Bahrain: Best Tourist eSIMs Reviewed (2024)

Bahrain – known for being a small, oil-rich island nation in the Middle East.

Its beaches are popular for their clear blue waters.

But what can you do in this country?

While the cities are modern nowadays, the country still has many historical sites to visit, such as the Bahrain Forst, the Bahrain National Museum, or the Al Fateh Grand Mosque.

And there are plenty of parks and zoos to visit.

Do note that Bahrain is not the cheapest travel destination out there.

So any way to save some cash is always a good idea.

Be careful with with international roaming though – International roaming can be expensive, which is why using local and travel eSIMs is recommended to save money.

Not only will you save a lot of money by doing so, you do not have to deal with SIM card registration laws, which are often invasive (which includes Bahrain).

How much will a local or travel eSIM for Bahrain cost you?

You can get an eSIM for Bahrain for as little as 6 USD and up to 36 USD from Batelco, STC Bahrain, Airalo (Saar Mobile) & SimCorner.

I will also introduce you to a few global eSIMs that be used in Bahrain and 80+ other countries, including Bahrain's neighbors, for competitive rates.

Original publication: 11^th of October 2022. Last updated: 7^th of March 2024.

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Table of Contents

In a Hurry? A Quick Introduction

I will write about five eSIM options in Bahrain (and explain why they are included).

But if you want to quickly check out what the best eSIMs are for Bahrain without my analysis and explanations, here is an overview of the eSIMs covered in this guide:

• Airalo Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIM with four choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (top pick)
• Airalo Menalink eSIM with three choices between 1 GB and 3 GB
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global) with 12 choices between 1 GB and 20 GB (extensive global coverage (125+ countries) at attractive prices) + ability to make and receive calls & send and receive SMS (new) – read my ongoing Airalo Discover(+) (Global) eSIM review too!
• AIS eSIM2FLY Global eSIM through SimOptions with 5G NR access in Bahrain with one 6 GB option (eSIM with the most 5G NR supported countries (53/143) at a reasonable price but with a short validity)

The eSIM providers are in alphabetical order per grouping (Bahrain-only, regional & global) – not in order of preference (you would have to read the complete guide to find out which eSIMs I love the most for Bahrain 😜).

Let's truly get started, shall we?

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Airalo Saar Mobile eSIM for Bahrain

Airalo is probably a name you have heard of when researching travel eSIMs worldwide – perhaps even for Bahrain.

That is because it is the largest and oldest eSIM platform worldwide, covering around 190 countries (more than any other eSIM platform out there).

Its extensive worldwide coverage attracted me to Airalo early on – even when I did not have an eSIM-compatible phone and had to use my dad's phone for testing purposes.

He did not like me stealing his phone so often… so I eventually got my own 🗿.

Anyway, Airalo has an eSIM that can be used in Bahrain – it is called Saar Mobile.

It is impossible for Airalo, or any other mobile operator, to operate in every country (and do not trust any company saying otherwise), so they set up roaming agreements.

Yes, I said roaming, but this is not the type of international roaming that will result in a 3000 USD roaming bill – do not worry!

What Airalo does, and basically all mobile operators do, is partner up with a local mobile operator so that their customers can still stay connected when abroad.

In the case of Bahrain, Airalo's Saar Mobile eSIM uses the Zain Bahrain network up to 5G NR.

Zain Bahrain has the best 4G/LTE coverage in Bahrain, so you know you will have a smooth network experience with the Saar Mobile eSIM.

Be aware: most travel eSIMs, including Airalo's Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIM, are data-only eSIMs, so you cannot call or text with them (nor can you receive any calls or SMS).

Anyway, the following four Airalo Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIMs are available:

1. Bahrain/Saar Mobile 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 6 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Bahrain/Saar Mobile 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 9 USD
3. Bahrain/Saar Mobile 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 12.50 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Bahrain/Saar Mobile 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 18 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only). The (promotional) prices were updated on the 31st of January.

I can already tell you that Airalo has the cheapest eSIM options for Bahrain in this guide.

Moreover, you will have the best performance with the Saar Mobile eSIM compared to any other eSIM (in this guide).

Why? Because the Saar Mobile eSIM is one of the few Airalo eSIMs with 5G NR access 🥳.

What makes things even more pleasant is that you can top up your eSIM when it is expiring or when you are out of data without the need to purchase a new eSIM.

But you may think that a local SIM card or eSIM will (still) be cheaper than Airalo or any other travel eSIM.

And you are right – that is true in most cases.

However, you will have to deal with the Bahraini SIM card registration laws.

(Why does this matter? Because hackers can steal your (critical) personal data if the mobile operator does not secure your data properly, like what happened in Australia (10 million Optus customers affected, where info, like passport numbers, were stolen (including mine – luckily not my passport number but my boyfriend was not as lucky) or Indonesia (1.3 billion SIM card-related data was hacked)).

Most mobile operators will only sell you (overpriced) tourist SIM cards or the most expensive plans because of “mandatory top-up requirements” (which are often lies to take more of your money anyway).

So while you technically could get cheaper plans, the question is whether you can actually get them or not.

Anyway, you should be aware that while you can get up to 5G NR connection with the Airalo Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIM, your speeds will most likely not be faster than someone using a local SIM card.

That is because you are roaming on the Zain Bahrain network instead of being a native customers.

But that does not mean you will have (extremely) slow speeds – just slower than native customers.

Anyway, the Airalo Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIM is fantastic and is the eSIM I, and many Phone Travel Wiz readers, recommend the most.

The eSIMs are affordable, the data allowances can be tailored to your needs (1 GB to 5 GB + top-ups are available) & you will have a smooth network experience (in most cases).

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Local Bahraini eSIM for Prepaid Customers

If you want the best and full network experience, including being able to call and text, you want to get a local eSIM.

You have three mobile operators in Bahrain: Batelco, STC Bahrain (formerly VIVA Bahrain) & Zain Bahrain.

Currently, Batelco and STC Bahrain offer eSIMs to prepaid customers.

You can get a Batelco eSIM for the same price as a regular SIM card (7 BHD, which is 18.60 USD at the moment).

However, Batelco will charge a 3.30 BHD (8.75 USD) eSIM activation fee, resulting in an eSIM purchase price of 10.30 BHD (27.30 USD).

STC Bahrain eSIMs are available for 9 BHD (23.90 USD – instead of 7 BHD (18.60 USD) for a regular SIM card).

For more information about the plans offered by Batelco & STC Bahrain, check out my Bahrain SIM card buying guide.

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International eSIM for Bahrain & More Countries

Okay, I went over the Bahrain travel eSIM options offered by Airalo and SimCorner + by the local mobile operators (Batelco and STC Bahrain in this case).

As expected, these eSIMs can only be used in Bahrain and not in neighboring Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

So what if you plan on visiting any of those countries, or you are on a world tour and wish to use one eSIM in multiple countries – do you have any other options?

Yes, you do. Airalo & SimCorner have regional, global & international eSIMs covering at least 80 countries; some include Bahrain too.

So let's see which multi-country eSIMs can be used in Bahrain and other countries, including Bahrain's neighbors.

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Airalo Menalink eSIM

Airalo recently introduced an eSIM for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Menalink. The Menalink eSIM follows the popular Eurolink eSIM for 39 European countries, the fairly new Asialink eSIM for 13 Asian countries & the super new Latamlink eSIM for 19 Latin American countries.

The Menalink eSIM comes in three variants: 1 GB/7 days – very popular with PTW readers, 2 GB/15 days – very popular with PTW readers & 3 GB/30 days – most popular with PTW readers, to be used in Bahrain and 14 other Middle Eastern and Northern African countries:

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only). The (promotional) prices were updated on the 31st of January.

AIS eSIM2FLY Global eSIM (5G NR access in Bahrain)

SimOptions also sells a global eSIM: AIS eSIM2FLY Global.

And it can be used in 140+ countries for 15 days – 53 of them with 5G NR access.

The AIS eSIM2FLY Global eSIM can be used in the following countries:

¹ with 5G NR access

If you get this eSIM from SimOptions, which I recommend, you will pay 39.90 USD.

The main issue I have with the AIS eSIM2FLY Global eSIM is its short validity.

Making it hard to call it an actual global eSIM… unless you can somehow visit 140+ countries within 15 days – something not even I can do🧐.

Still, it is a relatively affordable global eSIM covering 140+ countries… with 5G NR access!

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for Bahrain (Airalo vs. SimCorner)

I introduced you to various travel eSIMs that can be used in Bahrain.

But I also informed you that you can get a Batelco & STC Bahrain eSIM, which is available to prepaid customers too.

However, you will have to deal with the Bahraini SIM card registration requirements (and internet censorship).

These are things you do not have to deal with the travel eSIMs offered by Airalo & SimCorner.

So, which eSIM do I recommend the most? Here is my recommendation order:

• Airalo Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIM (top pick)
• Airalo Menalink eSIM
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (reasonable extensive global coverage (84+ 125+ countries) at attractive prices + calling and texting options (new))
• AIS eSIM2FLY Global eSIM through SimOptions with 5G NR access in Bahrain (eSIM with the most 5G NR supported countries (53/143) at a reasonable price but with a short validity)

Remember to use code PHONETRAVELWIZ SimCorner eSIMs – a code is unnecessary for Airalo eSIM purchases.

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Buying a SIM Card in Bahrain

Want to just use a SIM card but not your current one because roaming will be criminally expensive?

Consider getting a Bahraini SIM card instead – local SIM cards are the cheapest way to stay connected abroad.

Or you can get the SimCorner Bahrain SIM card, which will be delivered to your home before going to Bahrain – convenient 😏.