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: 11th of October 2022. Last updated: 18th of October 2023.
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 three 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 (130+ 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?
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 three Airalo Bahrain Saar Mobile eSIMs are available:
- Bahrain/Saar Mobile 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 6 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Bahrain/Saar Mobile 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 12 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- 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 October based on data up to the 11th of October (2023 data only).
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).
- Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)
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).
- Check out my Airalo eSIM reviews
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.
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.
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 October based on data up to the 11th of October (2023 data only).
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Iran
- Iraq 1
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Morocco
- Oman
- Palestine 1
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Sudan
- Tunisia 1
- United Arab Emirates
1 on 3G only
Below is an overview of how much each Menalink eSIM costs:
- Middle East and North Africa/Menalink 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 15 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Middle East and North Africa/Menalink 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 28 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Middle East and North Africa/Menalink 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 39 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in October based on data up to the 11th of October (2023 data only).
Sometimes, it can be more convenient and cheaper to get the Menalink eSIM than the local Airalo eSIM because Menalink offers more data (instead of you having to purchase multiple 1 GB/7 days top-ups to stay connected).
With the Menalink eSIM, you can save a lot of money by skipping the initial SIM card costs per country you visit in the Middle East and North Africa!
Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global)
Airalo was probably the first eSIM provider to introduce a global eSIM – it was called Discover Global.
I have had decent to good experiences with that eSIM, but I felt it could improve.
Such as extending the validity of most plans (maximum used to be 180 days) and having 5G NR access in popular destinations (like many regional Airalo eSIMs do nowadays, even country-specific ones).
In August 2023, Airalo made a radical change to its global eSIM.
Until then, the eSIM could be used in about 85 countries – always up to 4G/LTE (with some networks on 3G only).
This eSIM was powered by FL1 Telecom Liechtenstein (network name can be Mobilkom (Liechtenstein) at times).
This mobile operator worked well in Europe and some Asian countries, but it was often one of the slowest performing (Airalo eSIMs).
Now, Airalo's global eSIM is called Discover(+).
It is powered by eSIM Go (which is basically Drei Austria).
The difference between the Airalo Discover and Airalo Discover+ eSIMs is that the latter has calling and texting functionalities (with an Austrian +43 phone number).
Because of this, Discover+ eSIMs can be up to 20 USD more expensive than regular Discover eSIMs.
For the previous Airalo Discover Global eSIMs, you paid the same prices as the Discover+ eSIMs for worse availability (85+ countries instead of 130+) and no calling or texting at all.
So… it is an upgrade 😎.
Not only that, but you (finally) get 5G NR access in quite some countries (55+)1 as well.
1 click here, press select the variant you want & click on network to see which network(s) allow for 5G NR access. You often have access to multiple local networks, but not all have 5G NR access (and some do not even give you 4G/LTE access)
Moreover, the most expensive option is now valid for a whole year (365 days) instead of 180 days.
The Airalo Discover(+) eSIM can be used in the following 130+ countries:
- Åland Islands 3
- Albania
- Argentina
- Armenia (new)
- Australia 5
- Austria 3
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain (new) 3
- Bangladesh (new)
- Belarus 1
- Belgium 3
- Bolivia (new)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Botswana (new) 2
- Brazil 5
- Brunei (new) 1
- Bulgaria 5
Cambodia- Canada 5
- Central African Republic (new) 1
- Chad (new)
- Chile
- China 3
- Colombia
- Congo, Democratic Republic of (new)
- Congo, Republic of (new)
- Costa Rica (new)
- Croatia 3
- Cyprus 5
- Czech Republic 3
- Denmark 5
Dominican Republic 1- Ecuador
- Egypt (new)
- El Salvador (new) 1
- Estonia 5
- Eswatini (new) 1
- Finland 5
- France 3
- French West Indies (new) 3
- Gabon (new)
- Georgia
- Germany 3
- Ghana (new)
- Gibraltar 1
- Greece 3
- Greenland (new) 1
- Guatemala (new) 1
- Guernsey (new)
- Guinea-Bissau (new) 1
- Honduras (new) 1
- Hong Kong 3
- Hungary 5
- Iceland 3
- India
- Indonesia 3
- Ireland 3
- Isle of Man (new)
Iraq 1- Israel 5
- Italy 5
- Ivory Coast
- Japan 3
- Jersey
- Jordan (new)
- Kazakhstan (new)
- Kenya (new)
- Kosovo
- Kuwait 3
- Kyrgyzstan (new)
- Latvia 3
- Liberia 1
- Liechtenstein 4
- Lithuania 5
- Luxembourg 3
- Macau
- Madagascar (new)
- Malawi (new)
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Malta 3
- Mexico 5
- Moldova
- Monaco (new)
- Montenegro 5
- Morocco (new)
- Netherlands 5
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua (new)
- Niger (new) 1
- Nigeria (new) 2
- North Macedonia
- Norway 5
- Oman (new)
- Pakistan (new)
- Panama
- Paraguay 1
- Peru
- Philippines 3
- Poland 3
- Portugal 3
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar 5
- Réunion (new)
- Romania 5
Russia- Saudi Arabia 5
- Senegal (new) 1
- Serbia
- Seychelles (new)
- Singapore
- Slovakia 3
- Slovenia 5
- South Africa
- South Korea 3
- Spain 5
- Sri Lanka
Sudan- Sweden 5
- Switzerland 3
- Taiwan 3
- Tanzania (new)
Tajikistan 1- Thailand 5
- Tunisia (new)
- Turkey 3
- Uganda (new)
- Ukraine (new)
- United Arab Emirates (new) 3
- United Kingdom 5
- United States 5
- Uruguay (new)
- Uzbekistan (new)
U.S. Virgin Islands- Vietnam
- Yemen (new) 1
- Zambia (new) 1
1 on 3G only
2 check the networks section on the Airalo website or app because at least one of the available networks is on 3G only (while the others are up to 4G/LTE)
3 5G NR access for all available networks
4 even if your phone does not support 5G NR, select FL1 Telecom/Telecom Liechtenstein for 4G/LTE access because Salt Liechtenstein is restricted to 3G only
5 check the networks section on the Airalo website or app because at least one of the available networks is up to 4G/LTE (while the others are up to 5G NR)
You have these 12 Airalo Discover Global eSIMs:
- Discover 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 9 USD
- Discover+ 1 GB (with 10 minutes and 10 SMS) eSIM for 7 days, costing 15 USD
- Discover 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 17 USD
- Discover+ 2 GB (with 20 minutes and 20 SMS) eSIM for 15 days, costing 27 USD
- Discover 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 24 USD
- Discover+ 3 GB (with 30 minutes and 30 SMS) eSIM for 30 days, costing 36 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Discover 5 GB eSIM for 60 days, costing 35 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Discover+ 5 GB (with 50 minutes and 50 SMS) eSIM for 60 days, costing 50 USD
- Discover 10 GB eSIM for 180 days, costing 59 USD
- Discover+ 10 GB (with 100 minutes and 100 SMS) eSIM for 180 days, costing 79 USD
- Discover 20 GB eSIM for 365 days, costing 69 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Discover+ 20 GB (with 200 minutes and 200 SMS) eSIM for 365 days, costing 89 USD
Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in October based on data up to the 11th of October (2023 data only).
Interested in using the Airalo Discover(+) eSIM in another country or countries? Read my Airalo Global eSIM review (tested in numerous countries and counting).
Before Airalo updated its global eSIM, I used the old version (Discover Global) in 15+ countries. From August 2023, I will only test the Discover+ eSIM. This is why some country-specific reviews (like Global in Japan) still refer to the Discover Global one and show the old eSIM image instead of Discover+.
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:
- Afghanistan
- Åland Islands
- Albania
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia 1
- Austria 1
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain 1
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium 1
- Bhutan 1
- Bolivia
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria 1
- Cambodia
- Canada 1
- Chad
- Chile
- China 1
- Colombia
- Congo, Republic of
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Costa Rica
- Croatia 1
- Cyprus 1
- Czech Republic 1
- Denmark 1
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia 1
- Eswatini
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland 1
- France 1
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Germany 1
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Honduras
- Hong Kong 1
- Hungary 1
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia 1
- Iran 1
- Ireland 1
- Isle of Man
- Israel 1
- Italy 1
- Japan 1
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait 1
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia 1
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg 1
- Macau
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives 1
- Malta 1
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands 1
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- North Macedonia
- Norway 1
- Oman 1
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines 1
- Poland 1
- Portugal 1
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar 1
- Réunion
- Romania
- Russia 1
- Samoa
- San Marino 1
- Saudi Arabia 1
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore 1
- Slovakia 1
- Slovenia 1
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain 1
- Sri Lanka
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Sweden 1
- Switzerland 1
- Taiwan 1
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkey 1
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates 1
- United Kingdom 1
- United States America 1
- Uruguay
- U.S. Virgin Islands Virgin
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City 1
- Vietnam 1
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!
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 (
reasonableextensive global coverage (84+130+ 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.
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 😏.
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