Are you travelling or moving to Dubai and want to know the quickest way to get a sim card in the emirate? Whether you’re a resident or a tourist, getting a sim card for yourself is a simple process. Here is all the information you need about buying, activating and using a sim card in Dubai.
Sim card services in Dubai
There are three main sim card services in Dubai that you can choose from; Virgin Mobile, du and Etisalat. All of these service providers offer post-paid and prepaid mobile phone plans for calls, texts and internet packages. These sim cards are available at the Dubai Airport as well as numerous shopping destinations in Dubai.
How to buy a sim card in Dubai?
Buying a sim card in Dubai is a straightforward process. Residents can visit any of the sim card shops in Dubai with their Emirates ID card and select a plan that suits their needs best. Tourists can show their visa and passport to get a free sim card at the Dubai International Airport or to buy one from the shopping outlets in the city.
Free sim card for Dubai tourists
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Major General Mohammad Al Marri, has announced that tourists in Dubai who are 18 years old or above can get a free sim card. They can visit the passport control officer as soon as they arrive at the airport and get a new sim with free call minutes and data. The free three minute talk time and 20MB data are valid for a month.
Activation procedure for complimentary DU tourist sim card
The complimentary sim card that tourists receive at the Dubai International Airport needs to be activated. All you need to do to activate it is to dial *122#, enter your passport number along with the date of arrival and country name. You will get a confirmation SMS after activation.
How to buy internet data and talk time on your tourist sim card in Dubai
You can buy the following data and call packages on your tourist sim cards in Dubai.
DU sim card prepaid packages
- If you want both a call and internet package on your du card, you can get 500 MB data along with 20 minutes talk-time for 7 days for a cost of AED 55.
- For those who need more data and minutes, the service provider offers a plan with 2 GB internet with 40 minutes of calls for AED 75. This package is valid for 14 days.
- Tourists can also get a 3.5 GB data package that includes 50 minutes talk time for AED 110. This package also remains valid for 14 days. All the talk time minutes in these packages are valid for international calls.
Etisalat sim card prepaid packages
Etisalat offers two different prepaid packages for tourists. While the first Etisalat sim card package gives you 2 GB data with 40 minutes of voice call for AED 125, the second package offers 7.5 GB internet with 175 minutes for AED 200. The validity for both packages is 14 days and both packages include an AED 100 Careem credit.
Virgin Mobile sim card prepaid packages
Tourists and residents can also choose the Virgin Mobile sim card for prepaid phone plans in Dubai. The telecommunication company offers different monthly, half-yearly and yearly mobile plans. Customers can create customised plans with Virgin Mobile based on their voice call, SMS and data usage.
Virgin Mobile’s basic monthly subscription plan starts from AED 82.95 for 1GB data and 50 local minutes / SMS. You can also add 50 international minutes to your package. Adding 50 international minutes to this basic package would cost a total of AED 92.40 for a monthly plan.
These mobile phone plans are specifically designed for tourists and are available on tourist sim cards. Residents can also choose from a number of different internet packages in Dubai provided by du and Etisalat. Being aware of some of the other tips for travelling to Dubai for first-timers will also help you get around the city easily.
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this was very helpful