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United Arab Emirates +971

International code · Asia

How to dial

Calling from abroad +971 50 123 4567

Dial +971, then the local number. Drop the leading trunk prefix 0. Generate the full number →

Calling a mobile locally 050 123 4567

For domestic long distance dial 0 first, then the area code. Local calls: dial directly. Mobiles are dialled with the leading 0 as well.

Mobile length
9 digits
Mobile prefixes
5X XXX XXXX
International format
+971 5X XXX XXXX
Domestic trunk
0

Sign-up availability

What to expect when signing up for these services with a physical SIM from this country:

ChatGPT Works
Claude Works
WhatsApp Partly limited
Telegram Works
LINE Works
WeChat Works
X Works
TikTok Works
Gemini Works

Applies to every platform: VoIP / virtual numbers and heavily-reused number pools get rejected. Physical SIM only.

Checked 2026-09-12. Platform region policies and number-range allocations change — always confirm against each platform’s official supported-regions list and the carrier’s notices.
2 sources
help.openai.com/articles/7947663support.google.com/gemini?p=gemini_web_availability

How to read a number

+971501234567

+971Country code
United Arab Emirates.
50Mobile prefix
The national part of a UAE mobile number is 9 digits, and the prefix is one of 50, 52, 54, 55, 56 or 58. Written nationally as 050…; that leading 0 is the trunk prefix and is dropped when dialling from abroad.
1234567Remaining 7 digits
The subscriber number. All six prefixes can be ported in either direction between e& and du, so the digits do not tell you which operator the SIM is on now.

Written nationally as 050 123 4567. Also worth knowing: UAE networks block most internet voice calling (WhatsApp voice and video among others) — see "Sign-up availability" and "SIM cards & keeping a number" on this page.

This section checked 2026-09-17.
2 sources
tdra.gov.ae/en/consumer-tool-hub/topics/porting-numberswww.du.ae/about/media-centre/newsdetail/du-ready-to-receive-porting-requests-for-MNP

Number ranges & quality

RangeTypeNotes
050 / 052 / 054 / 055 / 056 / 058 Mobile carrier UAE mobile ranges (Etisalat / du).
Intl SMSStable
Virtual-number riskMedium
ID requiredRegistration required: foreigners need a valid passport plus a valid UAE visa or residence (TDRA registration policy); long-term lines need an Emirates ID. VoIP services are regulated.

The UAE blocks VoIP: WhatsApp text and images work, but voice and video calls are blocked on local networks (you need a licensed app such as Botim instead). Signing up itself is fine.

Carriers & prefixes

Mobile prefixes by carrier.

Number portability applies — a prefix only shows the original carrier.

Porting rules in full

Porting is available: all six mobile prefixes — 050, 052, 054, 055, 056 and 058 — can move in either direction between e& and du, on both prepaid and postpaid. There is no porting fee for the customer and it normally takes about 3 working days. The operator you are moving to handles the process; your old SIM keeps working until the new one is activated, so the number never goes dead in between, and you can port back to the old operator within 3 working days. The one thing to watch: any prepaid balance or allowance is lost when you port, so use it up first. And because all six prefixes move both ways, the prefix tells you nothing about the current operator — which is why this site does not publish a "which prefix belongs to which operator" table for the UAE.

Network-experience stars are derived from the awards each operator won in the Opensignal report of 2026-03 (data collected Oct 01 - Dec 29, 2025): the most-awarded operator gets 5 stars, the rest proportionally, with a shared award counting as half. They reflect network testing only — not prices or customer service. Test report →

  • etisalat by e& Mobile carrierVeteran
    launched 1982 — the Middle East’s first mobile network
    Network experience★★★★★🏆 Best Network Strongest in: video, games, download speed, upload speed (12 in total)

    One of the two main UAE operators, state-controlled. The parent company renamed itself e& in 2022 and the consumer brand is now written "etisalat by e&" — this is the Etisalat older guides refer to.

  • du Mobile carrier
    launched 2007
    Network experience★☆☆☆☆ Strongest in: availability

    Operated by Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC).

  • Virgin Mobile MVNONewcomer
    Host network: du
    launched 2017 — du’s second brand

    An MVNO on du’s network — in fact a business unit inside EITC, du’s parent. Its selling point is that everything is done in the app: picking a plan, activating the SIM, checking usage, with no store visit. eSIM is supported.

This section checked 2026-09-17.
7 sources
tdra.gov.ae/en/consumer-tool-hub/topics/porting-numberswww.du.ae/about/media-centre/newsdetail/du-ready-to-receive-porting-requests-for-MNPwww.etisalat.ae/en/c/mobile/switch-to-etisalat-mobile.htmlwww.virginmobile.ae/about-uswww.eand.ae/en/c/etisalat-corporation.htmlwww.du.ae/about/media-centre/newsdetail/du-the-UAE-s-New-Telecom-Operator-Announces-Price-Structure-www.virginmobile.ae/blog/virgin-mobile-uae-celebrates-five-years-on-earth

SIM cards & keeping a number

UAE SIMs must be registered. The regulator’s registration policy (TRA, now TDRA) requires foreigners to present a valid passport plus a valid UAE visa or residence permit; if ID lapses without renewal, the line is first suspended (incoming calls and SMS only), then deactivated.

Read more

Visitors can’t get a SIM suited to long-term keeping: • e&’s Visitor Line is valid for the same period as the entry visa, up to 90 days; switching to the long-term Wasel prepaid line needs an Emirates ID; • du’s Tourist Plan is described as valid for 90 days from activation and renewable via *135# (the page loads via script — per search excerpts). Most VoIP calling (e.g. WhatsApp voice/video) is also blocked on local networks — see “Sign-up availability”.

e& Visitor Line

Travel SIM
Network
e& (formerly Etisalat) own network (MNO)
Price
Packs from 24 hours to 28 days — check official prices
Keeping the number
e&: the Visitor Line is valid for the visa validity on arrival, up to 90 days; for long-term use, bring an Emirates ID to a store and migrate to Wasel Prepaid or postpaid. Wasel Prepaid terms: 90 consecutive days without a recharge, voice call or SMS (e& promotional SMS excluded) temporarily suspends the service; the number is kept for 1 year after suspension and service resumes automatically on recharge or use within that year — this doesn’t apply to Visitor Lines
ID check
Regulatory policy: valid passport plus a valid UAE visa or residence; Wasel Prepaid needs an Emirates ID
SMS & calls
A normal UAE number. e& standard roaming rates: incoming SMS are free worldwide while roaming (China included), Visitor Lines too

Pros

  • Incoming SMS free while roaming (official)
  • Available at airports and stores

Watch out

  • Validity follows the visa, 90 days max — not for long-term keeping
  • Long-term lines need an Emirates ID, which visitors don’t have
  • VoIP calls are blocked

Where to buy: eand.ae

5 sources
www.eand.ae/en/c/support/mobile/prepaid/visitor-line/overview-and-benefits.htmlwww.eand.ae/en/sas/mobile/plans/terms-and-conditions/wasel-prepaid-line.htmlwww.eand.ae/en/c/mobile/standard-roaming-rates.htmltdra.gov.ae/-/media/About/regulations-and-ruling/EN/Registration-Requirements-for-Mobile-Consumers-Policy-pdf.ashxwww.du.ae/personal/mobile/prepaid-plans/tourist-sim

From user and blogger reports; platform risk rules change often — treat as a guide only. This section checked 2026-09-15.

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