay, dine, play, relax, shop, and move categories, with accelerated earning through co-branded Emirates NBD credit cards.
Product overview
U By Emaar is a multi-tiered loyalty rewards programme by Emaar Properties PJSC operating across the UAE, KSA, and Bahrain. The programme enables members to earn and redeem Upoints at over 100 participating venues spanning hotel brands (Armani Hotel Dubai, Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Palace Hotels and Resorts, and Rove Hotels), Emaar Entertainment attractions (Reel Cinemas, Dubai Ice Rink, KidZania, Play DXB, Dubai Opera), Emaar Malls (Dubai Mall, Dubai Hills Mall, Dubai Marina Mall), and fitness venues (VEO by Emaar). Members access the programme via a mobile application (iOS, Android, Huawei) and co-branded Emirates NBD credit cards. The four-tier membership structure (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) provides escalating benefits across Stay, Dine, Play, Relax, Shop, and Move categories, with redemption rates of 10 Upoints = AED 1 for complimentary stays, dining, spa treatments, and entertainment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- U By Emaar Loyalty Programme A multi-tiered loyalty rewards programme that enables individual members to earn and redeem proprietary Upoints on eligible spend at participating Emaar hotels, restaurants, spas, entertainment attractions, and malls across the UAE, KSA, and Bahrain, with tiered benefits across Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels.
- U By Emaar Mobile Application A digital membership platform available on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery that enables members to access digital membership cards, earn and redeem Upoints, view offers, track tier status, and manage their loyalty account.
- U By Emaar Emirates NBD Co-Branded Credit Cards Co-branded credit cards issued in partnership with Emirates NBD, including U By Emaar Family, U By Emaar Signature, U By Emaar Infinite, and U by Emaar Visa Infinite Emirati variants, offering accelerated Upoints earning on Emaar spend, welcome bonus Upoints, and automatic tier upgrades.
- U By Emaar Merchant Offers A catalogue of exclusive discounts and offers from retail, wellness, and lifestyle partners including Maple Bear Nursery, Bekky Barber, Medcare, Europcar, Rivoli Group, and others, offering member discounts across Health and Wellness, Entertainment, Fashion & Retail, Travel, Electronics, and Jewelry categories.
- U By Emaar Travel Partners (Emirates Holidays) Exclusive travel-related benefits and holiday packages offered through a partnership with Emirates Holidays, extending the loyalty programme's reach into the travel and tourism sector for U by Emaar members.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 35% savings on hotel stays at participating U by Emaar hotels for Visa cardholders and Bronze tier members
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use U by Emaar
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
U by Emaar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
U by Emaar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- VisacoreVisa cardholder benefit program offering exclusive savings of up to 35% on hotel stays at Address Hotels + Resorts and Vida Hotels & Resorts, plus up to 30% off wellness treatments and 15% off VEO fitness day passes.
- Emirates HolidaysminorEmirates Holidays offers exclusive travel packages and holiday experiences for U by Emaar members, extending the loyalty program's reach into the travel and tourism sector.
- Emirates NBDcoreStrategic co-branded credit card partnership where Emirates NBD issues U By Emaar Family, Signature, Infinite, and Visa Infinite Emirati cards. Cardholders earn accelerated Upoints and receive tier upgrades with annual fees ranging from free to AED 1,575.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
U by Emaar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- World of Hyatt: Hyatt's hotel loyalty program offering points, suite upgrades and tiered elite status. Comparable to U by Emaar's hotel-anchored earn model, with the same structural tension of competing for the premium traveller segment.
- SHARE by Majid Al Futtaim: Majid Al Futtaim's multi-vertical loyalty program spanning shopping (Mall of the Emirates, City Centre), VOX Cinemas, leisure and dining in the UAE and wider MENA. Direct MENA competitor offering points and tiered benefits across a comparable asset mix.
- The ENTERTAINER: MENA-headquartered lifestyle discount and membership platform offering buy-one-get-one-free benefits across dining, attractions, spa, fitness and travel in the UAE, KSA and other regional markets. Closest regional peer by business model — multi-vertical membership club monetizing partner offers across dining and entertainment.
- Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott International's flagship global hotel loyalty program. Direct competitor to U by Emaar's hotel-stay earn/redeem mechanic and tier structure, though operating at vastly greater scale and global breadth across 30+ brands.
- IHG One Rewards: InterContinental Hotels Group's unified loyalty program across luxury, premium and essentials brands. Operates the same hotel points + tier + co-branded credit card mechanic that defines U by Emaar's core product.
- Hilton Honors: Hilton's global loyalty program with tiered membership (Silver/Gold/Diamond) and points earn/redeem across hotels, dining and experiences. Closely comparable to U by Emaar's tiered structure and hotel-anchored earning, but globally distributed rather than regionally concentrated.
- ALL - Accor Live Limitless: Accor's global loyalty platform spanning luxury (Raffles, Fairmont) to lifestyle (Sofitel, Mondrian) and economy brands. Direct comparable on multi-brand hotel earn/redeem mechanics, with similar tiered status benefits and dining extensions.
Emerging players
- Etihad Guest: Etihad Airways' loyalty program, part of the airlines-for-miles MENA category. Comparable as a UAE-based points programme with hotel, dining and lifestyle redemption partners, though anchored on airline spend rather than a hospitality/real estate conglomerate.
Regional players
- Blue Rewards by Al Ghurair: UAE-based multi-vertical loyalty program anchored on Al Ghurair Centre mall and Al Ghurair Foods, extending to dining, entertainment and retail. Regional competitor serving an overlapping UAE consumer base with similar mall + dining earn mechanics.
Broad incumbents
- Miles & More: Lufthansa Group's broad-based travel loyalty programme with hotel, retail and lifestyle redemption partners across Europe and globally. Comparable as a mature multi-vertical points program with co-branded credit cards and tiered elite benefits.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
U by Emaar social profiles
Digital presenceU by Emaar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U by Emaar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
U by Emaar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U by Emaar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about U by Emaar
What does U by Emaar do?
U by Emaar is a multi-tiered loyalty rewards programme operated by Emaar Properties PJSC that enables members to earn and redeem proprietary Upoints across 100+ participating Emaar hotels, restaurants, spas, entertainment attractions, and malls in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Turkey. The free membership program offers tiered benefits (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) spanning stay, dine, play, relax, shop, and move categories, with accelerated earning through co-branded Emirates NBD credit cards.
Is U by Emaar a public or private company?
U by Emaar is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was U by Emaar founded?
U by Emaar was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is U by Emaar based?
U by Emaar is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does U by Emaar make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Loyalty Program Revenue is the primary driver. The others are co-branded Credit Card Partnership.
Who are U by Emaar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are World of Hyatt, SHARE by Majid Al Futtaim, The ENTERTAINER, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, Hilton Honors and ALL - Accor Live Limitless. Etihad Guest is listed as an emerging player. Blue Rewards by Al Ghurair is listed as a regional player. Miles & More is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does U by Emaar have an API?
No public API is recorded for U by Emaar.
What industry is U by Emaar in?
U by Emaar's product category is Hospitality Loyalty Program. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAAAL, Travel Subscription, Membership & Deal Clubs, with a secondary code of CRAEADAK, Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led). Its NAICS code is 7211 and its SIC code is 8600.