Whether you are planning on spending three days in Dubai or one month, when you come to Dubai, you certainly need a local Dubai sim card in order to enjoy your trip hassle-free. If you are going to be in Dubai for a short period of time, it will be imperative that you have a reliable way of communicating during your stay. Even though Wife is available at most popular tourist attractions in Dubai, you will still feel the need to bring a local SIM card with them at some point in their travels. The city is one of the best places to visit in the world and offers many things to do for free.
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Why Local Sim Card?
It is understandable that you might be wondering why you should get a Dubai SIM card when you can book excursions online and keep using the free WiFi available. That is a good question, but as a tourist, you will find that there are two logical reasons why you should get a Dubai SIM card.
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As a visitor to Dubai, it is worthwhile to remember that during your stay, you are likely to consume a large amount of data on your phone. If you activate international roaming of your home country, you will pay quite high prices. In contrast, if you decide to purchase a local Dubai SIM card in Dubai, you will be able to accomplish this task for a lot less money.
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Since you are a new visitor to the city, you aren’t familiar with the city as a whole. You are only relying on information found online, and you are probably using Google maps to find your way around. Is that right? While you can access the internet by using Wifi in hotels, you will need a mobile data connection to access the internet outside of hotels.
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Additionally, without a local Dubai SIM card, you would be unable to communicate with your tour operator. I used to be a travel consultant several years ago, and I still remember how our guests had problems meeting our driver on several occasions. In most cases, guests come to the hotel lobby right at the time of pick up, which is a good thing, but for some tours during peak season, it may be difficult to locate guests in the hotel lobby because of crowds. When you have a UAE number, anyone will be able to reach you quickly and easily, so take a UAE SIM card with you when you visit Dubai for a comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable stay.
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Free Dubai Sim Cards for Tourists : Where to Get?
A collaborative partnership between DU telecom and the tourism department has led to the release of a FREE tourist SIM card for individuals over 18 years old. When you arrive at the immigration desk, inquire about the free SIM card. Tourists who are interested in this free Dubai SIM card can pick it up from either of Dubai’s airports, and it comes with 1 GB of free data, and it’s valid for 24 hours, so they can connect with their family members and friends as soon as they get to the airport. It is also easy to top it up once the 1 GB has been consumed.
Required documents: Valid passport and UAE visa.
Others Dubai Tourists Sim Card Options
In the past few years, tourists intending to purchase a Dubai SIM card had only two options available to them: Du and Etisalat. There is a new option for tourists seeking Dubai SIM cards in the UAE now that Virgin Mobile has announced its services in Dubai as a new option for tourists in need of Dubai SIM cards.
So it is also possible to purchase SIM cards at airports from other mobile networks such as Etisalat and Virgin Mobile. Buying a prepaid SIM card for Dubai at the airport is the easiest and most convenient method. If you do not want to purchase one at the airport, you can buy it from the local vendors in your area or at a good shopping mall like Dubai mall etc where all the operators have their office
Etisalat Tourist Sim Card Details
Since Etisalat has been working locally and internationally for many years now, it has become a popular name in global telecommunications. The company provides a range of money-saving plans and instant activation plans for travellers who choose Etisalat Tourist sim cards.
You may opt for the Etisalat visitor line if you do not plan to use much data or if you are on a short trip to Dubai. The Etisalat visitor line costs AED 79 (USD 21) and includes 4 GB, 30 Flexi minutes, and a SIM card for 28 days.
This Visitor Line Premium subscription costs AED 125 (USD 34) per month, and it includes 8 GB of data, 120 Flexi minutes, and 5 WiFi hours, which is quite a reasonable price considering the amount of data you will get. All visitors over 18 years of age, with a valid passport, and a UAE visa are eligible for Etisalat’s visitor line.
Also, this SIM card supports both 4 G and 5 G. You don’t need to visit to any shop to get it.If you arrive at Dubai International Airport, you can reach Etisalat outlit in the arrival area or in the duty-free area. Etisalat tourism card also offers AED 100 Careem credits for booking Careem taxis.
Required documents: Valid passport and UAE visit visa.
DU Tourist Sim Card Details
Another mobile operator in the UAE is Du. It offers an extensive choice of tourist SIMs, which you can buy for AED 49 + 5% VAT. The tourist SIM comes with 30 flexible minutes (national or international) and 2 GB of data. In comparison with Etisalat’s basic plan, I have concluded that both Etisalat and Du offer the same amount of Flexi minutes and the same amount of data, and both plans are valid for 28 days.
One very positive thing about the DU tourist card is that you can renew your SIM card after 90 days without presenting your Emirates ID. To renew it, you need your passport and an updated valid UAE visa. It’s an excellent option for business travelers visiting Dubai. In addition, Du cars come with free vouchers worth AED 1500, which can be used to book a car with Dollar Rent a Car.
Required documents: Valid passport and UAE visit visa.
Best e-sim cards for Dubai
Besides getting a local SIM card in Dubai or setting up international roaming on your home country’s phone number, there are a few different ways to stay connected when visiting Dubai in 2023 besides getting a local Dubai SIM card. With an E-SIM card, it is also possible to quickly and easily organize everything online, which eliminates the need for physical SIM cards shops and the need to change the cards physically by switching to an E-SIM card instead. Once you have received a QR code in the mail, you simply need to follow the instructions that come with it.
The following are the top six eSIM cards for United Arab Emirates that you can buy right now:
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The Airalo United Arab Emirates Burj Mobile eSIM is available in three different capacities, ranging from 1 GB to 5 GB (top pick).
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The Airalo Menalink eSIM is available in three sizes ranging from 1 GB to 3 GB
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With Holafly e-SIM United Arab Emirates for 5 to 20 days, you will be able to use unlimited data
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Nomad United Arab Emirates eSIM has four options between 1GB and 10GB to meet your needs
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Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global) has 12 choices of 1GB and 20GB eSIM (extensive global coverage (130+ countries) at attractive prices) plus the ability to make and receive calls, as well as send and receive SMS (a new feature).
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With SimOptions, you are able to purchase the AIS eSIM2FLY Global eSIM with 5G NR access in United Arab Emirates with a 6 GB option (the eSIM with the most countries supported by 5G NR (53/143) at a reasonable price but with a short validity period).
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There is also a Nomad International eSIM option for you which is available with three choices, between 1 and 5 GB.
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Is Dubai 5G?
With its modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, Dubai is considered one of the world’s most technologically advanced cities, offering a host of state-of-the-art facilities and modern infrastructure. It is a positive thing to know that major telecom companies have already enabled 5G in the city, so you can now experience faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections.
If you’ve any question in mind feel free and ask me in comments. I will try to respond to you in 3 days.
