Dubai – known for its malls, modern architecture & luxury offerings.
The city is also home to the largest building – Burj Khalifa.
When asked what they know about the United Arab Emirates (UAE), people often mention Dubai, luxury, & Emirates (the airline).
In 2023, Dubai International Airport (DXB) was the second-busiest airport in the world (behind Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and ahead of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)).
But you are not here for airport statistics – you want to know what SIM cards are sold at Dubai Airport!
You can get an Etisalat, Du, or Virgin Mobile SIM card for between 49 AED (13.30 USD) and 6721 AED (1830 USD) at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
1830 USD!? What the hell?
Do not worry – you will not pay that much – that is the price for an unlimited data plan valid for an entire year.
The popular plans, unlimited data for seven and 14 days, cost around 200 AED (54.5 USD) and 300 AED (81.70 USD), respectively.
While not a grant, these plans are not cheap either.
Unfortunately, it is not much cheaper in the UAE.
Even if you were to not buy a SIM card at the airport, which is often (much cheaper), you would pay the same prices at the airport 🫠.
For now, let's review our options at Dubai Airport.
Original publication: 22nd of April 2024. Last updated: 22nd of April 2024.
Table of Contents
Mobile Operators in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has two mobile operators and one Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:
- Etisalat UAE
- Du
- Virgin Mobile UAE (Du MVNO)
All three of them sell SIM cards and eSIMs at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
Let's see what their options are.
Where to Buy a SIM Card at Dubai International Airport
When still walking through the “blocked-off” area at Terminal 1, the Virgin Mobile store will be on your left.
The map below visualizes what I mean. The arrow shows you how to get to the Virgin Mobile store after luggage claim.
Meanwhile, the orange line shows off the blocked area.
When you walk through the blocked-off area, you will have the Etisalat store in front/on the left of you, while the Du store is on the right.
At Terminal 2, you must also walk through the blocked-off area, but the Etisalat, Du & Virgin Mobile stores will be on your left before leaving.
At Terminal 3, keep walking straight, and you will find the stores in front of you.
If the lines at Etisalat are too long at Terminal 3, you can consider going to the Dubai Duty Free store on the other side of the arrivals hall (after turning to your right when entering the public area).
However, staff members informed me that the counter is often unmanned.
The Carrefour Market, also in Terminal 3's arrivals hall, sells Virgin Mobile SIM cards instead.
Unlike the Virgin Mobile store within the blocked-off area, this store sells more non-tourist plans (including plans valid for a full year).
Note that after you leave the blocked-off area, you are often not allowed back in (security will stop you… as per experience – that is why some photos I took are so far away 🤣).
At the airport, expect to spend at least 49 AED (13.30 USD) and up to 747 AED (203.40 USD) on a SIM card or eSIM.
However, the average price is 200 AED (54.50 USD).
Yeah… Dubai is not known for being affordable 🗿.
Let's review each mobile operator to see what they sell at Dubai Airport.
Etisalat UAE SIM Cards at Dubai International Airport
You can get an Etisalat UAE SIM card or eSIM between 49 AED and 319 AED at the arrival halls (Terminals 1, 2 & 3) of Dubai International Airport (DXB).
Etisalat UAE, just Etisalat, is the largest mobile operator in the United Arab Emirates.
It is also the mobile operator with the best coverage and the fastest speeds.
At each terminal, go through the sliding door after luggage claim and customs.
At Terminal 1, the Etisalat is right in front of you when walking through the “blocked off” area.
At Terminal 2, you must also walk through the blocked-off area, but the store will be on your left before leaving.
At Terminal 3, keep walking straight, and you will find the store in front of you.
If the lines are too long at Terminal 3, you can consider going to the Dubai Duty Free store on the other side of the arrivals hall (after turning to your right when entering the public area).
I would not recommend this option because the Etisalat counter is often unmanned (according to the Dubai Duty Free employees).
Security personnel may not allow you to return to the initial Etisalat store (it is located in a secure area, apparently – this also applies to the store at Terminal 2).
Regardless of the arrival terminal, the Etisalat stores sell the same six plans at Dubai Airport:
| Price | Plan | Data 1 | Minutes 2 | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 AED | 49 AED Basic Plan | 2 GB | 30 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 79 AED | 79 AED Basic Plan | 4 GB | 30 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 125 AED | 125 AED Premium Plan | 8 GB | 120 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 200 AED | 200 AED Premium Plan | 22.5 GB | 525 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 200 AED | 200 AED Unlimited Plan | Unlimited | 100 Flexi Minutes | 7 days |
| 319 AED | 319 AED Unlimited Plan | Unlimited | 300 Flexi Minutes | 14 days |
1 5G NR access
2 for local use and to more than 100 countries (full list)
With each purchase, you also get discounts, data & other perks for Careem, Hala, GoChat & Smiles.
I purchased the 200 AED Unlimited Plan (but at Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) instead).
This plan is truly unlimited (on 5G NR) – no daily caps or throttled speeds at all.
You can pay in cash (AED only) or by card. And you can choose an eSIM if you want.
To purchase a SIM card in the UAE, you must show your passport, entry stamp, or resident card (if applicable) upon purchase.
The salesperson will go through the paperwork, insert the SIM card into your phone, activate the plan & take your payment.
After that, you are ready to go (once you have received the welcome SMS)!
That is it! You now have an Etisalat SIM card or eSIM.
But as you can see, they are pricey – 2 GB will cost you 13.30 USD.
You would pay the same if you went to Dubai city center to get a SIM card in an Etisalat store.
So, you are better off buying your SIM card at the airport (Etisalat stores often have very long queues – up to an hour).
However, you can also get a travel eSIM for the United Arab Emirates, which can be significantly cheaper than an Etisalat SIM card or eSIM.
For example, 13 USD can get you 5 GB of data instead if you get an eSIM from various eSIM providers.
I write about the best travel eSIMs for the UAE in my Best United Arab Emirates eSIM buying guide.
I even tried many of them extensively for my Emirati eSIM review series.
Du UAE SIM Cards at Dubai International Airport
You can get a Du SIM card or eSIM between 49 AED and 149 AED at the arrival halls (Terminals 1, 2 & 3) of Dubai International Airport (DXB).
At Terminal 1, the Du store is on your right after leaving the “blocked off” area.
At Terminal 2, you must also walk through the blocked-off area, but the store will be on your left before leaving.
At Terminal 3, keep walking straight, and you will find the store in front of you.
Before listing the plans these stores sell, does Du not hand out SIM cards for free?
Yes, it does… but not at its stores. Instead, immigration officers give them to you during the process.
Indeed, not Du staff – Emirati immigration officers.
This offer is available at Terminals 1 and 3 – those arriving at Terminal 2 are out of luck.
Examples of airlines using Terminal 2 are Air India Express, some FlyDubai flights (some use Terminal 3), Iraqi Airways, Nepal Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Rossiya Airlines, RwandAir, Transavia, United Airways Bangladesh & Wizz Air (Abu Dhabi).
Moreover, you cannot use a SmartGate if you want a free SIM card.
Anyway, the free SIM card gives you 1 GB of data for 24 hours.
Sure… that is not a lot. Pre-COVID, you only got 20 MB of data 🗿.
Regardless of the arrival terminal, the Du stores sell the same seven plans at Dubai Airport:
| Price | Data 1 | Minutes 2 | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 AED | 2 GB | 30 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 99 AED | 6 GB | 30 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 139 AED | 10 GB | 30 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 189 AED | 20 GB | 30 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
| 199 AED | Unlimited | 100 Flexi Minutes | 7 days |
| 299 AED | Unlimited | 200 Flexi Minutes | 14 days |
| 499 AED | Unlimited | 400 Flexi Minutes | 28 days |
1 5G NR access
2 for local use and to more than 90 countries (country list is listed below)
With each purchase, you also get discounts through ALSAAADA and unlimited calls through BOTIM.
Flexi minutes can be used to call to the countries listed below:
I purchased the 199 AED Unlimited Plan (but at Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) instead), giving unlimited data for 7 days.
This plan is truly unlimited (on 5G NR) – no daily caps or throttled speeds at all.
But 5G NR stopped working for me after two days…
Anyway, you can pay in cash (AED only) or by card. And you can choose an eSIM if you want.
To purchase a SIM card in the UAE, you must show your passport, entry stamp, or resident card (if applicable) upon purchase.
The salesperson will go through the paperwork, insert the SIM card into your phone, activate the plan & take your payment.
After that, you are ready to go (once you have received the welcome SMS)!
That is it! You now have a Du SIM card or eSIM.
But as you can see, they are pricey – 2 GB will cost you 13.30 USD.
You would pay the same if you went to Dubai city center to get a SIM card in a Du store.
So, you are better off buying your SIM card at the airport (Du stores often have very long queues – up to an hour).
However, you can also get a travel eSIM for the United Arab Emirates, which can be significantly cheaper than a Du SIM card or eSIM.
For example, 13 USD can get you 5 GB of data instead if you get an eSIM from various eSIM providers.
I write about the best travel eSIMs for the UAE in my Best United Arab Emirates eSIM buying guide.
I even tried many of them extensively for my Emirati eSIM review series.
Virgin Mobile UAE SIM Cards at Dubai International Airport
You can get a Du SIM card or eSIM between 147 AED and 6721 AED at the arrival halls (Terminals 1, 2 & 3) of Dubai International Airport (DXB).
At Terminal 1, the Virgin Mobile store will be in the blocked-off area on your left.
At Terminal 2, you must also walk through the blocked-off area, but the store will be on your left before leaving.
At Terminal 3, keep walking straight, and you will find the store in front of you.
And SIM cards are also sold at Carrefour Market in the arrivals hall.
Way more plans are sold here, even those valid for a year – more about them later.
Regardless of the arrival terminal, the Virgin Mobile stores sell the same four plans at Dubai Airport:
| Price | Data 1 | Local Minutes | International Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 AED | 3 GB/day (21 GB) | 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 7 days |
| 200 AED | 3 GB/day (40 GB) | 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 10 days |
| 275 AED | Unlimited | 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 15 days |
| 525 AED | Unlimited | 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 30 days |
1 5G NR access
If you go to Carrefour Market (Terminal 3 only), you have these extra options:
| Price | Data 1 | Local Minutes | International Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 AED | 6 GB | 100 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 189 AED | 10 GB | 50 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 239.40 AED | 14 GB | 100 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 299.25 AED | 20 GB | 200 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 357 AED | 28 GB | 50 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 420 AED | 40 GB | 50 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 496.65 AED | 40 GB | 200 minutes | 50 minutes | 30 days |
| 747.60 AED | Unlimited | 300 minutes | 200 minutes | 30 days |
1 5G NR access
Based on these figures, the only reason why you would want to pick any of these plans is if you care about local/international minutes.
Because the call allowances for the tourist plans are not as generous as the data-limited ones.
Finally, you have five annual plans – not practical for short-term tourists, but they can be for (new) migrant workers.
I assume, but I am uncertain, that you can grab a SIM card from here and ask the cashier to activate a plan.
Although I do not think they have time to register your SIM card when the store is busy, perhaps there is supposed to be a Virgin Mobile salesperson at the pop-up stand.
Many often claim that Virgin Mobile is the cheapest in the UAE.
It can be, but it is not by default.
For example, 20 GB will cost 299.25 AED with Virgin Mobile (+200 local and 50 international minutes).
Funnily enough, this plan only costs 270 AED at Abu Dhabi-Zayed International Airport (AUH), but you only get 30 local minutes if you buy it there.
However, Du only charges you 189 AED (but gives you 30 local/international minutes instead).
110 AED is about 30 USD at the time of writing – significant savings!
Virgin Mobile's unlimited plans are not cheaper either.
525 AED gives you truly unlimited data and 30 local and 20 international minutes for 30 days.
Du charges you 499 AED and 400 local/international minutes.
When buying one of its yearly plans, Virgin Mobile is consistently cheaper (compared to Du and Etisalat UAE).
However, these plans range from 1470 AED (400 USD) to 6721 AED (1830 USD) 🗿.
Anyway, I did not buy a Virgin Mobile SIM card because I no longer review MVNOs.
I spend that time testing and reviewing travel eSIMs instead.
To purchase a SIM card in the UAE, you must show your passport, entry stamp, or resident card (if applicable) upon purchase.
The salesperson will go through the paperwork, insert the SIM card into your phone, activate the plan & take your payment.
After that, you are ready to go (once you have received the welcome SMS)!
And if you want an eSIM instead, that is possible too.
However, you can also get a travel eSIM for the United Arab Emirates, which can be significantly cheaper than a Virgin Mobile SIM card or eSIM.
For example, 10 GB of data is available at less than half the cost of Virgin Mobile (around 20 USD).
I write about the best travel eSIMs for the UAE in my Best United Arab Emirates eSIM buying guide.
I even tried many of them extensively for my Emirati eSIM review series.
Should You Buy a SIM Card (or eSIM) at Dubai International Airport?
I recommend getting a SIM card at Dubai International Airport (AUH) because plans are sold at roughly the same prices as regular stores. Go with Etisalat for the best network experience and Virgin Mobile for the most choices.
The three mobile operators have stores and booths in all three Terminals, allowing you to buy SIM cards and eSIMs wherever you arrive.
Because there is little price difference between buying a SIM card at the airport or an Etisalat, Du, or Virgin Mobile store, you are better off buying one at the airport.
Mainly because the queues at regular stores can take a while to clear.
Moreover, all airport stores are open 24/7, which is not the case at regular stores.
Etisalat, Du & Virgin Mobile sell SIM cards and eSIMs within these price ranges:
- Etisalat UAE: 49 AED – 319 AED (six options)
- Du: 99 AED – 499 AED (seven options)
- Virgin Mobile UAE: 147 AED – 6721 AED (16 options)
Remember, the Virgin Mobile 6721 AED plan, or any plan more than 1000 AED, is valid for an entire year.
So, they are not that interesting to tourists.
As mentioned, I recommend going with Etisalat if you want the best (5G NR) experience in the country.
While Virgin Mobile's short-term and tourist plans are not (much) cheaper than Etisalat's and Du's, it has more choices, allowing you to select the best plan for your purpose.
While SIM cards at Dubai International Airport are far from cheap, the same prices are charged outside the airport.
So, you are not being charged a tourist/convenience tax.
With truly unlimited data plans available from the three mobile operators, I recommend buying a SIM card at Dubai Airport.