UAE Mobile Plan Comparison
Plan Snapshot
Price Range | Offers |
Yearly Payment (318.50 to 1098.50) | Du (Flexi Prepaid): 2GB to 10GB, 30 to 120 Flexi Minutes, includes unlimited calling to 1 Du number. |
Deliveroo | Costs AED 19 and AED 29 for Deliveroo Plus Silver and Gold, offering free delivery for orders over AED 60 and AED 30 respectively. |
Noon | Costs AED 143.88 if paid annually or AED 24.99 month monthly for Noon One. Free delivery for food orders over AED 30, includes free delivery for other Noon services. |
Talabat | Costs AED 228 if paid annually or AED 29 monthly for Talabat Pro. Free delivery for orders over AED 30. |
UAE Mobile Plans Landscape
The Internet Service Provider landscape in the UAE is primarily dominated by two major players: e& by Etisalat and du, both of which are state-owned or partially state-owned entities. These providers offer a wide range of services, including broadband, mobile data and enterprise solutions across the country. The UAE boasts some of the fastest internet speeds in the region, driven by substantial investment in infrastructure.
Annual Prepaid Plans:
Both du and e& offer annual plans prepaid plans at substantial discount when paid up front. Du markets these plans as Flexi Prepaid and while e& calls them Wasel Flexi. Plans offered by both providers typically come with benefits such as:
- Unlimited calls to one number on the same network.
- Access to internet calling providers whitelisted by the provider.
While cost of plans by both providers are fairly similar, there are certain differences and limitations with each provider that you should take into consideration, such as:
- e& gives you the option to pay monthly, quarterly, and yearly, while you're limited to monthly and yearly payments with du.
- e& plans start from 1GB local data and 30 minutes of Flexi (local and international) minutes, while du starts with 2GB of local data and 30 Flexi Minutes.
- du allows for Flexi minutes as high as 120 on its annual plans, while e& only allows increase minutes on its monthly plans.
- du offers 50GB extra data for free for one year.
- du offers free special numbers on its yearly plans.
There are also some minor differences in pricing and services. Check out the online tools from du and e& or their app to see which option best fits your needs.
Postpaid Plans (Basic):
These are the most basic plans available in the postpaid market, covering essential needs like data and calls. Unlike prepaid plans, postpaid options allow you to purchase phones directly from du or e& and pay in monthly installments. Note that 5% VAT is commonly not included in the price of postpaid plans.
du: Postpaid plans start from AED 125, offering 4GB of local data and 100 Flexi minutes.
e&: Postpaid plans start from AED 100, offering 2GB of local data and 100 Flexi minutes.
At AED 125, e& offers the same benefits as du, but also comes with Smiles Unlimited subscription.
When it comes to basic postpaid plans, e& has the edge over du. But if you're looking at this price range, du’s Flexi Prepaid plan is a solid deal. For AED 49.50 a month (paid upfront at AED 643.50 for the year), you get 4GB of data, 90 Flexi minutes, and unlimited calls to one du number. A great value for the money.
Postpaid Plans (Intermediate):
In this price range, mobile plans become far more competitive, with plenty of options available. While it’s not possible to cover every plan in detail, here are some important factors to consider before making a decision:
- Introductory offers. Promotions are often heavily advertised, but once the introductory period ends, you’ll either be charged the full price or face penalties if you downgrade before your contract is over.
- Unlimited data doesn’t always mean unlimited speed. Many plans place speed caps, typically at 3 Mbps or 10 Mbps. Plans capped at 3 Mbps are not recommended.
- Pay close attention to the “free international calls to one country” benefit. Some plans include unlimited calls to a single country, but the list of eligible destinations varies. With e&, this benefit covers most countries worldwide, while du limits it to 34 countries. Keep in mind, however, that both providers allow you to call almost anywhere using your Flexi minutes; this restriction applies only to the "free international calls to one country" benefit.
Partner Benefits:
The two providers structure their benefits a bit differently:
- du partners with several popular streaming platforms, including Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Shahid VIP. Plans that include these perks typically provide 12 months of free access, but the subscriptions are not renewed for free after that period.
- With e&, most plans include Smiles Unlimited, while higher-tier plans add six months of STARZPLAY or STARZPLAY Ultimate. In addition, some plans come with complimentary themed data packs. For example, the Music Pack includes a free Anghami subscription along with 10 GB of data that can be used across apps like Anghami, JioSaavn, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, and Gaana.
Postpaid Plans (High End):
At the highest end, du seems to offer the best bang for the buck, it's best to check all offers on a web browser, not on the app, like a good millennial, as some offers do not show on the app:
- Introductory offers. Both du and e& have introductory offers، but the offers vary from plan to plan. du also partners with Fazaa and Esaad for a longer promotion period of up to a year, but always check the base rate without these discount programs and compare.
- Special Number: these plans tend to come with special phone numbers. If that matters to you, check both providers for the best phone number available.
Partner Benefits:
The two providers structure their benefits a bit differently:
- du partners with several popular streaming platforms, including Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Shahid VIP. Plans that include these perks typically provide 12 months of free access, but the subscriptions are not renewed for free after that period.
- With e&, most plans include Smiles Unlimited, while higher-tier plans add six months of STARZPLAY or STARZPLAY Ultimate. In addition, some plans come with complimentary themed data packs. For example, the Music Pack includes a free Anghami subscription along with 10 GB of data that can be used across apps like Anghami, JioSaavn, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, and Gaana.
My Take
Phone plans provided by the ISPs in the UAE are generally fairly similar in the long term. What distinguishes them mostly comes down to the introductory offers. Other than that, things to look out for are:
- Check coverage: Make sure you get a good reception where you spend most of your time (generally a non-issue in the UAE but always good to check).
- Unlimited Call to One Country: This list may not include the country you intent to use the offer for.
- Partner Benefits: Only valid for one year, but it's best to choose a plan that gives access to say a streaming service that you actually intent to use.
Credit Cards:
- ADIB Cashback Card: Offers 4% cashback on multiple categories of payment, including Telecom.
- FAB Du Cashback Card: offers 15% cashback in FAB reward points on du purchases, including phones purchased from du.
- CBD Smiles Credit card: Offers equivalent to 10% back in value when redeemed with Smiles branded services, such as e& itself.
