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Across the Middle East, a regional eSIM covering thirteen countries handles data well: prices sit below the global median and Gulf networks are fast. The limit is calling. In the United Arab Emirates, WhatsApp and FaceTime calls can be blocked on mobile networks, and no eSIM, local SIM or bigger plan changes that.
Key takeaways
- Simsima's Middle East and North Africa plan covers thirteen countries, from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt to Jordan, Israel, Iraq and the Gulf; the plan details show the current list
- Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, Yemen and Iran are not on it in October 2026, and Algeria sits on the Africa plan
- Data costs around $2.16 per GB at the regional median against $3.11 worldwide (Simsima eSIM Price Index, 3 September 2026)
- In the UAE, calling apps outside the regulator's approved list, WhatsApp and FaceTime among them, can be blocked; in Saudi Arabia, WhatsApp and FaceTime calls work
- Egypt keeps tourists' phones exempt from its import fee for 90 days (NTRA, January 2026)
Thirteen countries from Morocco to the Gulf, and the gaps
Simsima's plan for this region is a Middle East and North Africa plan. It covers Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt in North Africa; Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the Levant; Iraq; and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the Gulf. Check the plan details for the list in force when you buy.
Lebanon and Turkey, both common additions to a Levant trip, are not on it, and neither is Algeria, which belongs to Simsima's Africa plan. Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories are all covered, so crossing at the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge or between Aqaba and Eilat needs nothing new on your phone.
Because Egypt is on this plan as well as the Africa one, an Egypt and Jordan trip, or Morocco with a Gulf stopover, fits on a single profile here.
WhatsApp and FaceTime calls: the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
The rule that surprises most visitors is in the UAE. The regulator, TDRA, keeps a list of approved internet calling apps, and operators are required to block traffic from the others. In 2022 that list included Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet but not WhatsApp or FaceTime, as Khaleej Times reported, along with TDRA's warning that using an unapproved service may be a criminal offense. Messages, photos and files go through normally; voice and video calls in those apps can fail.
The block sits on the network, so switching eSIM, buying a local SIM or paying for a bigger plan changes nothing. Saudi Arabia is different: WhatsApp and FaceTime calls work on Saudi networks. In Egypt, app calls have a history of being unreliable on mobile data. For other countries, check the current position before relying on app calls, and keep your home line for calls that matter, at your operator's roaming rates, since a travel eSIM carries data only.
Below the global median: data prices and 5G in the Gulf
On the 3 September 2026 snapshot of the Simsima eSIM Price Index, the regional median was around $2.16 per gigabyte against $3.11 worldwide. Israel sat near $1.07 and most Gulf states around $2, while the Palestinian Territories were the outlier near $8.31.
Gulf networks are fast. In nPerf's 2026 barometer for the UAE, covering April 2025 to March 2026, e& recorded a download speed of 117 Mbps across all technologies and du 90 Mbps. Whether a travel eSIM reaches 5G depends on the plan, your phone and the local network.
whether a travel eSIM gets 5G abroad — the three conditions that all have to hold
Cairo, Petra and a Dubai stopover in two weeks
A common two-week trip spends three days in Cairo and Giza, flies to Luxor for a Nile cruise to Aswan, then flies to Amman for Jerash, the Dead Sea, two days at Petra and a night in a Wadi Rum camp, before two days in Dubai on the way home. Egypt, Jordan and the UAE are all on the plan, so one profile covers the whole route.
Signal is strong in Cairo, Amman, Aqaba and Dubai. On the Nile, data comes from towers ashore and is best when the boat moors at Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo or Aswan, while Petra's canyons and parts of Wadi Rum are patchy. About 8 to 10 GB covers the trip; save cruise, museum and flight details offline before the river and desert days.
For the Jordan leg, the Jordan Pass, bought online before arrival, includes Petra entry and waives the tourist visa fee for stays of at least two nights.
Rules at the counter: Egypt's 90 days and passport checks
Egypt charges a fee on phones brought into the country, but the regulator NTRA confirmed in January 2026 that tourists' phones stay exempt for 90 days. Past that, the phone has to be regularized, with the fee payable through the Telephony app.
Local SIMs across the region are sold against a passport. Jordan's operators register each tourist line to your passport at the counter, e& in the UAE asks for a valid passport and visa for its Visitor Line, and Saudi counters run identity checks that can include fingerprints. A travel eSIM is bought online and needs none of this.
Living in the Gulf and traveling out
Much of the demand in this region runs the other way: residents of Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait who travel abroad often and want an alternative to their operator's roaming rates. For them, the plan to buy is the one for the destination, installed at home on Wi-Fi before departure. It activates on arrival, and the home line stays in the phone for calls and SMS at the operator's roaming rates.
travel eSIM against carrier roaming, side by side — including the two cases where roaming still wins
What to check before relying on an eSIM in the region
- Data only: no local number, so drivers and hotels reach you through WhatsApp messages or your home line
- App calls can fail in the UAE whatever the plan
- Desert routes, Wadi Rum and border areas have thinner coverage than the cities
- Ramadan and public holidays change shop hours, which matters if you planned to buy a local SIM on arrival
- Phones bought on contract may still be carrier-locked: check before you fly, along with eSIM support
Simsima recommendation
Data across the Middle East on one plan
Simsima regional plans cover multi-country travel through the region on a single profile.
Or choose another country
Frequently asked questions
It carries data only, so there is no local number, and in the UAE it cannot make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls work where the network blocks them. Coverage thins in the desert, and your phone must be compatible and unlocked.
Travel eSIMs are prepaid and paid for upfront. With Simsima, an eSIM that has not been activated can be refunded within 14 days, which covers a change of plans before the trip.
Messaging works across the region. Calls depend on the country: they work in Saudi Arabia, can be blocked in the UAE and have a record of being unreliable in Egypt. Check the rule for each country on your route.
Yes, with the Middle East and North Africa plan, which lists Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. A Jordan-only or Israel-only plan stops working at the border.
Not for a stay of up to 90 days: NTRA keeps tourists' phones exempt from the import fee for that period. The rule concerns the phone itself, whichever SIM or eSIM you use.
No. Neither is on Simsima's Middle East and North Africa plan in October 2026, so a trip that adds Istanbul or Beirut needs a separate plan for that country.
#Travel eSIM#Middle East#Regional plans#Guide
Dimitri MorvanFounder
Founder of Simsima. A passionate traveler based in Barcelona, he helps travelers stay connected without breaking the bank on roaming fees.
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