e& and du roaming: what it costs abroad and how to pay less
The postpaid roaming packs of e& and du, read on their official websites, compared with a travel eSIM for India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.
Before every trip home or away, the same question: do I add a roaming pack from e& or du, or take something else? The answer depends on your carrier more than on the destination. du's weekly data bundles are genuinely cheap, and for a week away they are hard to beat. e&'s packs give much less data for the money, and that is where a travel eSIM usually wins.
We read the prices on the official e& and du websites on 22 September 2026. Offers change often, so check before you fly.
What to know first
- These are postpaid add-ons. du's prepaid list is different from its postpaid one, and we did not compare it here. On prepaid, check the prices for your line with your carrier.
- For e&, we could only read the country list of the Weekly Combo Pack. It covers India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. The other e& packs are probably valid in the same countries, but check with e& before you buy.
- Some e& packs carry extra promotional data until 9 October 2026. The tables in these guides show the standard allowance, not the promotion.
- du's postpaid bundles were the same for all seven countries we checked.
The packs, in short
e&
- Daily: Roaming Daily Data, 500 MB for 35 AED a day. Roaming Daily Combo, 1 GB and 15 minutes for 60 AED a day.
- Weekly: Roaming Weekly Combo Pack, 2.5 GB and 500 minutes for 250 AED over 7 days.
- Monthly: Economy Class, 2 GB and 60 minutes for 350 AED. Business Class, 5 GB and 500 minutes for 600 AED. First Class, 10 GB and 1,000 minutes for 1,000 AED. All three last 30 days.
- Saudi Arabia only: GCC Roaming 3-Day Pack, 5 GB for 100 AED. GCC Roaming 10-Day Pack, 15 GB for 200 AED. Umrah Pack, 15 GB and 650 minutes for 150 AED over 7 days.
du
- Daily: 500 MB for 35 AED a day.
- Weekly: 5 GB for 70 AED, 10 GB for 100 AED, or unlimited data for 200 AED, each over 7 days.
- Long: 30 GB for 500 AED over 60 days, 50 GB for 1,200 AED over a year.
- Saudi Arabia only: Umrah and GCC data bundle, 10 GB for 99 AED over 3 days. GCC data bundle, unlimited data for 199 AED over 10 days.
Compare for your destination
Destination by destination
When the eSIM wins
- On e&: outside Saudi Arabia, the most data an e& pack gives is 10 GB for 1,000 AED a month. For a normal trip with maps, photos and video calls home, an eSIM usually costs less.
- Trips longer than a week on du: the cheap bundles last 7 days, so a three-week stay means buying them again and again, or paying 500 AED for the 30 GB bundle.
- To keep your UAE line clean: your number stays in the phone for calls and bank codes, with no roaming add-on on your bill.
Quick answers
Is du or e& cheaper for roaming?
On the postpaid packs we read, du, by a wide margin: 10 GB for 100 AED over 7 days, against 2.5 GB for 250 AED on e&'s Weekly Combo Pack. e& packs include minutes, du's data bundles do not.
Can I use e& or du roaming packs on prepaid?
The prices in these guides are postpaid add-ons. du's prepaid list is different, so check the prices for your own line in the e& or du app before you travel.
Does a travel eSIM replace my UAE number?
No. Your UAE line stays in the phone for calls and SMS, and the eSIM handles the internet abroad.
Sources: official e& and du websites, checked on 22 September 2026.