eSIM for the United Arab Emirates

Voice and video calls through apps: TDRA's rule

The UAE's telecoms regulator, TDRA, treats voice and video calls made over the internet as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, a regulated activity in the country. Its Internet Guidelines say such services are to be offered by the licensed telecoms companies or in collaboration with them, and that TDRA may approve individual calling apps.

The same guidelines say the licensed companies are obliged to block traffic from calling apps that do not comply, and TDRA publishes a list of the apps currently allowed. The VoIP regulatory policy published on TDRA's site, issued in 2009 by its predecessor, the TRA, likewise entitles a licensee to block a VoIP service offered by someone without a licence.

A data plan does not change any of this: whether a calling app may be used in the UAE is a matter of TDRA's rules, so look at TDRA's current list before the trip instead of going by what worked last time.

Where public Wi-Fi is free in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has rolled out free Wi-Fi at its public bus stations and marine transport stations, and on all of its intercity buses, which link Dubai with Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Fujairah. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Municipalities and Transport provides free public Wi-Fi, branded Hala Wi-Fi, on buses, at beaches and in public parks.

The UAE government portal adds that most hotels give guests free Wi-Fi, as do most malls and many other public places. Between those places, plan on your own data.

Local SIM paperwork and power sockets

If you would rather buy a SIM card after landing, the UAE government portal says visitors need to provide a copy of their passport and UAE visa to obtain a local SIM.

Abu Dhabi's tourism board gives the electricity supply as 220/240 volts at 50 Hz, with square three-pin sockets as standard. It suggests packing a plug adapter, although most hotels can supply one and they are also sold locally.

Staying in the Emirates or driving on around the Gulf

Local plans are sold for the UAE as one country rather than for a single emirate, so a drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi does not call for a second plan. Some regional plans that include the UAE also cover Oman, which suits a road trip out of Dubai or Al Ain. Others take in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, for a business trip or a stopover elsewhere in the Gulf. Daily plans release a fixed amount each day, which suits a few days in Dubai on the way to somewhere else.

To check your phone first, use the compatibility guide; the activation guide explains when a plan's clock starts.