If you're planning on visiting Dubai or the UAE - generally - any time soon, one of the essentials you need to look at is getting a local sim card. This is not limited to the UAE alone. Wherever you are travelling, a local sim card will save you from having to pay exorbitant roaming fees that you might unknowingly incur.

But did you know that telecom networks in the UAE not only offer sim cards, they also have special sim cards for tourists. How do these differ from regular cards you might ask? Well, these 'tourist plans' not only save you from roaming fees, they're also supercharged with many deals to help you enjoy your stay in the country.

Here are the deals and discounts available with du and Etisalat:
du

An exciting deal for UAE tourists and visitors; for only Dh55, users can get 200mb of data, 20 mins worth of calls, 20 SMS messages (all valid for 7 days) and free vouchers from Uber and The Entertainer worth Dh1,500. You also get 50 per cent off your standard Dollar car rental and 30 per cent if you are renting a special vehicle.

On the du website, they delve further into the details of the deals. The Entertainer vouchers, redeemable on the Entertainer app include the following:

. Popular restaurants, dining and nightlife venues.

. Desert safari tour operators plus other outdoor activities.

. Romantic dinner in Marina on a traditional local boat (dhow).

. Double-decker bus tour in Dubai.

. Fun activities for children.

. Full day ski pass for the one and only skiing place in the Middle East.
Etisalat

Offers a similar package for tourists called the 'Visitor Line'. The promotion includes one free Careem ride in the UAE worth Dh100 and the opportunity to get 'Buy One Get One' offers by dialling *050# every day. They come in a variety of packs which you can check out here.

Source: Khaleej Times