Qatar: 2 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023)

Qatar – known for its airline, airport & highrise buildings.

To many travelers, Qatar is only known because of (Doha) Hamad International Airport, which is Qatar Airways' hub.

But the country plans on attracting more tourists who do not use the airport solely for transit but also stay a few nights (as a stopover, for example) by placing itself on the world map by hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

But should you actually visit Qatar? Yes, you should.

The Katara Cultural Village is just majestic, especially when the sun sets.

If you are into museums, visit the Museum or Islamic Art of the National Museum of Qatar.

Shopping in Villaggio Mall can be fun if you have money to burn.

And if you have the opportunity, visit Al Aaliya Island.

So even if you are just visiting Qatar because of the World Cup, there is no reason to be bored on the days your country is not playing 😏.

What I do not recommend doing is using your home SIM card in Qatar, also known as international roaming.

International roaming can be expensive, which is why I recommend local SIM cards, eSIMs, or travel eSIMs, which also applies to the country's mobile data rates.

Luckily for you, SIM cards are not too expensive in Qatar, and this also applies to mobile data rates in the country.

So, how much do SIM cards cost in Qatar?

You can get a Qatari SIM card for “free” from Ooredoo or 10 QAR (2.75 USD) from Vodafone in their stores. You need to top up at least 10 QAR with Ooredoo. It also has tourist SIM cards for 35 QAR (9.60 USD) and 150 QAR (41.20 USD). SIM cards are also sold at (Doha) Hamad International Airport (DOH).

These numbers are not bad at all! Especially if you know that costs were waaay higher a few years ago (they are borderline criminal).

In this guide, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Qatar. Let's go.

Original publication: 25th of December 2019. Last updated: 21st of November 2022.

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Table of Contents

Can You Buy a SIM Card in Qatar?

Anyone 18 years old or older living in or visiting Qatar can buy a Qatari SIM card from the mobile network operators (Ooredoo and Vodafone) with no restrictions.

You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.

Moreover, you need a phone that supports the frequencies used in the country (preferably all of them to have the most optimal experience while in Qatar).

Furthermore, you need to have a SIM-lock-free device.

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Qatar?

You can get a Qatar SIM card in Ooredoo and Vodafone stores. SIM cards are also sold at (Doha) Hamad International Airport (DOH).

You can expect to pay the following for Qatari SIM cards:

• Ooredoo Qatar: “free”, but a plan purchase or minimum top-up of 10 QAR required
• Vodafone Qatar: 10 QAR

The following Qatari mobile operators also have SIM cards targeting tourists:

• Ooredoo Qatar: 35 QAR (Fan SIM – formerly Visitor SIM) & 150 QAR (Super Fan SIM)
• Vodafone Qatar: 35 QAR (it has no real tourist SIM card (anymore) – this is the price for SIM cards at the airport)

For up-to-date QAR:your currency (let's say INR) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Can You Use Your Phone in Qatar?

Qatar uses GSM technology for mobile communications. CDMA phones will not work in Qatar. If your phone has a SIM card slot, then it supports GSMA (99% of the phones do support GSM nowadays).

Traditional European frequencies are used in Qatar, which are mostly used in ITU Regions 1 and 3 (Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania).

The Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2) use American frequencies, which differ from the European ones.

If you bought your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU Regions 1 and 3), you should not experience any issues with using your phone in Qatar.

If you purchased your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, then there is a possibility you cannot use your phone when in Qatar or can only use slower networks (3G or 2G).

If you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, you can use your phone in Qatar (to some extent) – also on 4G/LTE and 5G NR.

Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Qatar

Qatar has two mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:

• Ooredoo Qatar (قطر)
• Vodafone Qatar (قطر)

The following frequencies are used in Qatar:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 1800 MHz (Band 3) & 2600 MHz (Band 7)
• 5G NR: 3500 MHz (n78)

You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.

To check whether your phone will work in Qatar, check out this page by Kimovil or this one by Will My Phone Work (outdated, unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly – useful for phones launched in or before 2019. It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).

Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).

If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.

VoLTE & VoWiFi in Qatar

VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) is available in Qatar, and it is offered by all mobile operators (Ooredoo and Vodafone). However, VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFi calling) is not available.

This means that your phone does not have to downgrade to 2G or 3G when making a call in Qatar (unlike mobile operators that do not support VoLTE).

VoWiFi is, as the name implies, calling on a WiFi connection as opposed to on a cellular network.

5G NR in Qatar

Commercial 5G NR has been available in Qatar since May 2018. It is available on the Ooredoo and Vodafone networks. 5G NR is also offered to prepaid customers.

Best SIM Card in Qatar

Best eSIM in Qatar

Ooredoo and Vodafone offer eSIMs to prepaid customers.

Ooredoo launched eSIMs back in November 2018, but it has quietly phased out at an unknown date.

With Apple slowly phasing out SIM cards for eSIMs (already a thing for the iPhone 14 series sold in the United States), I hope Ooredoo introduced eSIMs again shortly.

A week before the World Cup starterd, Ooredoo reintroduced eSIMs!

Note that the Qatari mobile operators require your identification (passport) for eSIMs and physical SIM cards (will be discussed later).

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM for Qatar without personal detail capturing, you can get the Qatar (Pearl Mobile) eSIM from Airalo.

You have these five options:

1. Qatar/Pearl Mobile 1 GB eSIM for 7 days – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Qatar/Pearl Mobile 2 GB eSIM for 15 days
3. Qatar/Pearl Mobile 3 GB eSIM for 30 days
4. Qatar/Pearl Mobile 5 GB eSIM for 30 days – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Qatar/Pearl Mobile 10 GB eSIM for 30 days

The Airalo links above will automatically get you the available Phone Travel Wiz exclusive offers – a code is unnecessary.

For an in-depth analysis of the Qatar Pearl Mobile eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my Qatar eSIMs Compared guide.

You can also get Qatar eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps) and get 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off (even on top of current promotions)!

For an in-depth analysis of the Nomad Qatar eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my Qatar eSIMs Compared guide.

• Check out my Nomad reviews

Finally, you can get Qatar eSIMs from Holafly:

• Qatar 6 GB eSIM for 15 days

Use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for exclusive deals when getting Holafly eSIMs, AND get an additional 5% off!

For an in-depth analysis of the Holafly Qatar eSIMs (covering pros and cons as well), check out my Qatar eSIMs Compared guide.

With these eSIMs, you can skip Qatar's SIM card registration scheme entirely and use it immediately upon arriving in Qatar!

TIP: check out my Best Qatar eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Qatar, including ones not mentioned above.

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 14 Asian countries & the super new Latamlink eSIM for 19 Latin American countries.

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

TIP: Check out my eSIM lookup tool for an overview of local mobile operators offering eSIMs to prepaid customers and travel eSIMs I use and love (for eSIMs in Qatar and eSIMs worldwide) and my Best Qatar eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Qatar.

Best International/Travel SIM Card for Qatar

If you want to buy the best international/travel SIM card for Qatar, I recommend going with SimCorner's Qatar Travel SIM cards. Consider SimCorner's Asia SIM cards to be used in Qatar and 20+ countries, including neighboring Bahrain, Kuwait & Oman.

You have the following two Qatar Travel SIM cards:

• Qatar Travel SIM Card with 6 GB for 8 days
• Qatar Travel SIM Card with 6 GB for 15 days (new: also available as an eSIM)

You have these two Asia SIM cards:

• Asia SIM card with 6 GB for 8 days in 30 countries (new: also available as an eSIM)
• Asia SIM card with 6 GB for 15 days in 20+ countries (NOT for Qatar)

The SimCorner Asia SIM cards and eSIMs can be used in Qatar and the following other countries:

You can also get the SimCorner International Travel SIM card (new: also available as an eSIM) with 6 GB of data valid for 15 days to be used in Qatar and 100+ countries, including most of the ones mentioned above (Asia) and in the Americas, Europe & Oceania:

Instead of spending between 0.34 USD to 384 USD for SIM cards in each country, get a SimCorner travel SIM card (or eSIM) covering numerous countries for just one price!

Use discount code PHONETRAVELWIZ for extra savings!

SIM Card Registration in Qatar

SIM card registration with your passport information is mandatory in Qatar. It will be done at the point of sale.

Internet Censorship in Qatar

There is internet censorship in Qatar. The government censors various things, such as LGBTQ content, pornography, political criticism & escort services.

However, unlike other countries in the region, internet censorship is not as strong in Qatar… but it is still present.

That is why I recommend using a VPN to browse the web in peace.

I use both NordVPN and Surfshark (not at the same time – do not do that… you will not have a pleasant browsing experience 🗿).

NordVPN has the most servers of any VPN service out there, which I love.

Surfshark is insanely cheap for the price it charges while offering stellar service.

Depending on where I am, I will either use NordVPN or Surfshark.

Neither VPNs services have servers in Qatar (obviously), but connecting to nearby countries (like the United Arab Emirates for both NordVPN or Surfshark) will still result in fast browsing speeds.

With these links, you can get amazing discounts for NordVPN and Surfshark (they change frequently, but you can always get up to 81% off).

Stay safe, secure & private in Qatar!

(oh, by the way – VPNs are not illegal in Qatar, but the authorities may not like it. But what are they going to do? You will be private anyway 😉 just do not do anything silly like insulting government officials).

Qatar Mobile Speeds, Mobile Internet Prices & Insights

Currency in Qatar

Qatar uses the Qatari Riyal with the symbol QAR (which will be used throughout this guide).

However, prices are often listed in QR or ر.ق. For example, 25 QAR = 25 QR/ر.ق .

For reference, below are some exchange rates between QAR and USD (US Dollars):

• 1 QAR = 0.30 USD
• 10 QAR = 2.75 USD
• 100 QAR = 27.50 USD
• 1000 QAR = 274.70 USD

For up-to-date QAR:your currency (let's say INR – Indian Rupee) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Qatari Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar, and go through:

• Background information
• Mobile coverage
• SIM card types, prices, and availability
• Recharge/top-up information
• Combo plans, data plans, and special packs (such as social media packs)

With that being said, let’s see what Qatar has to offer to us.

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Ooredoo Qatar (قطر)

Ooredoo Qatar (قطر), just Ooredoo, is the largest mobile operator in Qatar.

It is also the mobile operator with the best network performance.

Ooredoo, as a mobile operator, is also active in Algeria, Indonesia (as Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison), Iraq (as Asiacell), Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Palestine & Tunisia.

Ooredoo uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 1800 MHz (Band 3) & 2600 MHz (Band 7)
• 5G NR: 3500 MHz (n78)
• VoLTE: Yes
• VoWiFi: No

This is what you will learn about Ooredoo:

* Coverage
* How to Get an Ooredoo SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Ooredoo Qatar

Ooredoo has the best coverage in Qatar.

This was also confirmed by Opensignal.

Below is Ooredoo's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – Ooredoo Qatar

You can get an Ooredoo SIM card, called Hala, for free, although a plan purchase or minimum top-up of 10 QAR, in Ooredoo stores. Ooredoo SIM cards are also sold at (Doha) Hamad International Airport.

Short-term visitors and tourists can also get the Ooredoo Fan SIM card – Ooredoo's tourist offering.

This SIM card used to be known as the Ooredoo Visitor SIM, but it has been rebranded and improved for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The following two Ooredoo Fan SIM cards:

Price	SIM Card	Credit	Data	Local Minutes	International Minutes 2	Validity
35 QAR	Fan SIM	N/A	2 GB	25 minutes	15 minutes	7 days 3
150 QAR	Super Fan SIM	30 QAR	20 GB 1	400 minutes	75 minutes	30 days

¹ +unlimited data @ 128 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)
² to Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini (Swaziland), the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saba, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sint Eustatius, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen & Zambia
³ SIM card is valid for 30 days

Insiders have informed me that unless you have a residence permit for Qatar, like migrant workers or students do, expect Ooredoo to only sell you Fan SIM tourist SIM cards instead of regular ones (the ones that are “free”).

Luckily, you can purchase regular Ooredoo plans when your initial plan expires, which extends the validity of your SIM card (to 150 days).

Dial *100# to access the Ooredoo menu.

Ooredoo has no eSIMs (anymore).

Ooredoo launched eSIMs back in November 2018, but it has quietly phased out at an unknown date.

Just before the World Cup starterd, Ooredoo reintroduced eSIMs (which are also available to prepaid customers)!

Note that the Qatari mobile operators require your identification (passport) for (future) eSIMs and for physical SIM cards.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM, you can go with the Qatar (Pearl Mobile) eSIMs from Airalo (1 GB/7 days – most popular with PTW readers, 2 GB/15 days , 3 GB/30 days, 5 GB/30 days – very popular with PTW readers & 10 GB/30 days.

The Airalo links above will automatically get you the available Phone Travel Wiz exclusive offers – a code is unnecessary.

• Check out my Airalo eSIM reviews

Or get the Qatar eSIMs from Nomad (from 1 GB/7 days to 5 GB/30 days).

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps) and get 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off (even on top of current promotions)!

• Check out my Nomad eSIM reviews

Or get the Qatar eSIMs from Holafly (6 GB/15 days).

Use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for exclusive deals when getting Holafly eSIMs, AND get an additional 5% off!

• Check out my Holafly eSIM reviews

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 14 Asian countries & the super new Latamlink eSIM for 19 Latin American countries.

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

TIP: check out my Best Qatar eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Qatar (including ones not mentioned above).

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Ooredoo Qatar

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Ooredoo Qatar

Ooredoo has seven data-featured prepaid plans:

• Hala Smart (combo)
• All In One Packs (combo)
• Hala Super Recharges (combo)
• Hala 5G Recharges (combo)
• Data Packs
• Data Recharges
• Endless Data Recharges

Ooredoo plans can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app.

I will list all the prices in QAR.

To convert QAR to your currency (let's say INR – Indian Rupee) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Click the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

Hala Smart Plans – Ooredoo Qatar

The Hala Smart plans are data bundles (without 5G NR access).

Hala Smart can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Validity
5 QAR	N/A	30 minutes	5 days
15 QAR	100 MB	150 minutes	10 days

All In One Packs – Ooredoo Qatar

The All In One Packs are combo bundles with a unit system (Flex Points) and data (without 5G NR access).

Below is an overview of how many Flex Points are used per action:

• 1 local/international minute = 1 Flexi Point
• 1 local/international SMS = 1 Flexi Point
• 7 MB = 1 Flexi Point

All In One Packs can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Units (Flexi Points)	Data	Validity
5 QAR	30 points	100 MB	Until midnight
10 QAR	70 points	250 MB	3 days
20 QAR	150 points	550 MB (7 days)	6 days
30 QAR	225 points	0.75 GB (7 days)	14 days
60 QAR	500 points	2 GB (7 days)	30 days
100 QAR	1000 points	2.2 GB (7 days)	30 days
150 QAR	2100 points	2.2 GB (7 days)	30 days
200 QAR	3100 points	2.2 GB (7 days)	30 days

Hala Super Recharges – Ooredoo Qatar

The Hala Super Recharges are combo bundles with data (without 5G NR access) and minutes.

Hala Super Recharges can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Validity
30 QAR	1.5 GB	60 minutes	30 days
60 QAR	4 GB	120 minutes	30 days
100 QAR	8 GB	180 minutes	30 days
200 QAR	16 GB	500 minutes	30 days
500 QAR	“Unlimited”, 150 GB 1	20 000 minutes	30 days

¹ +unlimited data @ 1 Mbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (annoyingly slow!)

Hala 5G Recharges – Ooredoo Qatar

The Hala Super Recharges are combo bundles with data (with 5G NR access) and minutes.

Hala Super Recharges can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Credit	Data	Local Minutes	International Minutes 1	Validity
60 QAR	10 QAR (180 days)	2.5 GB	100 minutes	25 minutes	14 days
100 QAR	20 QAR (180 days)	4 GB	100 minutes	50 minutes	30 days
150 QAR	30 QAR (180 days)	7 GB	150 minutes	75 minutes	30 days
200 QAR	40 QAR (365 days)	10 GB	200 minutes	100 minutes	30 days
250 QAR	50 QAR (365 days)	16 GB	250 minutes	125 minutes	30 days

¹ to Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini (Swaziland), the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saba, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sint Eustatius, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen & Zambia

Data Packs – Ooredoo Qatar

The Data Packs are data bundles (without 5G NR access).

Data Packs can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Data	Validity
5 QAR	300 MB	Until midnight
10 QAR	750 MB	3 days
20 QAR	1.6 GB	7 days
30 QAR	1 GB 1	14 days
60 QAR	2.5 GB 2	28 days
80 QAR	4 GB 2	28 days
100 QAR	7 GB 2	28 days
150 QAR	14 GB 2	28 days
200 QAR	20 GB 2	42 days

¹ +1 GB bonus data for 7 days
² +2 GB bonus data for 7 days

Data Recharges – Ooredoo Qatar

The Data Recharges are data bundles (without 5G NR access).

Data Recharges can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Data	Validity
5 QAR	300 MB	Until midnight
10 QAR	750 MB	3 days
20 QAR	1600 MB	7 days
30 QAR	2 GB	14 days
60 QAR	4.5 GB	28 days
80 QAR	6 GB	28 days
100 QAR	9 GB	28 days
150 QAR	16 GB	28 days
200 QAR	22 GB	28 days

Endless Data Recharges – Ooredoo Qatar

The Endless Data Recharges are data bundles (without 5G NR access).

Endless Data Recharges can be activated on the Ooredoo Qatar app:

Price	Data	Validity
25 QAR	“Unlimited”, 30 GB	2 days
250 QAR	“Unlimited”, 300 GB	30 days

APN/Internet Settings – Ooredoo Qatar

• Name: Ooredoo
• APN: data

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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Vodafone Qatar (قطر)

Vodafone Qatar (قطر), just Vodafone, is the other mobile operator in Qatar.

It entered the Qatari telecom market back in 2009 and has challenged Ooredoo Qatar, which was then still known as Qtel, ever since.

While Vodafone never overtook Ooredoo Qatar, it still has a market share of between 30% and 40%.

The Vodafone Group does not own Vodafone Qatar anymore.

It sold its Vodafone Qatar majority stake to Qatar Foundation in 2018.

Still, the Vodafone brand will stick for the time being.

Vodafone uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 1800 MHz (Band 3) & 2600 MHz (Band 7)
• 5G NR: 3500 MHz (n78)
• VoLTE: Yes
• VoWiFi: No

This is what you will learn about Vodafone:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Vodafone SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Vodafone Qatar

Vodafone has extensive coverage throughout Qatar.

Below is Vodafone's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – Vodafone Qatar

You can get a Vodafone SIM card for 10 QAR in Vodafone stores. Vodafone SIM cards are also sold at (Doha) Hamad International Airport (DOH – for 35 QAR instead).

Dial *100# to access the Vodafone menu.

It is possible to get a Vodafone eSIM for the same price as a regular SIM card.

Note that the Qatari mobile operators require your identification (passport) for future eSIMs and for physical SIM cards.

Therefore, if you wish to get an eSIM, you can go with the Qatar (Pearl Mobile) eSIMs from Airalo (1 GB/7 days – most popular with PTW readers, 2 GB/15 days , 3 GB/30 days, 5 GB/30 days – very popular with PTW readers & 10 GB/30 days.

The Airalo links above will automatically get you the available Phone Travel Wiz exclusive offers – a code is unnecessary.

• Check out my Airalo eSIM reviews

Or get the Qatar eSIMs from Nomad (from 1 GB/7 days to 5 GB/30 days).

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps) and get 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off (even on top of current promotions)!

• Check out my Nomad eSIM reviews

Or get the Qatar eSIMs from Holafly (6 GB/15 days).

Use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for exclusive deals when getting Holafly eSIMs, AND get an additional 5% off!

• Check out my Holafly eSIM reviews

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 14 Asian countries & the super new Latamlink eSIM for 19 Latin American countries.

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

TIP: check out my Best Qatar eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison of several eSIMs for Qatar (including ones not mentioned above).

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Vodafone Qatar

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Vodafone Qatar

Vodafone has four data-featured prepaid plans:

• Flex (combo with a unit system)
• Combo+
• Combo
• Data

Vodafone plans can be activated on the My Vodafone (Qatar) app.

I will list all the prices in QAR.

To convert QAR to your currency (let's say INR – Indian Rupee) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Click the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

Flex Plans – Vodafone Qatar

The Flex plans are combo bundles with a unit system (Flex Points) and data (with 5G NR access).

Below is an overview of how many Flex Points are used per action:

• 1 GB = 147 Flex
• 1 local minute = 1 Flex
• 1 local SMS = 1 Flex
• 1 international SMS = 1 Flex
• 1 minute to Bangladesh = 2 Flex
• 1 minute to Egypt = 5 Flex
• 1 minute to Nepal = 2 Flex
• 1 minute to Pakistan = 4 Flex
• 1 minute to the Philippines = 4 Flex
• 1 minute to Bahrain, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States & Yemen = 5 Flex

Flex can be activated on the My Vodafone (Qatar) app:

Price	Units	Data	Validity
10 QAR	70 Flex	260 MB	3 days
20 QAR	150 Flex	512 MB 1	7 days
30 QAR	270 Flex	750 MB (7 days) 2	30 days
50 QAR	516 Flex	1.8 GB (7 days) 2	30 days
60 QAR	600 Flex	2 GB (7 days) 3	30 days
80 QAR	840 Flex	2 GB (7 days)	30 days
100 QAR	1200 Flex	2.2 GB (7 days) 3	30 days
150 QAR	2520 Flex	2.2 GB (7 days) 4	30 days
200 QAR	3720 Flex 5	2.2 GB (7 days) 4	30 days
300 QAR	4500 Flex 5	N/A	30 days
500 QAR	7500 Flex 6	N/A	30 days

¹ +unlimited data @ 64 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)/Flex points
² +unlimited data @ 128 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)/Flex points
³ +unlimited data @ 256 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)/Flex points
⁴ +unlimited data @ 512 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)/Flex points
⁵ +unlimited data @ 2 Mbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (slow!)/Flex points
⁶ +unlimited data @ 15 Mbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance/Flex points

Combo+ Plans – Vodafone Qatar

The Combo+ plans are combo bundles with data (with 5G NR access) and minutes.

Combo+ can be activated on the My Vodafone (Qatar) app:

Price	Plan	Data	Local Minutes	International Minutes 2	Validity
20 QAR	Combo+ 20	1 GB	25 minutes	15 minutes	7 days
50 QAR	Combo+ 50	2.5 GB	100 minutes	25 minutes	14 days
100 QAR	Combo+ 100	5 GB 1	100 minutes	70 minutes	30 days
150 QAR	Combo+ 150	8 GB 1	450 minutes	100 minutes	30 days
300 QAR	Combo+ 300	“Unlimited”, 20 GB @ 2 Mbps	Unlimited	100 minutes	30 days
450 QAR	Combo+ 450	“Unlimited”, 200 GB @ 2 Mbps	Unlimited	100 minutes	30 days
750 QAR	Combo+ 750	“Unlimited”, 500 GB @ 15 Mbps	Unlimited	500 minutes	30 days

¹ +unlimited data @ 128 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)
² to Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini (Swaziland), the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saba, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sint Eustatius, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen & Zambia

Combo Plans – Vodafone Qatar

The Combo plans are combo bundles with data (with 5G NR access) and minutes.

Combo can be activated on the My Vodafone (Qatar) app:

Price	Plan	Data	Local Minutes	Validity
30 QAR	Combo 30	3 GB 1	120 minutes	30 days
50 QAR	Combo 50	4 GB 1	200 minutes	30 days
60 QAR	Combo 60	8 GB 2	240 minutes	30 days
100 QAR	Combo 100	16 GB 2	360 minutes	30 days
150 QAR	Combo 150	24 GB 3	750 minutes	30 days

¹ +unlimited data @ 64 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)
² +unlimited data @ 128 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)
³ +unlimited data @ 512 Kbps after exhausting your high-speed data allowance (super slow!)

Data Plans – Vodafone Qatar

The Data plans are data bundles with data (with 5G NR access).

Data can be activated on the My Vodafone (Qatar) app:

Price	Data	Bonus Data	Validity
10 QAR	300 MB	450 MB (3 days)	3 days
20 QAR	700 MB	836 MB (7 days)	7 days
30 QAR	1 GB	1 GB (7 days)	14 days
50 QAR	2 GB	1.8 GB (7 days)	28 days
60 QAR	2.5 GB	2 GB (7 days)	28 days
80 QAR	4 GB	2 GB (7 days)	28 days
100 QAR	7 GB	2 GB (7 days)	28 days
125 QAR	“Unlimited”, 100 GB	N/A	7 days
150 QAR	14 GB	2 GB (7 days)	28 days
200 QAR	20 GB	2 GB (7 days)	42 days
250 QAR	“Unlimited”, 300 GB	N/A	30 days

APN/Internet Settings – Vodafone Qatar

• Name: Vodafone Internet
• APN: web.vodafone.com.qa

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

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The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Qatar

Getting a SIM card from Ooredoo would do you well when considering a Qatari SIM card.