The UAE's first credit card designed exclusively for women was launched yesterday by ABN Amro.

"Men don't get it," quipped the project manager, suitably enough, a woman: Lubna Zarouni.

"Through the Al Ameera tailormade woman's credit card initiative, we have shown our commitment and responsiveness to the growing number of financially independent female customers, both today and in the future," she said.

As bank officials emphasised, this is a card designed only for women. A case in point being the credit card limit: keeping in mind ladies' propensity to shop, the variable upper limit can in cases be extended all the way up to Dh100,000.

Discounts of 10-30 per cent at restaurants, jewellery stores, theatre complexes, beauty salons and other outlets - representing at least 14 industry segments - are aimed at places women tend to frequent.

There is, perhaps, only one feature that does not gel with the others: while it is supposed to have been tailormade especially for women, all of the ladies will have to make do with the same card version available for an annual Dh300 charge, rather than being able to claim exclusivity in gold, platinum or other versions as available in similar products.

Possibly to preclude one-upmanship.

Lubna explained cardholders can take advantage of a range of lifestyle benefits relevant to women banking customers.

Additionally, every purchase allows cardholders to accumulate reward points.

Added Jan Willem van den Bosch, the bank's UAE country representative: "The card acknowledges women are financially independent and want control of their own expenditure and banking."

T.K. Raman, vice president and country manager - GCC MasterCard International, Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, said the first women-only credit card in the UAE could expand the market.

"All cardholders here are credited with 1.2 cards - which means each primary credit card holder has another 20 per cent supplementary card.

"This might mean 20 per cent of all men have offered their supplementaries to their wives, while the market itself is potentially huge," he explained.

But by the same token, might the market be ripe for a men-only card?

"Well, most credit cards are by default for men - but we might consider one exclusively for men in future," Raman admitted.