Prepaid SIM / eSIM in Dubai (United Arab Emirates): how much does it cost? Where to buy one?
Are you planning to travel to Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE? You’ll probably want to get a SIM card to have internet access without paying a fortune with your French SIM card. Here’s how to do it.
Buy a SIM card before you leave
It’s not the most budget-friendly option but it might be the simplest one: you can buy a SIM card before your stay in Dubai in the UAE.
Our partner Holafly (see offers and get a 10% discount codeNomad Bento offers a prepaid SIM card that they’ll send to your home before you leave.
Their rate is €54 for 6 GB of data valid for 15 days.
Buying an eSIM for Dubai / United Arab Emirates
If you have a compatible phone, Holafly also offers an eSIM solution (see our article on the subject).
See eSIM deals for the United Arab Emirates. Feel free to use the promo code NOMADBENTO
Getting a SIM card at Dubai Airport
When you go through immigration, you’ll get a surprise when you get your passport stamped back: you’ll find a SIM card inside! It’s a SIM card from the carrier Du.
We’ve visited around sixty countries, and it’s the first time getting a SIM card has been this simple!
This SIM card comes with 1 GB of data, which unfortunately only lasts for 24 hours, so you’ll have to pay for more afterwards 🙂
All you need to do is punch out the SIM to the size you need and insert it into your phone.
Once the SIM card is in your phone, you’ll receive a text asking you to verify your identity. It’s very straightforward: just reply to the text with your year of birth.
From there, your SIM card is ready to use, and you can get online.
You’ll receive another text with your phone number and a download link for the Du app, which lets you track your usage and buy more credit when your free 24 hours are up.
Once installed, you’ll need to go through a few steps to create an account in the app:
- Enter your phone number
- Enter the verification code you receive via text
- Provide an email and password
And that’s it!
Just tap “Top Up” to pick the plan you want—here they are (4 AED = €1)
| Rate | Internet | Phone | Validity |
| 49 AED | 2 GB | 30 minutes (local only) | 28 days |
| 99 AED | 6GB | 30 minutes (international + local) | 28 days |
| 139 AED | 10 GB | 30 minutes (international + local) | 28 days |
| 189 AED | 20 GB | 30 minutes (international + local) | 28 days |
| 299 AED | Unlimited | / | 10 days |
Think that’s expensive? Me too!
You pay by credit card, the app is easy to use, and credit is activated instantly. However, the remaining balance display in the app doesn’t seem to work: I can use the internet fine, I received a confirmation text, but the balance in the app stays at 0. The alternative to check your remaining balance is to use a special code (see below).
If you prefer, you can top up your SIM card at a kiosk at Du stands in malls (here at Dubai Mall).
The speed is decent even if upload could be better—here’s the result of a speed test done in November 2021 in Dubai.
USSD codes to know with Du
USSD codes are simple key combinations you enter to perform an action or get information.
You need to enter them and hit “call” just like you were calling someone. A window will open with the answer, or you’ll receive a text message.
- Check your phone number: *116#
- Check your credit balance: *135# then 1 (you’ll receive a text message after about a minute)
- Buy packs (data, phone, etc.): *055# (requires having purchased credit beforehand)
Buy a SIM card at Virgin Mobile
While strolling through the famous Dubai Mall, we came across a Virgin Mobile stand and wanted to compare their rates with Du’s.
The salesperson (who spoke French!) handed us a tablet that let us customize our plan based on our needs for local calls and texts, international calls and texts, and internet.
Since we’re only interested in internet, we set local and international calls to the minimum – here’s what it looked like.
| Rate | Internet | Phone | Validity duration |
| 82.95 AED | 2 GB | 50 minutes (local only) | One month |
| 124.95 AED | 4 GB | 50 minutes (local only) | One month |
| 170.10 AED | 7 GB | 50 minutes (local only) | One month |
| 213.5 AED | 10 GB | 50 minutes (local only) | One month |
| 1050 AED | 100 GB | 50 minutes (local only) | One month |
In addition to these monthly customizable plans, there are plans available for 7, 10, or 15 days with 3, 4, and 5GB of internet PER DAY respectively.
Here are the rates
We didn’t push the test further since the rates are higher than Du’s.
Video
Enjoyed this article? Discover all our travel guides and journals on Dubai, Abu Dhabi & the UAE here
For guided excursions with French-speaking guides in Dubai, Abu Dhabi & the UAE, check out the offers with our partner Civitatis
