Citizens, workers and visitors alike are subjected to Etisalat and Du’s attempted monopoly on VoIP services, and without a VPN you’ll be unable to use WhatsApp or FaceTime to make calls. Bagging a VPN in Dubai works out much cheaper than signing up to a plan with one of these providers. Most social media is also limited in some way, plus you’ll need a VPN to unblock any streaming or sports subscriptions you pay for back home. So, a UAE VPN is pretty much essential for anyone who steps foot inside the country. Note: For travellers, we strongly recommend installing a Dubai VPN before you leave home, as they may not be available to download when you’re in the country.
What makes the best UAE VPN?
A Dubai VPN should be well-rounded due to the wide range of uses in the country. For users looking to access VoIP services and avoid network restrictions, obfuscated servers that mask VPN usage will be essential. This is because if you’re detected using a VPN, you still won’t get access to the apps or sites you want. The UAE also has a track record of blocking various sites with little notice, so having a VPN with a good history of being able to access restricted content is also essential. A robust support network is also invaluable in the case that something doesn’t work as it should. As always, privacy should be a priority. Staying anonymous is of utmost importance due to the government’s strong opposition to VPNs, so quality encryption, zero-logging policies and a choice of protocols are signs of VPNs that take privacy seriously. At the top of our list is ExpressVPN. Widely regarded as the best UAE VPN for Dubai and the rest of the country, its stealthy servers, great speeds and excellent support mean it’s a reliable way of accessing restricted content. However, there are a number of other options, so scroll on to find out which UAE VPN is best for you.
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The five best UAE VPNs you can get today
From delivering excellent connection speeds worldwide to the power to evade VPN-blocking technology, ExpressVPN is an all-round package that delivers on every front – and because of that, we rate it the top VPN for Dubai and the UAE. Express provides excellent privacy, with AES-256 encryption, a selection of protocols to choose from, plus IPv6 leak protection and a kill switch. However, just keeping the apps on their automatic settings will provide the perfect combination of speed and security. A UAE VPN also needs great support as restrictions seem to be constantly changing, and Express has perfected it. You’ll be able to talk to a real person 24/7 – they usually reply in a matter of seconds – and ask them any question you want about the service. If your connection isn’t working you should be able to get help, and Express also has a dedicated UAE page on its support site. What really puts ExpressVPN above the competition, though, is how it combines these premium features and presents it all in a genuinely simple and easy-to-use package. The apps are totally plug and play, and even newbies can get protected in seconds – plus a 30-day money-back guarantee means you can test the service for free to make sure it works. If we had to find a fault, it’d be that Express only offers five simultaneous connections – meaning you’ll only be able to use the VPN on five devices at a time. However, that should be more than enough for most people, and it’s a sacrifice we’d be willing to make to get the very best UAE VPN on the market. There’s a reason why our NordVPN review ranked the service so highly, and just one of the big name’s strengths is its power as a UAE VPN. Nord’s security-focused approach pays dividends when it comes to staying safe in Dubai and the UAE, and its excellent encryption ensures your browsing stays truly private. Alongside that are options like DNS leak protection, two kill switches and Onion over VPN, which all combine to create a seriously solid security solution. It’s not all work and no play with Nord, though, as it has great streaming power. You’ll be able to unblock Netflix, iPlayer and more, plus other sites restricted by Etisalat and Du. Great connection speeds mean that you won’t be waiting around, and apps for pretty much every device allow you to stay protected wherever you are. However, one of the few downsides is the design of the mobile apps. They retain the map-based interface from the desktop clients, but on smaller screens this doesn’t work quite as well. This is a very minor issue, though, and one unlikely to cause any real problems. Although not quite as well-rounded as ExpressVPN, NordVPN provides an excellent UAE VPN service that we highly recommend. For many, Surfshark could provide the perfect UAE VPN experience – it’s cheap, simple, and gets the job done. While you won’t have quite as many in-depth features of Express or Nord, you’ll still have good security and great speeds to browse day-to-day – read our Surfshark review for more. Surfshark isn’t weak by any means, and with AES-256 encryption, Double Hop and split tunnelling it actually offers a number of privacy features you wouldn’t expect at this price-point – great for staying anonymous if you want to browse restricted sites. For those looking to stream, Surfshark’s also got you covered, and you’ll be able to access Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu and more. In fact, Surfshark’s a better streaming VPN than many more expensive rivals. Rounded off with simple, attractive apps, that’s pretty much all you need to know about Surfshark – it’s fully-featured, great for streaming and will keep you secure online. It might not be a super-configurable powerhouse, but many users don’t need that. And, for less than $2.50 a month, we’re not complaining. Proton VPN has improved a ton since our last Proton VPN review, and now the Swiss privacy experts are contending with the best in the business. A good UAE VPN should have its users’ privacy at its heart, and that’s exactly what Proton VPN does. With open-source apps, a verified zero-logging policy and powerful features like its rock-solid Secure Core servers and Tor over VPN, whatever you need to do, Proton does its best to keep you anonymous. What’s more, Proton VPN is actually one of the few VPNs to have servers within the UAE. The company recommends connecting to these servers with the Secure Core feature (first routing you through a super secure server before connecting to the less secure UAE server), and that means that you can do all your day-to-day browsing in private with your VPN connected. One downside is the fact that Proton’s live chat isn’t 24/7, meaning that you may have to wait around if something goes wrong. However, that’s a small complaint – and if having the most private VPN is your prime objective, Proton VPN will be perfect. While it’s a smaller provider, in our VyprVPN review we found that it worked well in a number of different situations – and one of them is as a UAE VPN. Like all the VPNs on this page but very few others, VyprVPN clearly states its ability to access restricted content. This commitment to help those in the UAE avoid censorship is a good sign, and means it should be diligent when maintaining the service. What’s more, Vypr is also a great China VPN, a country which similarly restricts its citizens’ internet access. VyprVPN prioritises its users’ security, and has been verified as a zero-logging VPN – that means the service never collects any data that can identify users, which is important for personal privacy online. You’ll also get good connection speeds and VyprVPN is effective at unblocking pretty much every streaming service. Compared to the rest on this list, VyprVPN isn’t nearly as modern and polished, and a recent price hike has taken it from one of the cheapest VPN services to one of the most expensive. Plus, connection speeds are weak. However, if you find that other providers don’t do the job in the UAE, VyprVPN is definitely worth trying out.
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However, using a VPN to access restricted content is a grey area, and those using a VPN for the “purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery” risk a fine of up to AED2,000,000 – equivalent to over $500,000. It is, however, fairly safe to say that the UAE is more concerned about preventing terrorism and large-scale crime than it is about individuals accessing restricted content – and we can’t find any evidence of anyone ever being prosecuted for that reason. We do not condone using a VPN to break the law. We also believe in the freedom of information and the internet. If you choose to use a VPN, for whatever reason, it’s important to assess the risks to see if you think it’s worth it. Firstly, internet access is censored and restricted, and a VPN can allow the user to access this content. Secondly – and probably the most common reason – is that Etisalat and Du hold a monopoly on the VoIP market, meaning free apps like Whatsapp and Messenger cannot be used to call people for free. A UAE VPN can allow individuals to use these free services for a much lower monthly cost compared to the state-sanctioned providers. Thirdly, streaming. With a VPN you can access streaming media, including Netflix, live sports, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and more. This is especially useful for expats as media from their home country is likely to be blocked. A VPN can virtually relocate them back home and give them access to this media. The five on this list mostly work thanks to obfuscated servers that can evade VPN detection. This basically means that anyone inspecting web traffic won’t be able to tell that a certain connection is using a VPN. While some other providers may work, we believe these five offers citizens and travellers the best chance at accessing what they want to when in the UAE. We’d highly recommend using a paid-for service in countries like the UAE that have strict censorship laws. This is because in most cases you’ll want to have your VPN switched on all of the time, and free services almost always come with data limits – Hotspot Shield is generous with 500MB a day, while TunnelBear provides a tiny 500MB a month. Also, paid-for VPNs give you the widest selection or servers, and you can be absolutely sure that they’ll consistently unblock sites. While a no-fee VPN might not cost any money, it might not work properly and, at worst, leak your information and compromise your online privacy. Finally, all the best Dubai VPNs on this list offer at least 30-day money-back guarantees, so even though you will have to pay to get access, you’ll be able to get your money back within 30 days if the service turns out not to be for you – no questions asked.
