What the figure means
The headline number on the AED valuations page is the indicative best-case redemption value of one Mile or point in fils — i.e. one-hundredth of a UAE dirham. A figure of 2.4 means each Mile, redeemed at the strongest path we currently track, returns ~2.4 fils of cash-equivalent value.
"Best case" matters. We do not publish an average across redemption paths because the worst paths (low-rate partner gift cards, peak-season cash conversions, "Cash + Miles" hybrids) drag the average down to a number that is misleading at the earn stage. Most readers using DubaiPoints to choose a card want to know what the Miles can be worth on their best redemption — not what they will be worth if redeemed badly.
What formal sampling will test
Once formal sampling begins, the method for each programme will be:
- Airline programmes (Skywards, Etihad Guest, Qatar Privilege Club, Saudia Alfursan): sample the best available Saver-tier business-class redemption out of DXB or AUH, ~30 days out, on a primary route the programme actively flies. Compare the Miles cost (excluding cash taxes and surcharges) against the cash price for the same flight, same day, same fare class.
- Hotel programmes (Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One, Hilton Honors): sample the best off-peak award rate at a UAE-located property against the prevailing cash rate for the same date and room category. Where applicable, adjust for the "5th-night-free" or equivalent benefit to reflect a likely real redemption.
- Bank-proprietary points (FAB Rewards, ADCB TouchPoints, ENBD Smiles, Mashreq Reward Points): sample the best-published statement-credit, gift-card, or 1:1 airline-transfer exit. Where the strongest exit is a transfer to an airline programme (FAB → Skywards, for example), use the airline programme's formally sampled value as the upstream figure.
Sampling cadence
Formal quarterly sampling has not begun, and this page does not claim a start date for it. When it does begin, valuations will be sampled and republished on the first Friday of January, April, July and October; each sampled quarter's figures will be dated and prior quarters will stay accessible. Until then the DP values on the valuations table are the published per-programme baselines and nothing on this site presents them as a sampled range.
Until the first formal sample is completed, figures on the AED valuations page are flagged "Indicative — pre-sampling" and represent DubaiPoints' editorial estimates informed by published award charts and redemption reports from UAE residents. They are not represented as sampled medians.
What we don't do
- We do not publish a single "industry average" Mile value. There isn't one — the redemption value depends entirely on the programme and the path.
- We do not adjust the value upward to reflect "elite-tier perks" (lounge access, free baggage, etc). Those are perks of the card or status, not of the Mile.
- Once formal sampling begins, we will not publish a sampled quarterly figure from a single redemption. The method requires the median of at least three sampled redemption paths in the same quarter. Pre-sampling estimates remain labelled separately.
- Once the sampled series exists, we will not change historical sampled figures. If a programme devalues mid-quarter, the next published figure will reflect it; the prior sampled quarter will stay on the record.
Caveats
The published figure is a tool for comparing programmes at the earn stage — i.e. when you are choosing a credit card. It is not a guarantee of the value you will realise on any specific redemption. Award availability, booking window, route, fare class, taxes and surcharges, and programme rule changes all affect realised value.
If a redemption you are considering would clear the published value, take it. If it would not, weigh that against the alternative cash cost and decide accordingly. Do not redeem at a rate substantially below the published figure unless you have a clear reason — that is the most common avoidable mistake in points and miles.