Sim card in Dubai for tourist are commonly sold at the airport, convenience stores, or carrier counters. This type of SIM card has a short validity period of around 5 days, 7 days, 15 days, or 30 days. Using a Dubai data SIM card, you can easily connect and access the internet (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, Telegram), look up maps, find nearby restaurants, eateries, and hotels, and especially, always stay connected with loved ones. You can choose a SIM card from providers like Etisalat, du… Below is a guide on how to purchase and select the right data plan…
I. Where can sim card in Dubai for tourist?
Get a free tourist SIM card at the airport: Etisalat and DU are telecommunications service providers that offer free SIM cards upon arrival at Dubai International Airport for travelers 18 years and older with visit visas, transit visa or GCC citizenship. Each SIM card comes with 1GB of free mobile data valid for 24 hours from activation.
Once you’ve used up your 1GB or after the first 24 hours, you can easily top up your balance at several travel kiosks in the arrivals area of the airport.
Besides DU, you can also easily buy SIM cards from other carriers like Etisalat and Virgin at their kiosks at the airport. All service providers offer separate data plans designed specifically for travelers.
II. 3 biggest carriers in Dubai provide the best SIM cards for tourists
Below is information about the 3 best carriers in Dubai that provide SIM cards for tourists:
1. Etisalat – the carrier that offers free sim card in Dubai for tourist
This is the first and largest carrier in the UAE, owned by the government. Etisalat offers mobile services, fixed Internet, television and other telecommunications services. They are known for their wide coverage, high speed and good customer service.
You can easily buy SIM cards at the counters of this carrier in the arrival hall of Dubai International Airport, the brand identity is red and black.
Like DU, Etisalat also provides 1 free SIM card with 1GB of data for tourists from 18 years old.
Price: Etisalat has the lowest price of 49 Dirham with 2GB of data and 30 flexible minutes for 28 days.
Enjoy 14 days of unlimited data and 300 calling minutes for only 319 Dirham!
2. DU network
DU is the second network operator in the UAE, established after Etisalat and also owned by the government. du also provides a full range of telecommunications services similar to Etisalat, directly competing with Etisalat in terms of price and service quality.
Price: DU has the cheapest data package of 49 Dirham for 2GB of data and 30 flexible minutes for 28 days
7 days of worry-free surfing, only for 199 Dhs, plus 100 bonus call minutes
3. Travel SIM card of the carrier Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is a mobile service provider operating on the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) model. This means that they do not own their own network infrastructure but use the network of larger carriers to provide services. In the UAE, Virgin Mobile uses Etisalat’s network.
The difference from DU and Etisalat: The above carriers have small data packages, but Virgin Mobile is different. This carrier focuses on providing large data packages, the minimum package is 21GB for 7 days of use.
Cheapest package: This package costs Dhs142.86, provides 21GB of data (limited to 3GB per day), free 30 minutes of local calls and 20 minutes of international calls, unlimited texting within 7 days.
Unlimited data package (7 days): The price of this package is Dhs190.48, you will have 30 minutes/domestic SMS and 20 minutes/international SMS.
Unlimited data package (30 days): This package costs 500 Dhs with 30 minutes/domestic SMS, 20 minutes/international SMS and free internet calls.
Above is information about a sim card in Dubai for tourist, including purchasing locations, best network providers and corresponding prices as well as brand recognition at the airport. You can access eSIM for Dubai and choose the package with the number of days and data capacity that best suits your trip. However, please note that to activate eSIM, your device needs to be eSIM Compatible Devices.