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Which mobile plan should I get in the UAE?

Compare 14 mobile plans in the UAE from e&, du and Virgin Mobile by data, calls to the UK and contract, with the real monthly cost.

1 line
We price each line on its own. Ask about family or multi-line discounts.
Data each month, per line
60 minutes a month
WhatsApp and FaceTime calls usually don’t connect in the UAE, so normal calls or a paid app are how most people call home.
How you want to pay
Compare the cost over
Includes set-up fees and any introductory price, so plans with a cheap first few months compare fairly.

Your results

Best matchAED 401 a monthVirgin Mobile: Unlimited Data 10 Mbps (monthly), Unlimited data. Averaged over 12 months, including set-up, offers and calls to the UK
Calls to the UK. Minutes beyond a plan’s international allowance are priced at about AED 2.83 a minute. e& standard rate to the UK including VAT, billed per second. du's prepaid Flexi/Easy rate is AED 1.49/min (May 2023 list).

14 plans, cheapest first

  • Virgin Mobile · 14GB / 200 mins (12 months upfront) Less data than you needAED 107/month
    14 GB · 200 local minutes · 550 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G · Uses du’s network AED 107 a month.AED 1,278.90 upfront for a year (50% off); 50 international minutes plus 500 to one country (UK eligible).See it on Virgin Mobile’s site
  • e& · Freedom Plan 125 Flexi Less data than you needAED 131/month
    4 GB · 150 local minutes · 150 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 131 a month.150 flexi minutes shared between local and international calls; price taken from plan name.See it on e&’s site
  • du · Power Plan 125 Less data than you needAED 131/month
    4 GB · 100 local minutes · 100 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 131 a month.100 flexi minutes shared local/international; 8GB UAE WiFi data.See it on du’s site
  • Virgin Mobile · 10GB / 200 mins (monthly) Less data than you needAED 170/month
    10 GB · 200 local minutes · 100 international minutes · No contract · eSIM · 5G · Uses du’s network AED 170 a month.Includes 100 international minutes; build-your-own plan, change monthly in app.See it on Virgin Mobile’s site
  • du · Prepaid Flexi 6GB / 30 flexi mins Less data than you needAED 198/month
    6 GB · 30 local minutes · 30 international minutes · Prepaid · eSIM · 5G AED 113 a month. Plus about AED 84.90 a month for 30 minutes to the UK.yearly upfront 50% off; free Botim calls. Charged every 28 days: shown as a monthly averageSee it on du’s site
  • e& · New Freedom Plan 200 Less data than you needAED 210/month
    13 GB · 400 local minutes · 400 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 210 a month.Double data promo (26GB); 400 flexi minutes local/intl; free activation online.See it on e&’s site
  • du · Power Plan 200 Less data than you needAED 210/month
    13 GB · 400 local minutes · 400 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 210 a month.400 flexi minutes; unused data carries over (up to 6.5GB).See it on du’s site
  • du · Prepaid Flexi 15GB / 120 flexi mins Less data than you needAED 227/month
    15 GB · 120 local minutes · 120 international minutes · Prepaid · eSIM · 5G AED 227 a month.flexi minutes cover 99 countries including UK; free Botim calls. Charged every 28 days: shown as a monthly averageSee it on du’s site
  • Virgin Mobile · 3GB / 50 mins (monthly) Less data than you needAED 253/month
    3 GB · 50 local minutes · No contract · eSIM · 5G · Uses du’s network AED 82.95 a month. Plus about AED 170 a month for 60 minutes to the UK.App-only, cancel anytime; yearly upfront option roughly halves the price.See it on Virgin Mobile’s site
  • e& · New Freedom Plan 325 Less data than you needAED 341/month
    27 GB · 700 local minutes · 700 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 341 a month.Double data promo (54GB); unlimited calls to one preferred country plus 700 flexi minutes.See it on e&’s site
  • Virgin Mobile · Unlimited Data 10 Mbps (monthly) Best matchAED 401/month
    Unlimited data · 50 local minutes · 500 international minutes · No contract · eSIM · 5G · Uses du’s network AED 401 a month.Unlimited data capped at 10 Mbps; One Country Calls (500 minutes, UK eligible) included.See it on Virgin Mobile’s site
  • du · Power Plan 500 DataAED 420/month
    Unlimited data · 1500 local minutes · 1500 international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 525 a month, AED 315 for the first 6 months.Unlimited national data at full speed; 1,500 flexi minutes; 10GB roaming a month.See it on du’s site
  • e& · New Freedom Plan 600AED 630/month
    50 GB · Unlimited local minutes · Unlimited international minutes · 12-month contract · eSIM · 5G AED 630 a month.Unlimited flexi minutes (local and international); 2GB roaming data.See it on e&’s site
  • Virgin Mobile · Unlimited Data (monthly)AED 637/month
    Unlimited data · 50 local minutes · 500 international minutes · No contract · eSIM · 5G · Uses du’s network AED 637 a month.Full-speed unlimited 5G data, no fair-use cap stated; 500 minutes to one country.See it on Virgin Mobile’s site

Good to know in the UAE

  • A resident postpaid plan needs an Emirates ID; e& also asks for proof such as a salary certificate or tenancy contract. Visitors can get passport-based tourist SIMs.
  • WhatsApp and FaceTime voice/video calls usually don't work in the UAE. Licensed apps like Botim or GoChat do, but often need a paid plan or add-on.
  • To call the UK cheaply, choose a plan with 'flexi' minutes (usable for local or international calls) or a one-country bundle.
  • eSIM is widely supported. Virgin Mobile (du network) is app-only with no contract; e& and du postpaid plans usually need 12 months.

Prices checked 11 Oct 2026. All prices include 5% UAE VAT: we added it to the ex-VAT prices most providers advertise. Providers change prices and offers often, and not every plan is sold at every address, so check on the provider’s site before you sign up. We don’t take commission and no provider pays to be listed. Read how to get a SIM and call home.

Sources (9)

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Estimates to help you plan, not financial advice. Nothing you enter is sent to us unless you ask for an email or sign in to save your answers.

How this calculator works

  • Choose how much data you need, how many lines and how many minutes of normal calls you’ll make to UK numbers
  • Say whether you want no contract, prepaid only or an eSIM
  • It works out what each plan really costs a month over 12 or 24 months, including set-up fees, offers and calls to the UK beyond the plan’s allowance, and puts the cheapest plan with enough data first
  • Every plan links to the provider’s own page, with the date we checked the price

It runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us unless you ask us to email you the results, and we don’t keep it. Results are estimates, not a quote or financial advice: check the official sources linked in each guide before you rely on them.

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