Best eSIM for Dubai (2026): UAE Plans, Prices & Networks

Roafly combines du network access in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with overseas data routing that enables WhatsApp voice and video calls. Its prepaid UAE packages include hotspot sharing, top-ups and a 180-day option for longer stays.

Buy and install before flying: some travel eSIM providers restrict purchasing or setup from inside the UAE.

Dubai eSIM comparison at a glance

The table compares paid, fixed-data UAE packages. Each price range runs from the entry package to the largest allowance in the selection, with data and validity shown alongside it.

Prices, validity and network details checked on October 13, 2026. Ranges exclude free trials, coupons, unlimited plans, recurring subscriptions and regional packages. Prices, offers and supported networks may change.

Roafly's 50 GB package lasts 180 days, while the other fixed-data selections shown here expire within 30 days. That longer validity matters when you want to spread your allowance across a stay lasting more than a month.

Choosing a Roafly plan for your Dubai stay

Dubai can mean a brief stopover, a week of sightseeing or several months away from home. Match the allowance to your mobile use and the validity to your dates.

• Short stopover or light use: The 1 GB package lasts seven days. It can suit occasional maps, messages and booking checks when most browsing happens on Wi-Fi.

• Holiday with regular daily use: Roafly's 3 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB and 20 GB packages all last 30 days. Pick the allowance around navigation, social media, uploads and time away from hotel Wi-Fi.

• Longer stay: The 50 GB package lasts 180 days. That longer window is useful when you want to spread a fixed allowance across more than a month without the package expiring after 30 days.

Hotspot sharing uses the same purchased allowance, with no separate tethering quota. You can share data with a laptop or another device, although video meetings, large downloads and background backups can consume it quickly.

Top-ups are available if you need more data. Roafly packages are prepaid, with no automatic renewal or ID-verification requirement, and the validity begins when the eSIM first connects to a supported network in the UAE.

Select the allowance and duration that fit your trip from Roafly's UAE eSIM plans.

How the other providers compare

Airalo

Airalo's fixed-data selection offers several combinations of allowance and duration, including three-, seven-, 15- and 30-day packages. Those shorter options make expiry an important part of the buying decision: enough gigabytes will not help if the package ends before your trip does.

The Burj Mobile fixed-data packages compared here use Etisalat, also known as e&. Top-ups are available. Other package types can have different network arrangements, so the table's network entry applies to this fixed-data selection.

Saily

Security features are part of Saily's offer, including virtual-location settings, ad blocking and web protection. Its fixed UAE packages range from a seven-day entry plan to larger 30-day allowances, with hotspot sharing supported.

The destination page does not identify the local network partners. If a particular operator matters for your itinerary, that is a detail to obtain before purchase.

Ubigi

Ubigi combines du access with a reusable eSIM and Smartstart, which starts the data plan on arrival in the covered destination. Its one-off UAE selection reaches 25 GB for 30 days and supports data sharing.

Ubigi's UAE plan cannot be used by UAE residents while they are in the country. The table includes one-off packages and excludes recurring subscriptions.

Roamless

Fixed country packages and pay-as-you-go credit serve different needs. Roamless's UAE packages expire after 30 days, while its separate pay-as-you-go balance has no expiry and can be retained for later use.

The table shows the fixed UAE packages on du. Buying one of those country packages does not give the allowance the same geographic coverage or expiry rules as the separate credit model.

du or e&: what does the network name tell you?

Dubai's two main mobile networks are du and e&. Several providers in this comparison use du, so different eSIM brands can share the same underlying network.

Opensignal's March 2026 UAE network report puts e& ahead on several speed and coverage measures, while du leads its Time on Network metric. These are measurements of domestic mobile-network experience, rather than tests of the travel eSIM packages in this guide.

Roafly supports 4G/5G where available on du. Actual service depends on your location, device, network conditions and the roaming arrangement. Treat the network name as one useful part of the package information, alongside its allowance, validity and terms.

Buy and install before flying to Dubai

Saily cannot be purchased from within the UAE, Ubigi's app and website are inaccessible there, and Roamless instructs customers to install before traveling.

Account for these UAE eSIM access restrictions when planning to buy or change a package after landing. Availability of a provider's website and connectivity from an already installed eSIM are separate questions.

With Roafly, installation and the start of your package validity are also separate. You can install before departure; the validity starts with the first connection to a supported network in the UAE.

1. Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be carrier unlocked.

2. Install on a stable connection. Complete the setup before leaving home, while Wi-Fi is readily available.

3. Select the travel line on arrival. Set Roafly as the mobile-data line and enable data roaming for that eSIM. Keep data roaming disabled on your home line to avoid using it for roaming data.

WhatsApp calls and local phone numbers

Roafly supports WhatsApp voice and video calls in the UAE through overseas data routing. Its internet traffic exits through an IP address in another country, such as the UK, avoiding the calling restrictions encountered on local UAE connections. You can keep your existing WhatsApp number and account.

Use Roafly as your mobile-data line for WhatsApp calls. Hotel or public Wi-Fi may handle WhatsApp messages and calls in Dubai differently because it uses another internet connection.

Voice and video calling services are regulated in the UAE. The TDRA-approved VoIP services include options such as BOTIM, GoChat and Zoom.

Roafly's UAE packages are data-only. They do not include a UAE phone number, standard cellular calls or SMS. If a local number is essential, look for a tourist plan that explicitly includes one; buying a SIM at Dubai Airport is a separate option to compare.

Does a Dubai eSIM also cover Oman?

The country packages in this comparison are sold for the UAE. Roafly's UAE allowance can be used in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but it does not include Oman.

If your trip continues into Oman or another country, arrange a separate destination package or select a regional plan that explicitly includes every stop. Using the same provider across a trip does not automatically make a country-specific allowance regional.

Disclosure: Roafly publishes this guide and is included in the comparison.