Mobile Internet In Dubai
Barbara Fillmore
Traveling to Dubai soon? Make sure to stay connected and don't waste money on high roaming costs. Get yourself a prepaid sim card for Dubai or even easier, order an e-sim card. Like most other things in Dubai, sim cards for tourists are expensive, but still much cheaper than overseas data roaming plans.
In this complete guide I will tell you everything you need to know about Dubai prepaid sim cards for tourists: where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per July 2024, the best 4G/5G network, my recommendation, the best e-sim cards for Dubai, a vlog to show you my arrival and experiences buying a sim card at Dubai International Airport, info about international sim cards for the UAE and more.
Being a full time nomadic travel blogger on the road now for more than 10 years I am constantly figuring out the best ways to stay connected when getting to a new country. On my journey to visit every country in the world I traveled to 62 different countries in 2022 and 34 countries in 2023. So imagine how many prepaid and e-sim cards I used over the last two years.
I get to see countless airports, cities and countries and everywhere I go I try to get connected immediately on arrival if I don't have an e-sim card yet. Buying a local prepaid sim card is one of the best ways if you use a lot of data but I try to use as many e-sim cards as possible, just because it is so convenient to be connected instantly as the plane lands.
Therefore on Traveltomtom you can find already more than 200 sim card guides from all around the world: Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, USA, Bali, Turkey, Bangkok London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Canada, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Shanghai, Europe, Asia and many more.
If you don't want to use an e-sim card then Traveltomtom recommends buying a sim card at Dubai Airport on arrival. It is easy and fast and you are straight away connected. Tourist sim card prices at the airport are the same as in phone stores in the city.
However, keep in mind that local prepaid sim cards are more expensive than e-sim cards. An Airalo e-sim card for Dubai already starts from $8.5 USD and a Nomad e-sim card for Dubai with 10 GB costs only $22 USD. An Etisalat or Du prepaid sim cards with 10 GB data costs around $34 USD.
It is difficult to determine the best prepaid sim card in Dubai. There are only 2 mobile internet providers (Du and Etisalat) and their 4G/5G network coverage is pretty much the same as well as their prices for tourist sim cards.
A great alternative is an international prepaid sim card. Check out Traveltomtom's review and comparison of the best international sim cards for traveling in 2024. These are physical prepaid sim cards for those who don't have an e-sim compatible phone. These pre-activated physical sim cards will be delivered to your home address before your trip.
Make sure that your phone is unlocked as foreign sim cards only work in unlocked phones. If you are not sure about this contact your provider in your home country before your trip to Dubai. In general phones bought in Europe, Asia and Australia are unlocked, phones from the USA are often locked.
E-sim cards are the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Dubai as you can simply order an e-sim card for Dubai on the internet. No more swapping a physical sim cards and no need to visit a sim card store. You will receive a so called e-sim card through a QR code in your email. Simple, fast and easy!
The above data-only e-sim cards from Airalo are from Burj Mobile. Burj Mobile e-sim cards are only valid in the UAE. They are not 5G ready and they operate on the 4G/LTE network of Etisalat. Incoming and outgoing calls are not supported.
Be aware that you can only use e-sim cards if your phone is unlocked and even more important make sure your phone is e-sim compatible. Great thing is that with an e-sim card you keep your own phone number!
You can not buy an e-sim card for Dubai on the internet when already in Dubai. The UAE Telecom Regulator has blocked this since October 2023. If you arrived already in the UAE then you have to use a VPN to order an e-sim card.
For a much more detailed guide about using an e-sim card for Dubai click on the link and check out my comparison of the best e-sim cards for traveling to Dubai, including everything else you need to know.
If there is one place in the world where tourists could go without a local sim card it would be Dubai. There is WiFi literally EVERYWHERE and it is FAST and RELIABLE. The Dubai Mall is actually claiming to have the FASTEST PUBLIC WIFI IN THE WORLD. However, things get a little more complicated if you want to order a taxi on the streets or if you go on a road trip exploring the UAE. Having an internet connection on your phone simply makes life easier.
And what if you are laying on the beach and the hotel WiFi does not reach your beach chair? Simply don't rely on other people and get yourself a local prepaid sim card for Dubai. It is fast and easy... unfortunately it is not super cheap though.
Local sim cards are cheaper than overseas data plans or international travel sim cards. However, some of these international sim cards with global coverage are great deals for when traveling to Dubai. Interested in buying a sim card for Dubai online before your trip and get one shipped to your home address then check out the Dubai sim card deals in the link above.
Looking for cool things to do in Dubai? Don't miss the observation deck on worlds tallest building: At The Top, Burj Khalifa! See Dubai from above from floor 148! The Dubai Mall Aquarium is pretty cool to check out and a cool thrilling thing to do in Dubai is the Dinner in the Sky! Check out my reviews in the links above.
Unfortunately there are only 2 mobile internet operators in Dubai: Du and Etisalat. That means no competition and high prices. The UAE is one of the most expensive countries in the world when it comes to prepaid sim cards. There is also Virgin Mobile, a so called MVNO that operates on the Du network.
So far I have done research about local sim cards for tourists in almost 100 countries. Even expensive countries like Switzerland, Norway, Finland are much cheaper than Dubai data sim cards! A Dubai sim card gives you little value for money unfortunately and expect to pay around $4 per GB.
Good to know is that voice and video calls are blocked in the UAE with every mobile internet provider. Which means you can not use Facetime, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp for calling. Sending text messages is no problem!
However, Traveltomtom recommends you to buy your prepaid sim card for Dubai on arrival at Dubai Airport. Prices for tourist sim cards are the same all over the UAE. There is no price difference between stores in malls and the ones at Dubai International Airport.
If you are flying to Abu Dhabi then check my detailed guide for buying a sim card at Abu Dhabi Airport in 2024. For more details about buying a prepaid sim card for Dubai at Dubai International Airport check below.
When buying a prepaid sim card in Dubai you will need to bring your passport. A copy of your passport will be taken in the phone store and your new Dubai sim card will be registered on your passport number.
As mentioned before it is very easy to buy a sim card for Dubai on the internet. In fact, an e-sim card for Dubai is the cheapest way to stay connected. Check out my guide for the best e-sim cards for traveling to Dubai for more detailed info.
In the beginning of the article I already said buying your UAE sim card at Dubai Airport DXB is very convenient. At every terminal you will find multiple Dubai sim card sellers which makes buying a sim card at Dubai Airport a simple process.
For my research finding the best prepaid sim card for tourists at Dubai Airport I checked out all the selling points. Luckily the prices for Dubai sim cards are THE EAXCT SAME at every terminal as well as in the shops in the malls across Dubai. So no matter which terminal you arrive at DXB Airport, you will find the same Dubai tourist sim card prices.
There are 3 terminals at Dubai Airport. Terminal 3 is used for all Emirates and Qantas flights and is within walking distance to Terminal 1, which handles most other intercontinental flights. There is also a 5-minute shuttle bus between Terminal 1 and 3.
Terminal 2 is pretty far away and not attached nor connected to Terminal 1 and 3. You will need to take a taxi to get to Terminal 2. All FlyDubai and other low-cost airliners are handled in Terminal 2 at DXB Airport.
As I mentioned before there are only 2 mobile internet operators in the UAE. However, there is also Virgin Mobile, a so-called MVNO and they operate on the DU network. Prices for prepaid tourist sim cards constantly change. Traveltomtom does its utmost best to keep all the information as up to date as possible.
Flexi minutes means that you can use them for either local calls or international calls. Du offers its costumers unlimited voice and video calls through the following apps: BOTIM, HiU, C'ME, Voico UAE. Keep in mind that video calls are blocked in the UAE, so no Whatsapp, Messenger and Facetime calls.
Etisalat offers its costumers also several discounts through an app called Smiles. For the latest Etisalat prepaid offers check their website. The most eye catching discount is the 100 AED Careem credit.
However, in reality it means 20% off with a maximum of 25 AED per ride and only for new costumers. I tried it and it was completely useless, it didn't work at all for me! Sales trick! Careem is like Uber in Dubai. I was pretty disappointed with this whole discount thing from Etisalat. In the end I wasn't able to use anything because there were restrictions on everything. So my review about this Smiles app from Etisalat and its discount is: USELESS, a complete WASTE of time, energy and effort.
The last option for buying a prepaid sim card in Dubai is Kitmytrip. You will find this store at Dubai Airport and they are an official reseller of DU prepaid sim cards. They offer the exact same sim card deals as the official DU store.
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