Purchasing a Mobile SIMcard on Arrival to Dubai

I landed at Dubai airport, and before I left the airport premises I had my own UAE number and SIMcard with Blackberry connectivity.  Getting local mobile connectivity in Dubai is quick and hassle free.

There are only two telecom service providers in the UAE: Etisalat and Du (Yes, 'Du' is the name of a telecom service provider!).  You can check out their plans and features at www.etisalat.ae and www.du.ae before flying.  However, this may not be necessary as their outlets have well-trained customer service persons (usually of Indian origin so if you are Indian / Paki, you get all your information in Hindi!) .

As you land, collect your luggage and move out, you will see an area which has various stores (mostly hotel booking centers).  You will be able to see Etisalat and Du stores in this same area.  You can visit both the stores and find a plan to your liking.  Obviously, on a non-resident visa you can avail only prepaid plans.

Du plans are usually cheaper than Etisalat and are recommended by Dubai residents.  However, if you want to use Blackberry in Dubai as a tourist or business traveller, then Etisalat is your only option as Du does not have prepaid Blackberry services in UAE.

To register, you only need to show your passport, fill in a form, and pay the activation fees.  The SIMcard takes a few minutes to activate and register and Voila!  You are connected.

Also, if you take the Blackberry prepaid plan in Dubai and intend to use the internet, don't go for the AED 49 social networking plan as you won't be able to use data packages (internet on mobile) with this plan.  Etisalat does not allow upgrading the plan, so if you purchase the social networking-only plan and later want to use the internet on your BB, you will have to cancel the social networking plan and buy a new package, and you will lose your AED 49.  Not a good idea, is it?

And yes, ask all your questions to the customer care rep at the store.  You want to avoid calling their helpline, as it takes atleast 20-30 minutes of waiting before you will be able to connect with a human being on the Etisalat mobile helpline!


I really liked the speed and ease with which the entire SIMcard acquisition and activation happened.  And I thought everything in Dubai must be a piece of cake.  Well, I later realized that this only meant I still had a lot to discover !

Dubai Visa vs. Abu Dhabi Visa

This could sound confusing as both of these are cities and hence the visa to both of them must be the same.  However, this works slightly differently in this part of the world.

Dubai is an Emirate.  This term origins from "Emir" or the ruler of this region.

UAE (United Arab Emirates) is a country formed from the union of 7 Emirates, Dubai being one of them.  The others are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain  All these places carry their sense of individuality.  They have their own kings and internally & informally address each other as "countries".  In usual parlance we can refer to them as different states of the country; just like Texas, New York and Michigan in the USA.

So when you apply to come to Dubai, you are issued a Dubai visa; and when you apply to come to Abu Dhabi, you are issued an Abu Dhabi visa and so forth for all Emirates.  Though the same visa allows you to enter the country and travel to any of the Emirates, there are some areas such as security installations, driving licenses etc. which could be affected by which Emirate processed your visa.

If you are coming as a tourist this might make no difference.

But if you are coming for business or employment, make sure you know in which Emirate you are going to be primarily looking for opportunities.  This will affect your choice when applying for a visa.

Dubai - The City of Dreams

Yes, that's what it's popularly called... The City of Dreams.

This place came out of nowhere in the past decade to achieve the status of a city you couldn't afford to ignore. 

I am not a resident in Dubai, I am a frequent traveler.  My employment gave me the opportunity to visit this city and learn the ways of business, society and culture.  This blog is my attempt to share my learnings, observations, and experiences with anyone who looks forward to Dubai.

The city and the region can be confusing and anxiety-arousing to the uninitiated.  So if this is your "first-time" in Dubai (no pun intended), feel free to get in touch for information.  I'm not sure I know it all, but I will do what I can to help you out with my meager understanding of this city and its surroundings.