Dubai tourists to be given free Sim cards on arrival

Travellers visiting the Emirate get free pre-loaded Sim cards at Dubai airport

Travellers are to be given sim cards on arrival into Dubai in new initiative. Getty Images 

Tourists visiting Dubai no longer need to worry about expensive roaming charges or finding Wi-Fi as all travellers visiting the emirate will now be given a free Sim card.

Every tourist over the age of 18 will get a free Du Sim pack from officers at passport control desks in Dubai International Airport.

The pre-paid Sim cards come with three flexi-minutes of talk time and 20 MB of mobile data valid for three days. The new initiative is part of a happiness project by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs in collaboration with mobile network, Du.

Travellers can then top-up their Sims with three different packages depending on visit duration and usage. Recharge rates range from Dh25 for 10 minutes talk time and 150 MB of data valid for three days, to Dh110 for 40 minutes talk time and 2GB of data valid for two weeks.

Immigration officers will hand Sim packs to travellers arriving in Dubai on tourist visas, visa on arrival and even to those on transit visas. GCC citizens will also be offered a complimentary tourism Sim pack.

All Sim card details will be linked to passengers’ travel information and the project will run across all three terminals at DXB.

Over 10,000 cards have already been handed out to passengers at DXB. Travellers receiving the tourist Sim pack can dial *122# to activate the card after inserting it into their phone.

“The project aims to contribute to the achievement of Dubai happiness agenda, which is being implemented by Dubai Smart, and to make Dubai visitors experience a smooth and enjoyable experience during their visit to the city,” said Major General Al Marri at press conference on Sunday for the initiative.