On this page 14 sections
UAE at a glance
Checked 4 November 2026- Cheapest plan listed
- $3.721 GB / 30 days, Yesim (Airalo: 1 GB / 3 days for $4)
- 7 days unlimited
- $27Nomad (Airalo: $27.50; Holafly: $27.90)
- 10 GB for 30 days
- $18.5Nomad (Saily: $19.99; Airalo: $20.00)
- Do this first
- Buy and install before you fly
These the UAE plans are data-only, with no local phone number. Keep your home SIM on for bank and app SMS codes.
Why the UAE is different
Install before you land. Yesim’s UAE page says that, because of local regulations, access to its app and website may be limited in the UAE, and asks you to buy and install before your trip. It’s good advice for any provider.
Calling apps are regulated. The UAE’s telecoms regulator, TDRA, publishes a list of licensed VoIP apps for voice and video calls. WhatsApp calling isn’t on it (see calls in the UAE).
Both operators appear. Airalo names Etisalat (e&) and Nomad lists du. Holafly, Saily, Ubigi and Yesim didn’t name a network on the pages we read.
Quick picks
A week or two, normal use
A 10 GB / 30-day plan: $18.5 at Nomad (on du), $19.99 at Saily or $20.00 at Airalo (on e&).
Heavy use or tethering
A week of unlimited: $27 at Nomad, $27.50 at Airalo, $27.90 at Holafly. Airalo is the only provider here selling 30 days ($72.00) at a sane price.
A day or two in Dubai
Yesim sells unlimited by the day from $4.80, and Holafly’s single day is $5.90. Airalo’s 1 GB for 3 days is $4.00.
Repeat trips
Ubigi sells 50 GB for 180 days ($69) and 12-month plans that give you 2 GB a month ($49) or 5 GB a month ($88).
Step 1: Size your plan for UAE
Maps, ride-hailing, transit apps and messaging use little data. Uploading photos and videos and making video calls use much more. As a rough guide, maps and messaging use hundreds of megabytes a day, while video and video calls can use several gigabytes. These are general estimates, not measurements.
Under a week, maps, messages and transport apps
3–5 GB fixed plan
1–2 weeks, photos, social apps and video
10–20 GB fixed, or unlimited
Remote work, video calls, tethering a laptop
Unlimited, after checking its fair-use and hotspot rules
Step 2: Compare published prices
Unlimited plans by trip length
| Days | Airalo | Nomad | Holafly | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $12.50 | $12 (lowest listed) | $13.50 | — | $14.40 |
| 5 days | $19.00 | $18 (lowest listed) | $20.90 | — | $24.00 |
| 7 days | $27.50 | $27 (lowest listed) | $27.90 | $32 | $33.60 |
| 10 days | $35.00 | $34 (lowest listed) | $37.50 | — | $40.80 |
| 15 days | $49.00 (lowest listed) | — | $50.50 | $58 | $52.80 |
| 30 days | $72.00 (lowest listed) | — | — | — | $118.80 |
Lowest listed price in the row — means no plan of that length was listed. Holafly ($5.90) and Yesim ($4.80) also sell a single day. Holafly’s Dubai page listed plans up to 15 days. Ubigi doesn’t sell a 30-day unlimited plan for the UAE. We couldn’t open a UAE page on Maya’s site, so it isn’t included. Official pages, checked 4 November 2026.
Fixed-data plans
| Data | Airalo | Nomad | Saily | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $4.003 days | $47 days | $8.997 days | $57 days | $3.7230 days (lowest listed) |
| 3 GB | $9.007 days | $8.530 days | $9.9930 days | $1015 days | $8.4030 days (lowest listed) |
| 5 GB | $12.0030 days | $1130 days (lowest listed) | $11.9930 days | — | $13.2030 days |
| 10 GB | $20.0030 days | $18.530 days (lowest listed) | $19.9930 days | $2030 days | $22.8030 days |
| 20 GB | $34.0030 days | $2930 days (lowest listed) | $33.9930 days | — | $38.2830 days |
| 50 GB | — | — | — | $69180 days | — |
Lowest listed price in the row Validity differs, so compare the small print as well as the price. Where a provider sells the same data amount for several lengths, we show the longest. Airalo also lists shorter versions (for example 10 GB for 7 days at $18.50). Ubigi also lists 10 GB for 7 days ($17), 25 GB for 30 days ($46), 50 GB for 180 days ($69), and 12-month plans with 2 GB a month ($49) or 5 GB a month ($88). Yesim also lists 30 GB for $47.52. Official pages, checked 4 November 2026.
Step 3: Check the fine print
- Networks. Airalo: Etisalat (e&). Nomad: du. The others didn’t name one.
- Unlimited isn’t always unlimited. Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply. Holafly’s the UAE page didn’t state a hotspot limit; on pages where it does, sharing is 1 GB a day.
- Activation windows. Nomad starts a plan automatically 60 days after purchase if you haven’t used it. Saily says all plans have a 180-day activation period; after that the plan starts automatically. Ubigi’s plan starts when you arrive.
- Hotspot. Yesim says hotspot depends on the operator, and gives 180 days from purchase to activate.
- App access. Yesim says its app and website may be hard to reach in the UAE, so buy and install before you travel.
- No local number. These plans are data-only. Saily sells an optional US phone number, and Yesim offers a 20-minute calling add-on.
The six providers
Airalo
- UAE from
- $4.001 GB / 3 days
- Unlimited
- $27.507 days; $72.00 for 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $20.00
What stands out
Names Etisalat (e&). Plans from 1 GB for 3 days ($4.00) to 20 GB for 30 days, plus the only reasonably priced 30-day unlimited here ($72.00).
What to watch
No 50 GB plan, and the UAE page doesn’t state a fair-use limit.
Nomad
- UAE from
- $41 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $18.5
- Unlimited
- $123 days; $34 for 10
What stands out
Lists du. The lowest prices here for 10 GB ($18.50) and 20 GB ($29) over 30 days, and for a week of unlimited ($27).
What to watch
Unlimited stops at 10 days, and plans start automatically 60 days after purchase.
Holafly
- Dubai from
- $5.901 day unlimited
- Unlimited
- $27.907 days; $50.50 for 15 days
- Fixed data
- Not sold
What stands out
Unlimited by the day from $5.90 on its Dubai page, with Holafly’s Always On backup.
What to watch
The Dubai page lists plans up to 15 days only and doesn’t name a network.
Saily
- UAE from
- $8.991 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $19.99
- Unlimited
- Sold; check current price
What stands out
10 GB for 30 days costs $19.99, and you get 180 days to activate.
What to watch
1 GB for 7 days is $8.99, well above Airalo’s or Yesim’s small plans. We couldn’t read its unlimited price for each length.
Ubigi
- UAE from
- $51 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $20
- Unlimited
- $327 days; $58 for 15
What stands out
The longest validity here: 50 GB for 180 days ($69), and 12-month plans with 2 GB or 5 GB a month.
What to watch
A week of unlimited is $32, no 30-day unlimited, and its UAE page didn’t name a network.
Yesim
- UAE from
- $3.721 GB / 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $22.80
- Unlimited
- $33.607 days; $118.80 for 30
What stands out
The cheapest small plan here (1 GB for 30 days at $3.72) and unlimited by the day from $4.80.
What to watch
Its app and website may be hard to reach in the UAE, and 30 days of unlimited costs $118.80.
Will your phone work?
- eSIM-capable and unlocked. Apple lists iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later. Settings → General → About should say "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock (full checklist).
- Bought in mainland China? Apple says that in China mainland only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM. Many older mainland models use two physical SIM cards instead, so check for Add eSIM in your settings before you buy a plan.
- Bought in Hong Kong or Macau? Apple notes that certain iPhone models sold there have two nano-SIM slots. Check for Add eSIM in your settings first.
- Install before you fly. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and leave the line switched off until you land (install guide).
Calls in the UAE: which apps work
TDRA’s Internet Guidelines say UAE operators must block VoIP (internet calling) apps that don’t comply with its policy, and list the apps currently allowed. The list includes Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Zoom, Google Meet (meetings only), Cisco Webex, Slack, BOTIM, GoChat, Voico and ToTok, among others. WhatsApp calling isn’t on it.
Plan your calls
A travel eSIM is data-only, so plan calls before you go: agree on a licensed app with family or colleagues, or keep your home SIM active for normal calls and SMS (check your roaming rates).
Entry: visa on arrival and medicines
Many nationalities get a visa on arrival; the UAE’s official portal, u.ae, lists who needs to apply in advance. For British visitors, GOV.UK says the visa is free on arrival and valid for up to 90 days within 180. Your passport needs at least 6 months’ validity on arrival.
Medicines. Some medicines the UAE classes as narcotic, psychotropic or controlled need approval from the Ministry of Health in advance, and visitors can bring up to 3 months’ supply (1 month for medicines on the approval list). Apply well ahead of travel.
Our take
For most trips, Nomad’s 10 GB for $18.5 on du is the best value, with Airalo on e& close behind. Whoever you choose, install before you fly, and sort out a licensed calling app if you need voice calls.
Affiliate links. Prices are set by the provider and confirmed at checkout.
Before you fly
Buy and install at home
Check your phone is unlocked and eSIM-capable (how to check), then buy and install on Wi-Fi before departure; Yesim warns its app may be hard to reach in the UAE.
Switch on when you land
Turn on the travel line, enable data roaming for that line, and set it as your mobile-data line.
Set up calls
Install a TDRA-listed calling app if you’ll need voice or video calls.
Check your medicines
Look up any prescription medicines with the UAE Ministry of Health before you fly.
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Open the checklistFrequently asked questions
What’s the cheapest UAE eSIM?
On the official pages we checked (4 November 2026), 1 GB started at $3.72 (Yesim, 30 days). For 10 GB over 30 days, Nomad listed $18.50.
Does WhatsApp calling work in the UAE?
WhatsApp calling isn’t on TDRA’s list of licensed VoIP apps. Apps on the list include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype for Business, BOTIM and ToTok.
Which network do UAE travel eSIMs use?
Airalo names Etisalat (e&) and Nomad lists du. Holafly, Saily, Ubigi and Yesim didn’t name one on the pages we read.
Should I install my eSIM before I land in Dubai?
Yes. Yesim warns that its app and website may be hard to reach in the UAE, and installing on home Wi-Fi is easier with any provider.
Why isn’t Maya in this guide?
We couldn’t open a UAE page on Maya’s site on 4 November 2026, so we couldn’t confirm that its global plan covers the UAE.
Sources and method
Last checked 4 November 2026
All prices and plan facts on this page were read from these official pages on 4 November 2026. We have not purchased or tested these plans ourselves; we summarize what the providers publish, in our own words. Read our method.
- Airalo — UAE eSIMsChecked 4 November 2026
- Nomad — UAE eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Holafly — UAE eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Saily — UAE eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Yesim — UAE eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Ubigi — UAE data plansChecked 4 November 2026
- TDRA — Internet Guidelines (licensed VoIP apps)Checked 4 November 2026
- UAE Government portal (u.ae) — Do you need an entry permit or a visa to enter the UAE?Checked 4 November 2026
- GOV.UK — United Arab Emirates entry requirementsChecked 4 November 2026
- Apple Support — Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhoneChecked 4 November 2026
- SafetyWing: Nomad InsuranceChecked 4 November 2026