I’ve been to a lot of places, but Egypt is up there for the worst when it comes to WiFi. It is hugely unreliable, and even if you’re lucky enough to have WiFi in your accommodation, the chances are it won’t run smoothly.
During this stay, the WiFi in our apartment has not been great, which is putting it mildly. So, for any video calls, I have been using my mobile data, as it’s much more reliable.
This is my second time to Dahab, and the internet infrastructure has not really improved since I was here two years ago.
The WiFi is also metered, so it is not fully unlimited like most of us are accustomed to. This means that your internet will run incredibly slow when you’ve reached a certain point, and you’ll need to top up (or get your landlord to top-up, which also takes time).
You absolutely won’t be able to rely exclusively on WiFi here, so choosing a sim card becomes more of an important decision than it normally might.
So, what are your options for a sim card in Dahab? This Egyptian town is a good time, and super popular with freedivers and scuba divers. Compared to a lot of Egypt, Dahab is a bit more mellow (though still slightly crazy, riding a bicycle is an interesting experience to say the least), and it was nice to be back.
With all of that in mind, let’s get to the main subject of this post, and that is, where is the best place to get a sim card in Dahab?
eSIM option:
This blog has turned into a bit of a sim card crazy place recently, and any returning visitors will know that these days, I am firmly on the eSIM train. I use Airalo, but sadly in Egypt, their rates are not the best.
So, what I did, was to purchase a couple of Egyptian data GB’s before I landed (I paid $12.50 for 2 GB), so that I could ensure that I was covered upon arrival.
And going forward, in places where data is more expensive on Airalo, I will then look to buy physical sim cards in the centre of the place I am travelling, rather than at the airport. I will continue to add at least a GB or 2 before I fly though, as I like that having this eSIM data gives me a bit of flexibility.
If you want to make sure you’re covered when you land, you can get $3 off your first Airalo eSIM card by clicking this link here, or using this code: DAVID8186
Physical Sim Card option:
The WiFi may be slow, but the good news is, in Dahab, there are plenty of places to get your hands on a local sim card.
Here I will detail the four main (official) spots that sell tourist sim cards, and the prices on offer. To clarify, when I use the term ‘official’ I mean shops that are linked to the parent business, and only sell sim cards of that particular company.
The good news is, three of the four are all bunched together, so you won’t have to walk around too much before you have data galore. The other one is a five/ten-minute walk from the others. Here is the location for Etisalat. Find that, and We Mobile is literally next door, and Orange maybe 50 metres away.
Reminder: You WILL need your passport when purchasing a physical sim card, and the whole process takes around 15 minutes.
Etisalat:
Full disclosure, I went with Etisalat. No particular reason why, and I might have gone for the Orange deal if I went to every place before buying (teaser for you to continue reading).
The coverage has been overall very, very good. And in addition, I’ve had no issues using the data for the aforementioned video calls I sometimes need to make. There has only been one spot where I struggle for signal, and that is near and in Mirage restaurant. It’s still there, but barely, and messages sometimes struggle to be received and sent by yours truly. Besides that, though, I get 4G in most places around Dahab.
So, I have no issues in recommending Etisalat if you decide to purchase this sim card.
Here is what it costs to get an Etisalat sim card, and they do a nice double up data offer on your first purchase.
Orange:
I’d already purchased my Etisalat sim card before checking out Orange, and as mentioned if I had done, I probably would have gone for this option. For 300 EGP (all prices correct at the time of writing), you get a massive 31 GB, which will cover you for a while, even if you do need to hotspot your data frequently.
They didn’t have a list of the prices to hand, so I am not sure on smaller packages and how much they cost, but when I mentioned tourist sim card, this is what he showed me.
I can’t comment too much on signal strength etc, but a friend of ours went for this option, and he hasn’t mentioned any issues to date. And when you get so many GB for such a good price (£7.70, €9, $9.73 at the time of writing), it feels like a no-brainer.
We:
This network wasn’t as familiar to me, but here is what they offer. Their data is a bit more expensive than the options I’ve highlighted above, but I do like that they offer International calls in their packages. This doesn’t suit me, but could be useful for many of you.
Here’s their list of prices:
Where can I find these shops?
As mentioned, three of the four ‘official’ shops are within a minute of each other, with Etisalat and We being next door neighbours! You will find these on the main road of Dahab (Peace Road), and they’re a minute away from the bus stop, if that how you came into the town.
Vodafone is near the main Dahab market area, and easily searchable via Google maps, or here.
Vodafone:
Okay, full disclosure, I didn’t actually make it to Vodafone, so can’t comment on their prices. I wanted to, but got super sick during my last week in Dahab, and didn’t make it. If anyone knows what their Tourist sim cards cost, please feel free to leave the information in the comments section.
Conclusion:
As mentioned, I used Etisalat, and I was very happy with the service. And despite having to hot spot a lot due to the shitty WiFi, 16 GB lasted me nearly two weeks.
Orange seems to be the best value for money overall though if you’re just looking for data and GB, so if I were to come back, and prices hadn’t changed dramatically, I think that would be my choice.
What I did, was get an eSIM to cover me for a day or two, and then when you’re settled, get the physical sim card, as the rates are much cheaper on the ground.
Reminder, if you want $3 off your first eSIM with Airalo, you can get it by clicking here, or by using this code: DAVID8186 .
Any questions, as per, just leave a comment, or drop me a message, and I will be happy to help!
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