Having an internet connection on a trip to Dubai is a great way to make the most of your holiday. In this article we tell you how to find the best travel eSIM for Dubai, so you can connect to the internet immediately without paying excessive roaming charges, or putting your data at risk on public wifi networks. In addition, we tell you about other less practical alternatives such as physical SIM cards, wifi pockets or searching for free wifi in cities.
When looking for the perfect eSIM for your trip to Dubai you should consider aspects such as speed, data limit, technical support, price or duration of the plans. In this post we have already done the work for you, and we compare the main brands such as Holafly, Airalo or Simoptions, among others, and we tell you their advantages and disadvantages to help you make a decision. We already tell you that the Holafly eSIM cards are a safe bet with no extra charges and 24h support.
eSIM Comparison for a trip to Dubai
When comparing different brands of eSIM we need to consider all the features that will determine whether the card will suit your travel needs. That’s why we’ve put together this table with all the essential information about each brand to help you make your choice. We’ll go into more detail on each eSIM brand below, so you won’t miss any of the information.
| Brand | Plan duration | Data Sharing | Support | Unlimited Data | App | GB per plan | Price | Trustpilot | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holafly | 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 days | + | English, direct chat and WhatsApp | + | Yes | Unlimited | 19€-54€ | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Airalo | 7 and 30 days | + | In English, via bot | – | Yes | 3GB and 5GB | 8,5€ – 35€ | 3.9 | 3.5 |
| Maya Mobile | 5, 10, 15 and 30 days | + | In English, via bot | “YES/NO” Speed at 1Mbps | No | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB | 28€ – 121€ | 4.4 | 3.2 |
| Nomad | 7, 30 days | + | In English, by email or via the App | – | Yes | 1GB, 3GB and 5GB | 17€ – 45.5€ | 3.1 | 3 |
| Simoptions | 14 and 30 days | – | In English by chat | – | No | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB and 10GB | 8,9$ – 59,9$ | 3.5 | 3 |
1. Holafly, eSIM for Dubai with 24/7 customer support
| Advantages | Holafly’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install with QR code or manually. They have eSIM cards for 160 destinations. 24/7 technical support in English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese. You can pay in euros, dollars and Mexican pesos. The eSIM card for the United Arab Emirates from Holafly allows data sharing. It has an App where you can check your usage and the days left on your contract. |
| Disadvantages | Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. You cannot install via their App.. |
Holafly is a Spanish company with offices all over the world and more than 100 employees. It is one of the best options to buy eSIM cards and travel with peace of mind as it offers eSIM cards with unlimited data for Dubai with a 24h customer service in several languages such as Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Japanese and others. A very important fact that can guarantee the quality of its product and service is that it is currently the company with the best and highest rating on Trustpilot with a score of 4.7 and with more than 20 thousand people who have taken the time to rate its service.
On Holafly’s website you can find 5 plans with unlimited data for Dubai ranging from 19 to 57 euros. Compared to other brands, Holafly’s eSIM offers the most data and is one of the few with 5G.
Also, if for some reason you decide not to go on your trip and you haven’t used the service, this company has a flexible refund policy with which you get 100% of your money back. It’s a great way not to lose our money 🙂
| Data plan | Euro | Dollars | Mexican Pesos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 19€ | 19$ | 399MXN |
| 7 days | 27€ | 27$ | 517MXN |
| 10 days | 34€ | 34$ | 699MXN |
| 15 days | 47€ | 47$ | 899MXN |
| 20 days | 57€ | 54$ | 1199MXN |
Holafly eSIM cards can be easily installed by scanning the QR code that will be sent to your email once you have completed the purchase. The installation can also be done manually without the need for a computer, simply by writing a code in the settings of your mobile that you can consult in the mail or in your App, which is very convenient to control the duration of the data plan.
After testing the Holafly eSIM cards we can say that they are one of the most expensive options on the market, but in the end they are profitable because you can travel without worries thanks to their unlimited data, which is the most efficient service of all the eSIM cards we have tested because what you want is not to have to worry about monitoring your consumption to avoid running out of data at the wrong time and having to recharge daily. Here we leave you this ranking where we evaluate from 1 to 5 all the features of the Holafly eSIM cards for Dubai based on our experience.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Sharing Data | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 4.8 | 4 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
In this post, you can read about our experience with Holafly eSIM cards and some users’ opinions: Our opinion of Holafly eSIM.
2. Airalo, the cheapest eSIM brand on the market
| Advantages | Airalo’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. One of the cheapest brands on the market. ESIM cards for 190 countries. Their eSIM card allows you to share data with other devices. Allows eSIM top-up. It has 5G in the United Arab Emirates. They have an App and you can buy and install the eSIM from it. |
| Disadvantages | The gigabytes are limited to 3GB or less and they don’t have cards with unlimited data. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes. ESIM cards do not include calls and sms. The duration of data plans is limited to 7 and 30 days. Their services and technical support is exclusively in English and takes a long time to respond. |
Airalo is along with Holafly one of the world’s best-known brands for buying an international travel eSIM. The company, founded in Singapore in 2019 by Turkish entrepreneurs Abraham Burak and Ahmet Bahadir Özdemir, was one of the first to offer such services, and has a wide coverage of countries where they offer eSIM cards.
Airalo’s eSIM card data plans for Dubai have a duration of 7 and 30 days, and prices range from $8.5 to $22.5. Airalo is characterized as one of the cheapest brands on the market. However, their data plans have very limited GBs and you are likely to run out of data in the middle of your journey and have to recharge. This means that you will end up paying more than you think you will.
| Data plan | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|
| 7 days – 1 GB | $8.5 |
| 30 days – 3 GB | $22.5 |
Although Airalo is cheap and offers a wide range of eSIM cards whose spending can be controlled through its app, it’s not one of the best options because of what we’ve told you above about its technical service, as you can see on Trustpilot in the user reviews and ratings. Airalo has one of the lowest scores at 2,6.
Here you have the ranking of each aspect of Airalo and in this post you can also read about our opinion of the brand: Our opinion of Airalo: is it worth it?
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | 3.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 3,5 |
3. Maya Mobile, data packages with as many GB as you need
| Advantages | They offer data packages by continent and for countries. Maya Mobile eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install with QR code or manually. ESIM cards are available for 194 destinations. Data plans limited to 1GB, 3GB, 5GB and 10GB, which can run out quickly Flexible pricing. Internet sharing. To recharge you can set up auto-recharge after 30 days. They allow data sharing with other devices. They have data plans for 5, 10, 15 and 30 days. |
| Disadvantages | Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. No App. No unlimited data plans. Technical support in English via a bot. |
Maya Mobile only offers eSIM cards for 5, 10, 15 and 30 days in Dubai. In this case, the price of data packages varies according to gigabytes. In total, you have 20 packages of 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB. The price ranges from €7 to €120.
They also have unlimited data plans, but these are somewhat relative, as they have a speed limit of 2Mbp, which drops by half after the plan’s GBs have been used.
Like Holafly, Maya Mobile is characterized by the speed and simplicity of its contracting process and installation, which is also done via a QR code that arrives in the mail. In addition, they have a 100% refund policy of the purchase in the event that the data does not work, which is not usually the case as they have a minimum of two data providers in each country where they offer their services.
| Data plan | Price in Euros |
|---|---|
| 5 days – 1G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 7€ |
| 5 days – 3G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 14€ |
| 5 days – 5G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 18€ |
| 5 days – 10G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 31€ |
| 10 days – 1G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 8€ |
| 10 days – 3G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 15€ |
| 10 days – 5G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 20€ |
| 10 days – 10G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 35€ |
| 15 days – 1G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 9€ |
| 15 days – 3G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 16€ |
| 15 days – 5G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 21€ |
| 15 days – 10G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 37€ |
| 30 days – 1G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 9€ |
| 30 days – 3G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 17€ |
| 30 days – 5G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 23€ |
| 30 days – 10G and then unlimited LTE data at 1Mbps speed | 37€ |
With Maya Mobile there are some drawbacks to their eSIM cards, such as not offering real unlimited data plans like other brands such as Holafly, which means you may run out of data in the middle of your journey or have a very slow connection.
On Trustpilot you can see that the brand has an average score of 4.7, but not even 3,000 users have rated their service. Here is a table with the score for each of the features of their eSIM cards.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 3.5 |
4. Nomad and its App
| Advantages | Nomad’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. The App is very convenient and allows you to recharge the eSIM. They have eSIM cards for 112 countries. Support both in the app and on the website. Very affordable prices. |
| Disadvantages | Gigabytes are limited to 5GB or less and they do not have unlimited data cards. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes (1GB) Their eSIM cards do not include calls and sms. The duration of data plans is limited to 7 or 30 days. Their services and technical support are exclusively in English. |
Nomad is a marketplace dedicated to selling eSIM cards so you can have internet while travelling. Its main feature is that in addition to its website, it has an App with which its customers can contract data plans easily and quickly.
The brand offers data plans in more than 100 countries and also by continent so we can make use of our internet connection even if we are moving between different countries. In the case of Dubai, the data packages have durations of 7 and 30 days, which is not very flexible. In addition, they have data limits ranging from 1 GB to 5 GB. The fact that they don’t have unlimited data plans is a big disadvantage as we will be forced to top up.
| Data plan | Dollars | Euros | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 days – 1 GB | $20 | €19 | £17 |
| 30 days – 3 GB | $48 | €45.5 | £40.5 |
| 30 days – 5 GB | $54 | €51.5 | £45.5 |
The Nomad App is very useful for monitoring consumption and recharging in the event of running out of data. You can also use it to contact customer service, which is unfortunately only in English.
Here you can see our ranking of Nomad‘s eSIMs.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 |
Evaluation of Nomad’s eSIM features
5. SimOptions, a marketplace to compare local brands
| Advantages | They offer regional, country or global data packages. Sim Options eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. They have eSIM cards for 160 countries. Some plans include calls and SMS. |
| Disadvantages | Gigabytes are limited to 6GB or less and do not have unlimited data cards. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes. eSIM features for the same country vary depending on the brand contracted. The duration of data plans is limited to 15 and 30 days. Not all eSIM cards allow data top-up. Technical support depends on each brand and good customer service cannot be guaranteed. Speed depends on each eSIM card brand. There is no App to control data consumption. |
Sim Options is an eSIM card marketplace where local mobile phone companies in each country sell their eSIM cards. The brand, with offices in Paris, Thailand and Hong Kong, offers data plans for eSIM cards in more than 160 countries and also has regional and global plans.
For Dubai, you’ll find three 15-day and 30-day data plans with data limits of 3GB, 5GB and 6GB. Prices are a little higher than average and range from $24.9 to $39.9.
The main drawback of Simoptions is that its website is a bit chaotic and the data plans, as they are from different brands, are very disparate, and their features vary a lot, not only price, speed or duration, but also technical support, the possibility of recharging or sharing data. This will force you to look in detail at each brand and will make it harder for you to make a decision.
| Data plan | Price in Dollars |
|---|---|
| 30 days – 3 GB | 24.9$ |
| 30 days – 5 GB | 34.9$ |
| 30 days – 6 GB | 39.9$ |
Our personal experience is that with SimOptions cards, you waste a lot of time comparing cards. In addition, the price is high, you can only pay in dollars, and they don’t give you the guarantee of good technical support. Nevertheless, the brand has a Trustpilot score of 4.5.
Here we leave you this ranking where we rate SimOptions eSIM cards from 1 to 5 and in this post you can read about our opinion and that of other customers about the brand: Our opinion about Sim Options: is it worth it?
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Conclusion on which is the best eSIM for Dubai
In this post we have seen that there are many important factors to take into account when comparing eSIM cards since, for each type of trip, you will have different connection needs. That is why we have prepared this section where we tell you based on our experience which eSIM card is best for which type of travel and help you to answer these questions.
- How much internet will I need?
- How long will I be using the service?
- Do I need to share data?
- Is my phone compatible?
When we travel we don’t want to run out of data in the middle of our holiday, so eSIM cards with unlimited data are the best option if we want to travel without worries. In the case of Dubai or the UAE, the only brand that offers real unlimited data is Holafly, as Maya Mobile’s unlimited data is really only 2GB at 1Mbps.
Also, Holafly is one of the few brands to offer eSIM plans with 5G browsing speeds. With some companies such as Nomad or Airalo you can top up your already installed eSIM via their website or App, but the best thing is not having to pay again if you run out of data.
To calculate the gigabytes you will need on your trip, it is best to calculate based on your usual consumption or try to foresee the needs you will have in your destination country. Is there wifi in the hotel? Are you going to need Google Maps? Here is a table to help you estimate how many gigabytes you will need on your trip.
| Platform | Gigabyte consumption per hour |
| 0.12 GB – 0.18 GB | |
| 0.12 GB – 0.18 GB | |
| 0.06 GB | |
| Tiktok | 0.18 GB – 0.8 GB |
| Netflix | 0.3 GB – 7 GB |
| Youtube | 0.14 GB – 1.7 GB |
| Amazon Prime | 0.8 GB – 6 GB |
Which brands of eSIM allow to share data?
Often when we travel we want to share data with other devices and only some providers such as Holafly, Airalo, Ubigi and some Simoptions brands make this possible. But remember that these are plans with GB and if you share data they will run out sooner.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This will cost you nothing but helps us offset the costs of paying our writing team. All opinions are our own. Thank you for your support 🙂 .
eSIM installation process for Dubai
The installation process for eSIM cards is always simple and quick, but it is true that there are some companies that make it even easier. The first thing to do is to check if your mobile is compatible with the brand’s eSIM. You can check this information on each provider’s website.
The purchase of the eSIM for Dubai can be done via the web for some brands such as Holafly or Simoptions, or via the app such as Nomad or Airalo. Holafly’s website is very intuitive and easy to use, while Simoptions’ is quite complicated to understand, and you will have to do a lot of reading. Both Nomad and SimOptions are marketplaces, which means they sell third-party eSIM cards. This can make it difficult to make a choice, especially in the case of SimOptions, where the data plans are very different.
The only brands that allow installation through the App are Nomad and Airalo, and in the case of Holafly, from the App you can get the code to install the eSIM manually without using a computer. You can also install the eSIM by scanning a QR code that you will receive by email as soon as you have completed the purchase with Holafly, Airalo, Simoptions or Nomad.
Technical support of eSIM providers for Dubai
On the other hand, it is very important to consider the technical service to help you in the installation process and solve any doubt or problem. Most brands such as Maya Mobile or Airalo have a chatbot that takes a long time to respond and only does so in English. In the case of Simoptions, technical support will depend on the brand of eSIM card you have chosen. In this aspect Holafly’s technical support is the best as they respond in less than 1 minute in Spanish, English, German, French and Japanese via web chat or WhatsApp.
Other options for getting internet in Dubai
There are several ways to get internet when travelling abroad, however, eSIM cards are our favourite option because of the three features that make them unique: convenience, peace of mind and security.
The following are some of the less efficient alternatives for internet on your trip to Dubai, such as SIM cards, Pocket Wifi or public Wi-Fi networks.
| Convenience | Immediate delivery and activation upon purchase. Pre-purchase prior to travel. Easy installation; unlike SIM cards, you don’t have to remove the original card. You’ll be connected as soon as you land, no need to find a shop first. You’ll find tailor-made plans to suit the duration and needs of your trip. No dependency on batteries, as with Pocket wifi. You won’t have to carry an extra device during your trip, like the Pocket Wifi. |
| Tranquility | 24h technical support in English, unlike with a SIM or Pocket Wifi. You won’t have to worry about forgetting or losing any device other than your mobile. |
| Security | Without using public wifi networks vulnerable to hacking. Avoid entering personal data in endless forms to get Wifi. No need to open or manipulate your phone as with eSIM cards. |
1. Buy Etisalat and Du SIM cards in Dubai
Etisalat and Du are the most established local phone companies in the country, and therefore their connection is very good. One of the drawbacks they have is the price of their SIM cards, which tends to be a bit expensive compared to SIMs for other countries. Also, they offer quite limited data and you will have to show your documentation to be able to make the contract.
| Advantages | There are a variety of brands and data plans to choose from. Installation is quick. They can be purchased online or in physical shops. Make calls and send messages with a local number. |
| Disadvantages | You have to open and handle the mobile phone during the installation process. You have to travel to buy it or wait for the card to arrive at home. When your travel SIM contract runs out, you have to replace it with another one. You will not be able to keep your regular phone number. You have to exchange it for your regular SIM card, which can be lost or damaged. |
2. Renting a Pocket WiFi for Dubai
Pocket WiFi are wireless routers that allow you to connect to multiple devices from anywhere as long as they are in close proximity to the device. There are a number of companies in the UAE that rent them, although the price is usually quite high.
- Klook: $213.50 per week. Must be picked up in shop.
- Cello Mobile: $104.93 per week plus $15 for insurance and $5 to $60 for shipping.
- Travel Wifi: $62.65 and $8.00 to $30.00 per shipment.
- Rent n’Connect: $93.40 plus $9.44 shipping plus $14.15 VAT (European operation)
- My Webspot: $81.74 plus $5.60 to $11.68 per shipment plus €18.40 insurance.
| Advantages | It can be used by several devices at the same time. You can choose the gigabyte package that suits you best. No need to install anything on our mobiles. |
| Disadvantages | It is one of the most expensive options. There are few brands to choose from. Long-term contracts are the norm. In addition to the data plan, you have to pay rent, insurance and shipping costs. The battery lasts at most 6 hours. If you use it with other people you have to be in the same room. You have to carry it with you wherever you go and you run the risk of losing it. |
3. Search for free WiFi networks in Dubai
Free wifi networks are a risky option as they are very vulnerable to hacking, so it is recommended that you use them with caution and never make transactions that put your personal details at risk.
| Advantages | It’s free. No need to install anything on our mobiles. |
| Disadvantages | It is difficult to find free wifi networks. Public wifi networks are often slow or have connection problems. You often have to fill in forms and give your personal details. Some free wifi networks are time-limited. You should always connect close to the router. They are vulnerable to hacking. |
4. Activate Roaming for Dubai
Roaming has lost ground to eSIM cards due to their high costs, plus not all phone companies offer this service. These are some of the brands that offer the service and their costs, although it is recommended that you check with your usual provider before travelling to avoid surprises on your bill at the end of the month.
- Orange: 1MB for 12,10 € (excl. VAT)
- MásMóvil: 100MB for 7€/day (incl. VAT)
- Amena: 1MB for €6.05?
- Lowi: 1MB for €12.1
- Yoigo: 1MB for 10.89 €
- O2: 1MB for €12.10
- Jazztel: 1 MB for €12.1
Here are the main advantages and disadvantages of this system:
| Advantages | No installation on our mobile. No extra services to sign up for. You can receive calls, send messages and connect to the internet immediately. |
| Disadvantages | It is the most expensive option. Sometimes it is activated without realising it. Not all phone companies offer this service. |
Frequently asked questions about having internet in Dubai
Most models from popular brands such as Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Huawei or Google are compatible as long as they are recent models. Several iPads are also supported. However, it is best to check with each provider’s website, where they will tell you which models are compatible.
eSIM cards, also known as embedded Sim or integrated SIM cards, are virtual cards that allow us to connect to the internet in a foreign country without the need to insert a physical card in our mobile phones or devices that can connect to the internet. This is possible thanks to a chip that the latest generation devices include by default in their hardware that allows you to connect to the local mobile companies in the country where you are travelling.
Once you have chosen and purchased the eSIM card that best suits you, you will receive an email with a QR code and instructions on how to activate the card. The instructions are fully detailed for all operating systems and devices. Scan the code from your phone’s settings, turn on mobile data and you’re ready to use the internet in Dubai!
SIM cards can be purchased in physical shops or online, with delivery times ranging from 48 to 72 hours. There are also companies that offer same day express delivery.
Most companies offer data capped packages. Holafly, unlike the rest, offers a wide variety of unlimited data packages.
Data cards are activated from the moment they are installed while already in the home country, i.e. when the SIM is inserted or the QR code is scanned.
Unlimited data plans do not normally allow data sharing, but plans with a specific number of GBs included do.
Holafly is a Spanish company launched in 2018 that you can trust, it has been tested by more than 400,000 customers, travel blogs and Youtubers. Holafly markets eSIMs since 2019.
Holafly has over 10,000 positive experiences posted on Trustpilot, with a rating of “Excellent” and 4.6 average score.
Maya is owned by a US company, Maya Virtual Inc. Reviews of Maya on Trustpilot are good, out of 4.5 average rating.
Airalo’s reviews on Trustpilot are good, with an average rating of 3.9.
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