Gulf airline loyalty: where the big four are taking rewards
Key takeaways
- Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest are growing through partners beyond flying, from rail and retail to Indian e-commerce and food delivery.
- Qatar Airways has focused on redemption rules and promotions, and Saudia AlFursan publishes tier rules but no verified membership total.
- Published evidence on gamification and non-air earning across MENA is thin, so teams should rely on programme announcements, not regional adoption statistics.
The big four Gulf airline programmes are moving in the same direction: bigger partner ecosystems and more everyday earning, rather than flights alone. Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest are growing fast, Qatar Airways is adjusting redemption rules, and Saudia now faces a new rival in Riyadh Air's Sfeer.
Emirates Skywards reported more than 37 million members in its September 2025 release, and Etihad Guest reported more than 13 million in January 2026. Riyadh Air announced Sfeer on 9 October 2025, according to the Public Investment Fund, and an October 2026 report said it had passed one million members. The sources reviewed do not verify membership totals for Qatar Airways Privilege Club or Saudia AlFursan.
This briefing groups Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Saudia AlFursan as the big four, with Sfeer as the new entrant. It uses only dated, published sources and flags where they disagree or where a fact could not be verified.
Key figures
- more than 37 million Emirates Skywards members worldwide, September 2025 (emirates.com)
- more than 13 million Etihad Guest members worldwide, January 2026 (etihad.com)
- over 250,000 new Etihad Guest members a month, January 2026 (etihad.com)
- one million Riyadh Air Sfeer members, surpassed according to an October 2026 report (aviacionline.com)
- 25% reduction in Etihad Guest Silver, Gold and Platinum Tier Mile thresholds, 18 March 2026 to 31 March 2027, as reported by Points Plug (pointsplug.com)
MELA's view
The common thread is that Gulf programmes are trying to become part of members' weekly spending, not only their annual travel. Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest show this most clearly through rail, retail, food delivery and card partnerships.
Qatar Airways' redemption rule changes show that tighter limits can create friction and then be reversed, so programme teams should expect members to notice and share changes quickly.
Sfeer's direct-booking logic and non-expiring points put pressure on older programmes to explain their own expiry rules clearly, especially where published terms are inconsistent.
The thin regional evidence on gamification and personalisation means leaders should run their own tests and measure engagement, not copy a trend that is not yet documented.
Questions and answers
How many members does Emirates Skywards have?
Emirates Skywards' 25 September 2025 release reported more than 37 million members from more than 190 countries. An earlier Business Traveller interview on 2 May 2025 gave 35 million. No verified 2026 total appears in the sources reviewed.
How many members does Etihad Guest have?
Etihad reported more than 13 million Etihad Guest members worldwide on 30 January 2026, adding over 250,000 a month. It had announced its 10 millionth member in 2024, and said membership had risen by a quarter since the beginning of 2023.
Do Qatar Airways Avios expire?
Qatar Airways says Avios never expire if a member collects, spends, buys or gifts at least one Avios every 36 months. Its Privilege Club terms say balances expire by default after 36 consecutive months without activity.
What do you need to reach Silver and Gold on Saudia AlFursan?
Saudia's published tier page lists Silver Elite at 25,000 Tier Credits or 20 flights, and Gold Elite Plus at 50,000 Tier Credits or 40 flights. Saudia's benefits page lists tier bonuses of 25% and 50% of Miles earned.
When was Riyadh Air's Sfeer loyalty programme announced?
The Public Investment Fund reported that Riyadh Air announced Sfeer on 9 October 2025. Riyadh Air says Sfeer Points never expire, and an October 2026 report said the programme had passed one million members.
Did Etihad Guest cut its tier requirements in 2026?
Points Plug reports a 25% cut in Silver, Gold and Platinum thresholds from 18 March 2026 to 31 March 2027, for members who held a tier on 17 March 2026. It lists the reduced levels as 18,750, 37,500 and 93,750 Tier Miles. This is a secondary source.
Is there MENA-specific data on loyalty gamification?
No. The Amadeus and OAG reports reviewed do not give MENA figures for gamified loyalty or non-air earning. OAG's 2025 review said it saw little innovation in loyalty redemption or AI-driven earn-and-burn optimisation.
