Using your eSIM in United Arab Emirates
What you get with every United Arab Emirates plan
Where it works
United Arab Emirates
Networks
Du
Hotspot
Allowed
When your plan starts
When you land
Install by
Within 180 days of buying
Questions about United Arab Emirates eSIMs
Does WhatsApp work in the UAE?
Messages, photos and files do.
Voice and video calls over WhatsApp and similar apps are blocked on networks in the Emirates.
What a travel eSIM can reach depends on how it routes traffic, which the network details on this page name.
How do I call home from Dubai?
A normal phone call on your own SIM works at your carrier's roaming rates, so check those before you fly.
Some locally licensed calling apps work too.
Plan on messages for everything else.
Does my eSIM work on the Dubai Metro?
The Metro is the local network's to answer for, not the plan's, so load your route before you go down.
It is also the quickest way in from the airport at most hours of the day.
Does Careem work in the UAE?
Yes, and so does Uber.
Both need mobile data to book, to track the car and to pay, and the driver will often message you once he is in the pickup area.
Will I have signal on a desert safari?
Out in the dunes it thins, and in the wadis of the Hajar mountains it goes entirely.
The main roads are no promise either.
Tell someone your plan and download the map beforehand.
How is coverage in Abu Dhabi?
The coverage list on this page answers for the Emirates, not for one island or one museum.
The far side of the emirate and the Liwa desert are much quieter.
Questions about every Ryvo plan
Will it work on my phone?
Does it come with a phone number?
No.
Ryvo eSIMs are data only.
There's no phone number, and you can't make calls or send texts on the eSIM itself.
Can I keep my usual number?
Yes.
Keep your main SIM on for calls and texts, and set the eSIM as your mobile data line.
Your carrier's roaming rates still apply to calls and texts, so check them before you go.
Can I share my data as a hotspot?
It depends on the plan.
Each plan says whether hotspot is allowed before you pay.
What if I run out of data?
Add data from your order page if your plan can be topped up.
If it can't, buy another plan for the same destination.
What if my eSIM won't connect?
Email us and we'll work through it with you, starting with your phone's mobile data settings.
If we can't get it working, our refund policy explains what happens next.
Before you go
The coverage list on this page names the Emirates and the two networks behind your plan.
The desert interior and the Hajar mountains are where it drops.
WhatsApp messaging works on local networks and calling over it does not, so plan on messages and photos rather than a video call home.
Careem and Uber both run here, and the Dubai Metro is quick and cool whatever your phone does in the tunnels.
Keep your usual SIM switched on for calls and texts, and choose the eSIM for mobile data.
Choose a United Arab Emirates plan
Still need help?
Email us your order reference, and we'll help you get connected.