You may need SIM cards there if you are visiting the UAE for work or travel. Choose the right SIM to connect you with your loved ones after moving to Dubai or UAE. This interesting and unique article will give you information about the best good and low-rate mobile operators in the UAE. Know the names of SIMs with expensive and cheap packages in UAE.
By the way, there are many mobile operators in Dubai. The list is topped by Etisalat, second by Du, third by Virgin Mobile, fourth by FRiENDi Mobile, and fifth by the Craftel network, recently launched in the UAE. More telecom networks are also present in UAE, details of their offers and how to get a SIM will be given below.
List of the Best SIM Cards for Travel in UAE
If you are planning to visit UAE or have been to Dubai, here is a list of all major networks in Dubai or UAE. This list will show which network ranks in the united arab emirates and what is its purpose in Dubai. After this list, you can select your preferred telecom network and activate the SIM of your choice.
We have mentioned some Best SIM Cards for Travel in UAE you can get any card of your choice:
| SIM Name | User Purpose |
|---|---|
| Etisalat | General, Businesses, High Data, Wide Coverage |
| DU | General, Value, Competitive |
| Virgin Mobile | Youth, Budget, Flexibility |
| Wasel | Basic Prepaid Plans |
| FRiENDi Mobile | Value Seekers, Bundles |
| Craftel | Enterprise Mobile Solutions |
Which is the Best Network in the UAE?
1) Etisalat
Now comes the turn to select SIM. Due to this reason, many people get confused as to which telecom network they should select. Due to this, they get a good-performing network at a low rate. Etisalat is known as number #1 in UAE which is used by 40% of the population in UAE.
2) DU SIM Card
The second place is used by DU Telecom Company. The packages of DU company are quite cheaper than Etisalat. But if we talk about Virgin Telecom company, it is not offering free sims but its packages are very good and cheap.
3) Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobiles is made by DU company but Virgin Mobiles network packages are much cheaper than DU. Also, you can buy Etisalat or DU prepaid SIMs at any airport or store where their services are available. It costs from 30 AED to 99 AED. But if you want to get these sims for free then ask the representative for a free sim but it will not have any service activation.
Prepaid SIM Card Prices in UAE for Tourists
If you are traveling in Dubai or UAE. So here are other offers for you. In which the prices of Etisalat and DU SIMs range from AED 30 to AED 300. Etisalat Free SIMs offer up to 1GB of free data. With the help of this, the user can choose the offer of his choice by downloading the Etisalat appsÛ”
Apart from this Tourist Smart SIM plan is given to the user for 50 AED for 30 local minutes, unlimited internet calls, and 2GB internet for 7 days. So below are the rates and package information of all Sims of DU and Etisalat. After looking at these offers, select the offer of your choice. Subscribe to the offer through apps at home or any nearby retailer.
Etisalat Prepaid SIM Card Prices in UAE for Tourists
| Plan | Price | Data | Minutes and SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free SIM | Zero | 1GB | —- | 24 hours |
| Tourist Smart | 49 AED | 2GB | 30 local minutes, unlimited internet calls | 7 days |
| Tourist Smart Plus | 79 AED | 4GB | 30 local minutes, unlimited internet calls | 14 days |
| Tourist Super Smart | 125 AED | 10GB | 120 local minutes, unlimited internet calls | 28 days |
| Tourist Unlimited Smart | 200 AED | 20GB | 525 local minutes, unlimited internet calls | 28 days |
| Tourist Super Unlimited Smart | 319 AED | Unlimited data | 100 local minutes, unlimited internet calls | 28 days |
The above offers are intended for first-time visitors to the UAE only. Residents of the UAE or existing users are not eligible for this offer. You can get a free SIM from any nearby retailer in UAE by telling them about the Etisalat Visitor Free SIM offer.
If you find it difficult or avoid going to a store, visit their official website Etisalat.ae, and get your SIM at home after some verification. In these offers, the user can use fast internet at the speed of 5G or 4G. Also, you can use Etisalat SIM to support Free or Unlimited Wi-Fi.
DU Prepaid SIM Card Prices in UAE for Tourists
DU is the second largest network used in Dubai. Visit any nearest retailer or airport to get DU Prepaid SIM Card Prices in UAE for Tourists. Carry your passport and get a SIM card according to your capacity. DU also offers a free SIM to new visitors to Dubai.
In this free SIM, you get to use DU 1 GB for 24 hours without any extra charges. But if you want to get DU SIM minutes, you should go for AED 49 plan. In this plan, you will get 30 flexi minutes (local & international), unlimited internet calls, and 2 GB internet, you can use this plan for 7 days. Apart from this, more plans are listed below.
| Plan | Price | Data | Minutes and SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist Plus SIM | Zero | 1GB | —- | 24 hours |
| Tourist Smart | 49 AED | 2GB | 30 flexi minutes (local & international), unlimited internet calls | 7 days |
| Tourist Plus SIM | 99 AED | 6GB | 30 flexi minutes, unlimited internet calls | 14 days |
| Tourist SIM | 139 AED | 10GB | 30 flexi minutes, unlimited internet calls | 14 days |
| Tourist SIM | 189 AED | 20GB | 20 flexi minutes, unlimited internet calls | 28 days |
| Tourist Extreme SIM | 299 AED | Unlimited data | 100 flexi minutes, unlimited internet calls | 7 days |
Flexi minutes of all the above plans can be used for international and local calls or SMS. In this plan, you are informed about all the offers to get unlimited internet from the DU free SIM 1GB offer. Select the DU SIM Wi-Fi plan to enjoy free Wi-Fi and unlimited internet.
Perfect Prepaid Packages for Starters in the UAE (Etisalat Visitor Lines)
Etisalat usually offers new packages for new travelers and tourists coming to Dubai or UAE. The non-budget passengers in this starter plane are given 1 GB of internet with free SIM which can be used for 24 hours.
Well, Etisalat Visitor Lines Prepaid SIMs are given for free but if the passenger can pay a small fee then Etisalat provides him with better facilities. See Prepaid Packages for Starters in the UAE below.
| Package | Data | Minutes | SMS | WiFi | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free SIM | 1 GB | – | – | – | 24 Hours | Free |
| Premium Plus | 22/5GB | 525 Flexi | – | 30 Hours | 28 Days | 249 AED |
| Premium | 8GB | 120 Flexi | – | 5 Hours | 28 Days | 159 AED |
| Unlimited Local Data | Unlimited | 200 Flexi | – | 30 Hours | 14 Days | 319 AED |
| Talk & Text Max | – | 500 Flexi | 500 | 5 Hours | 28 Days | 179 AED |
| Talk & Text | – | 100 Flexi | 100 | 2 Hours | 28 Days | 79 AED |
| All-in-One Max | 15GB | 300 Flexi | 300 | 10 Hours | 28 Days | 209 AED |
| All-in-One | 4GB | 100 Flexi | 100 | 5 Hours | 28 Days | 99 AED |
Choosing the Right Package:
- Choose any Etisalat SIM package according to your usage.
- Smaller packages may be better to choose for a short stay in Dubai.
- If you are in UAE for business, opt for more minutes and an SMS package.
- Choose a package with less data plan and more Wi-Fi to travel to UAE for entertainment.
- Visit etislate.ae to order a SIM at home or to see more new Etisalat Visitor Line packages.
Du Prepaid SIM Card Price – Visitor Line Cost & Packages
DU by the way is the second largest telecom network in Dubai but has impressed its customers with its fast speed. It also provides a welcome 1GB with free SIM to travelers arriving in UAE which can be used for 24 hours. But if you buy the DU SIM starter plan, you get 2GB of data for 28 days and 30 flexi minutes for just AED 49. Read below to learn about Du Tourist SIM card plans and Prices.
Du Tourist SIM Card Prices and Plans
DU offers new packages for new travelers and tourists visiting the UAE. Its Starter plan offers non-budget travelers 1 GB of internet with free SIM which can be used for 24 hours. DU Visitor Lines prepaid SIMs are provided free of cost. Check out DU prepaid package starters in UAE below.
| Package | Data | Minutes | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Day Plan | 20GB | 30 Flexi | 7 Days | 199 AED |
| 14 Day Plan | 30GB | 60 Flexi | 14 Days | 299 AED |
| 28-Day Plan | 40GB | 100 Flexi | 28 Days | 399 AED |
| Extra Value | 10GB | 15 Flexi | 7 Days | 99 AED |
| Extra Value | 15GB | 30 Flexi | 14 Days | 149 AED |
| Unlimited Data | Unlimited | 200 Flexi | 14 Days | 319 AED |
| Extra Unlimited | Unlimited | 400 Flexi | 28 Days | 399 AED |
Flexi Minutes can be used for local and international calls Unlimited Internet Calls are available with all packages.
Choosing the Right Package:
- Choose any DU SIM package according to your usage.
- Smaller packages may be better to choose for a short stay in the UAE.
- If you are in UAE for business, opt for more minutes and an SMS package.
- Choose a DU package with less data plan and more Wi-Fi to travel to UAE for entertainment.
- Visit du.ae to order a SIM at home or to see more new Etisalat Visitor Line packages.
Du Prepaid Flexi Minute Offers
DU Flexi Minutes information is mentioned in the table below. If you are in the UAE for business or work, you may need DU flexi minutes for calls. DU Flexi Minutes can be used for domestic or international calls.
| Data | Flexi Calls | Price | Validity | Free Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 24 Hours | 49 AED | 28 Days | 1GB |
| 2GB | 30 Minutes | 79 AED | 28 Days | 1GB |
| 4GB | 30 Minutes | 99 AED | 28 Days | 1GB |
| 6GB | 60 Minutes | 139 AED | 28 Days | 1GB |
| 10GB | 60 Minutes | 59 AED | 28 Days | 6GB |
| 20GB | 60 Minutes | 89 AED | 28 Days | 8GB |
| 30GB | 60 Minutes | 109 AED | 28 Days | 10GB |
| 50GB | 60 Minutes | 149 AED | 28 Days | 12GB |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 1000 AED | 28 Days | – |
- Du website: https://www.du.ae/personal
- Du Tourist SIM: https://www.du.ae/tourist
- Flexi Prepaid: https://shop.du.ae/en/personal/s-du-prepaid-flexi-plans
Flexi minutes of all the above plans can be used for international and local calls or SMS. In this plan, you are informed about all the offers to get unlimited internet from the DU free SIM 1GB offer. Select the DU SIM Wi-Fi plan to enjoy free Wi-Fi and unlimited internet.
Virgin UAE Tourist SIM Card Package and Prices
Virgin Mobile is the third largest telecom network in the UAE. It also provides free SIM or eSIM facilities to travelers arriving in the UAE. Virgin Mobile is the network of DU Telecom Company, so in terms of speed, both speeds have been kept the same.
A Virgin Mobile SIM can be purchased at airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah in the UAE. Virgin Mobile SIM packages also provide free calls minutes and SMS so its packages are slightly more expensive than Etisalat and DU SIM packages.
To get a Virgin Mobile eSIM you must have an eSIM-supported mobile otherwise you will be directed to get a physical SIM. To get a SIM, take your passport with you and get a Virgin SIM at the airport in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah.
| Plans | 7 Day Plan | 10 Day Plan | 15 Days Plan | 10 Day Super |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data | 21GB | 40GB | 75GB | Unlimited |
| Local Minutes | 30 local min | 40 local min | 50 local min | 30 local min |
| Int’l Min | 20 Int’l Min | 20 Int’l Min | 20 Int’l Min | 20 Int’l Min |
| Local SMS | 20 SMS | 20 SMS | 20 SMS | 20 SMS |
| Validity | 7 Days | 10 Days | 15 Days | 10 Days |
| Price | 150 AED | 200 AED | 300 AED | 300 AED |
- Get 21GB Data, 30 Local & 20 international Min & 20 SMS for 7 days in AED 150.
- Avail 40GB Data, 40 Local & 20 international Min & 20 SMS offers for 10 days in just AED 200.
- Get 50 Local & 20 International Min & 20 SMS and 75GB Data for just AED 300 for 15 days.
- Get unlimited data in AED 300 and 30 Local & 20 international Min & SMS.
Note that this offer is only for new travelers arriving in Dubai. Residents of Dubai cannot avail of this offer. The data is reset every night at midnight if you don’t use the given data on the same day then you can’t use that data the next day. For example, if you have purchased a 21GB package for 7 days, you will get 3GB daily usage if you do not use 3GB. So your 3GB data will be deducted at midnight.
Etisalat VS Du – Best SIM Card
You have been given all the information about the Etisalat and DU tourism packages above. But it comes to the speed of both networks. Etisalat works much faster than DU. Hence DU cannot be compared with Etisalat.
Etisalat extends to congested areas of the UAE. Hence, Etisalat provides its Wi-Fi and 5G services there as well. At the same time, DU works very slowly in comparison. Well, DU is working fast on its speed be DU will compete with Etisalat in speed in no time.
But currently, Etisalat is providing 46.4 Mbps download speed and DU is providing 34.4 Mbps download speed. If we talk about 5G, Etisalat provides 332.1 Mbps download speed while DU provides 282 Mbps download speed.
| Feature | Etisalat | Du |
|---|---|---|
| Network Coverage | 99.0% | 98.0% |
| Download Speed (4G) | 46.4 Mbps | 34.4 Mbps |
| Upload Speed (4G) | 11.0 Mbps | 9.0 Mbps |
| 5G Download Speed | 332.1 Mbps | 282.0 Mbps |
| 5G Upload Speed | 31.2 Mbps | 24.4 Mbps |
| 5G Coverage | 16.5 | 13.7 |
| Network Reach | More stores and distribution channels | Growing network, slightly less availability |
| Pricing | Competitive, compare specific plans | Competitive, compare specific plans |
| Customer Service | Online, app, stores | Online, app, stores |
| Special Offers | Yes, both offer promotions | Yes, both offer promotions |
| Additional Benefits | Etisalat Rewards program, loyalty benefits | Du Rewards program, exclusive deals |
Which is the Best SIM Card in UAE?
I think both networks are similar in terms of cost. But it depends on you that if you want to go to a desert area for sightseeing in UAE, then you will choose Etisalat. Because Etisalat has spread its network in such areas at quite a 5G high speed. But if you live within the city, you can enjoy cheap DU packages (starting from 10 AED). Apart from this, both networks are giving you 1GB of data for 24 hours with free SIM. Also, the above speed tests may vary by region and device.
FAQs
You can deactivate a DU SIM card by calling Du customer care (800 155), using the Du app (prepaid only), or visiting a Du retail outlet.
Etisalat does not currently offer online cancellations for prepaid SIM cards. You can cancel by calling 8006665 or visiting an Etisalat outlet.
Download the Etisalat official app from the Play Store or you can get a SIM card online with the helpline.
Renew your Etisalat SIM registration online via the app, website, or in-store.
Report your lost Etisalat SIM card and get a replacement at an Etisalat outlet.