Middle East eSIM

Good to know in the Middle East

• Roaming

  Outside EU roaming

  None of these countries is part of the EU's roam-like-at-home zone, Türkiye included, so a European SIM's charges here are set by its own operator. Combining Istanbul with the Gulf? This eSIM works in every country on its list at one price.

• Outdoors

  Desert signal

  Coverage is good in the cities but thins fast beyond them. Canada's advice says phones may have limited or no service in remote parts of Oman and calls coverage outside Iraq's large cities unreliable. Heading into the Wahiba Sands or the Empty Quarter? Go with others and tell someone your route.

• Weather

  Sandstorms and sudden floods

  Sand and dust storms are frequent in summer, especially in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and the shamal wind can make driving difficult for days. Rare heavy rain can flood roads as well, and Canada notes that in Kuwait it can disrupt telecommunications networks. Keep offline maps and some slack in your plans.

• Help

  A number per country

  There is no shared emergency number here. Dial 112 in Türkiye and Kuwait, 999 in Qatar and Bahrain, 9999 in Oman and 911 in Saudi Arabia. Israel and Iraq use separate numbers for police and ambulance, listed in the UK's travel advice for each country.