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How to have internet in Abu Dhabi | eSIM and local companies
Nowadays, having access to the internet from the first moment on a trip to Abu Dhabi is essential to fully enjoy your stayWhether it's a short layover to explore the city or a longer stay, having internet on your mobile phone will allow you to manage your hotel booking, order an Uber, buy tickets for local attractions, use GPS, or find buses.car Restaurant recommendations. That's why I'm going to tell you how to get internet in Abu Dhabi in a very simple way.
Keep in mind that the city belongs to the United Arab Emirates so you must contract internet for that country. We will compare local prepaid SIM options with eSIM cards that are much more practical, you don't waste time looking for a store and they work from the first moment.
HOW TO HAVE INTERNET IN ABU DHABI: OUR RECOMMENDATION
Later we will go into detail to compare all the available options and What are the prices and advantages of each one?, but to offer a lighter reading and give you a quick answer if you are traveling soon and don't have much time, I am going to give you our two favorite options depending on the type of trip.
Short stopover of a few hours: In case you only have a few hours in Abu Dhabi or Dubai and you want to leave the airport to get to know the city a little and visit places like the Sheikh Zayed Mosque or the Burj Khalifa I recommend you hire a cheap eSIM card For a day trip. Having internet access will be very useful for getting around the city with GPS, buses, etc.car You can find information on Google, read restaurant recommendations, order an Uber, or check your flight status. I recommend the company Holafly since you can choose the duration of the eSIM and you will have unlimited internet.
Stay of more than 2 days: In this case I would also choose to buy an eSIM card with unlimited internet. You can activate it as soon as you arrive at the airport or even before taking off and so you will have access to the internet from the first moment. The activation process is simple, they send you a QR that you must scan (connected to the internet) to start installing the eSIM on your phone. The best option to have unlimited internet is Holafly.
If you are wondering why I recommend eSIM cards over a local card, the answer in Abu Dhabi is simple, unlike most countries here. eSIM rates are noticeably cheaper.
BEST CARD MY PARTNER TO HAVE INTERNET IN ABU DHABI
Buying an eSIM is the cheapest choice to have internet in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It is also the most practical option since the purchase and installation process is simple and fast.
The choice of the best eSIM card It will depend on the length of your stay in these cities and the type of needs you have. If you are a person who regularly uses the Internet and consumes a lot of data, I recommend opting for unlimited Internet rates such as those offered by HolaflyThey're not much more than that. carSo the rest have a 5G connection and you can rest assured that you will never run out of internet.
Other advantages of eSIM cards are:
- The operation is simple: When you buy the data package they send you a QR and when you scan it the phone configuration begins. Activate the eSIM when you land and you will have an internet connection instantly.
- You keep your WhatsApp number. You can call and message your WhatsApp contacts as usual.
- You keep your SIM card from your usual operator. By activating the eSIM you will have «double SIM» with your local card, in case you need it. This is important because you can continue receiving confirmation calls or SMS when performing bank transactionscarias or online shopping.
eSim Holafly
The purchasing process is simple, on the web of Holafly You choose the destination you are traveling to, there you can put both the city and the country since the search engine will recognize it. The speed of the connection with Holafly In Abu Dhabi it is really high thanks to the 5G coverage that exists in much of the city.
Once the package is purchased They will send you an email with a QR code that is used to activate the eSIM. You will need internet to activate it so I recommend doing it just before taking off to have internet as soon as you arrive.
With our link you have an exclusive discount on your eSIM card for Abu Dhabi.
How to activate an eSIM card
Installing and activating your eSIM is really easy for most companies. Anyone can do it and in the email you receive when making the purchase there are instructions on how to install it step by step. Although there are different ways The quickest and easiest is using the QR code that comes in the email. Take a photo of this QR with the phone of a friend or someone close to you or print the email to scan the QR code directly with your mobile camera.
Once your phone is scanned, the installation and activation process will begin in which the eSIM will be ready in less than 1 minute. Don't forget that in order to install the eSIM you need an internet connection.
Once you arrive in the destination country, you have to remember to deactivate the mobile data option of your usual operator and leave only the local operator active, in this case it is Etisalat.
WHERE TO BUY ONE LOCAL PREPAID CARD
Normally buying a prepaid card is the cheapest option to have internet when traveling but this is not the case in the United Arab Emirates. In Abu Dhabi buying a SIM card is more caror to get an eSIMThe rates are quite high. carand the amount of data offered is low. The best rates, comparing all operators, range from around €12 for just 2GB of internet to €80 for unlimited internet. However, Buying a physical prepaid SIM to have internet in Abu Dhabi is quite simple since most companies have stores within international airports. You can also get them in shopping centers and in some small businesses in the city center.
Buy a SIM card at Abu Dhabi Airport
The arrivals area at Abu Dhabi Airport is not too big and finding the sales points for prepaid SIM cards from the various operators is not difficult. After passing through passport control and hand luggage control you will arrive at the Duty Free area where the baggage claim carousels are also located. In that same area There are some stands of local telephone companies such as Virgin and Etisalat. If you are not interested in those two companies, you can go out to the taxi area where the DU and Etisalat companies are also located. Keep in mind that once you leave the baggage claim you cannot go back.
BEST PREPAID SIM CARD IN ABU DHABI
If your phone is not compatible with eSIM cards, you will probably need to buy a prepaid SIM card. Depending on the type of user you are, one company or another will be better for you. For example If you need to have a lot of data I recommend buying a Virgin card since they have rates of many GB for a lower price than other companies. A good rate that you can contract offers 21GB for 7 days for about €38.
In return if you need little internet since you are going to be there for a few days or because you only use it at specific times I would opt for Etisalat since it has the best prices on low data rates, for example 2GB for €12 or 4GB for €20.
I hope this article helps you choose the best option to have internet in Abu Dhabi and prepare your stopover or trip well.
