Hi all - I am moving overseas to the UAE next month. What is the best prepaid SIM for retaining my number. Importantly, I would need simple/cheap (eg $5/day) should I need to send/receive messages/calls from the number.
Thanks
Moving overseas (UAE) - best Aus prepaid SIM for keeping number + roaming?
Seakip on 19/08/2021 - 14:46
Comments
Video isn't too bad
When I was living as an expat kid in Pakistan (early 2000s), I visited Dubai to see some family friends.
I was just a kid but even then I could see it was a soulless, materialistic hellhole. I actually couldn't wait to get back to Islamabad so that I could stop seeing all thoes rich emiratis drive like shit in their high performance cars and being supercilious dicks in public.
Vodafone $5 roaming not available in the UAE
Fine if you just want to receive SMS, but not if you need to send SMS or make / take any calls
how did you manage to get out of the country?
He's moving overseas.
by plane most likely
Etisalat?
Sorry to clarify I am looking for an Australian carrier that will let me roam cheaply overseas on an ad-hoc (by day when needed) basis to retain my Aus number
aldi 365 sim. cost about 15 from memory. I use it to receive SMS for banking etc
aldimobile
People are leaving the UAE (and ME) in droves. It's lost it's luster and appeal years ago. What's making you move there today?
The answer to your question is probably those 365 day expiry ones and get someone to grab another for you later on. Otherwise you can get $10/month prepaid ones and keep it going perpetually. I did that for my UK number.
It's lost it's luster and appeal years ago
It never had it since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Back then, the desert on which it was built was more appealing.
There is no income tax nor CGT in the UAE. Sun, sand, beach, friendly people, nice food and zero taxes. All good reasons to move there.
This is a common misconception. While there's indeed no direct taxes, there are hefty expenses tacked on to everything you do disguised as hidden taxes.
Every bill has service charges and add-ons added to it which is a tax by another name. Every application you do is a way to draw money from you with fees upon fees added on. There's also a 5% VAT sales tax now.
Added to that, rental rates have shot through the roof, schooling costs & utility bills are astronomical while salaries have plummeted since the hey day gold rush of the 2000's. Daily restrictions abound everywhere and getting worse.
It's not the haven it once was.
On top of that they can set your visa fees as they feel like they like you. We entered the UAE on a first time used credit card and got blocked from boarding the plane upon trying to leave. Once we allowed them to register previously used credit cards we were fine. Speaking about friendly people!
More like unbearably hot, tacky, soulless all the while be dictated by racist Emiratis that can do whatever they please without any regard for anybody else. Worst place I’ve ever been too.
You have answers for your question from others here.
I'm curious why you want to move to the UAE? I had lived there for more than a decade and I would never want to go back and live there. If you are gonna be earning a like AED 35K+ per month without slogging your life away then I guess the place could be fun. Or if this is a just for a few years to make some money and get back then I can understand that as well.
I have an Optus post paid plan called Optus One, it is supposed to be $119 per month but is discounted quite often. The Plan name is $119 Optus One, it is month to month, monthly data 500 GB, the 500 GB data in Australia can be shared with other data only sims on the same account. Calls & texts in Australia unlimited, roaming overseas every day the is included in the price with a 10 GB per month roaming data limit. Unlimited calls and SMS to Zone 1 areas are included (you would need to look it up on the Opus website but zone 1 covers many, many countries) . With a special offer received I am only paying around $60 a month for this plan and can cancel at any time. I had a quick look and cant see it on the Optus website and looks like there might have been a plan name change in June but maybe you could email them - [email protected] - and see if there are any similar plans. I really like this package as you don't need to buy roaming packs etc and it works well. I just copied plan details - see below
Minimum monthly charge
Minimum term one month $119/mth
Monthly data to share
for use in Australia 500GB
Standard national talk & text Unlimited
Standard international talk & text
to 35 Selected Destinations from Australia Unlimited
Standard roaming calls and SMS for use while overseas
in Zone 1 destinations (subject to change) Unlimited
Roaming data for use while overseas
in Zone 1 destinations (subject to change) 10GB
Cancellation fees
There are no plan cancellation fees. If applicable, you’ll need to
pay out any remaining device payments in full and all charges
incurred up to the end of the bill cycle in which the service was
cancelled.
Eligibility$60*12 = $720
I know it seems expensive, but if you spend a lot of time outside of Australia it is worthwhile and has lots of data for when in Australia (not that there has been much travel for a while) For me it works well because I am outside Australia and no need for local sim card and can call Australia as many times I want, for as long as I like. This plan is definitely more suited to people who will be out of Australia for an extended time.
I have been out of Australia for the last 2 years.
Cheapest is hosting your number with a Voip provider they can then forward txt messages to email, what's app, line
Another option just for calls is voice over wifi, use you existing plan and just use wifi to make calls. You are then just charged the local rate instead of international rates.
For txt messages you can use any provider. I use to use Twillio and made my own program to respond though line.
I host mine with a Voip provider, txt are routed to my email. I then get voip rates using my mobile number.
$10 month plus calls you use.
Can you speak Arabic? Just curious
I (profanity) hate that country and I hope I never get sent there again. Here's why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SacQ2YdVOyk&ab_channel=AdamS…
I use Vodafone btw because Vodafone is everywhere in the world.