If you already live in the UAE you probably know how popular VPNs are as a means to access blocked websites and apps, including Skype and WhatsApp, or to connect to US Netflix and other streaming services.

Here, we take a look at the best VPNs for Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE. We will run through some common concerns about using a VPN in the United Arab Emirates and try to clarify some misconceptions about legal issues with Virtual Private Network use.

If you don’t have time to read the full article, here’s a summary of the top five best VPN service providers for Dubai and the UAE:

  • NordVPN: Our recommended VPN for the UAE. Fast, reliable connections and impeccable security credentials, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • Surfshark: An inexpensive, privacy-focused VPN with no bandwidth or connection limits.
  • ExpressVPN: Fast connection speeds, great for accessing blocked internet content, top-notch security.
  • PrivateVPN: Fast, secure servers that are great for unblocking streaming sites from abroad. No logs. Good for accessing US Netflix in UAE.
  • Private Internet Access: Solid set of security features with a verified zero logs policy and servers in 80+ countries.

Note: Over the last 12 months many VPNs have been blocked in the UAE. This article is regularly updated to show working VPNs. Occasionally, VPNs on this list may be temporarily blocked.

Travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai is increasingly common. If you do happen to find yourself there for business or for pleasure, you may experience a bit of frustration accessing a fair number of websites. VoIP services like Skype and WhatsApp are blocked, as well as gambling sites like Betfair and several Wikipedia pages. The country’s Telecom Regulatory Authority imposes strict internet censorship across the board. Somewhat surprisingly, the TRA is very transparent regarding what sites are blocked and why. If you want to access blocked sites and apps like Skype in the UAE you will need a VPN, although many won’t work.

There are no hidden terms - just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn’t right for you and you’ll get a full refund. Start your NordVPN trial here.

The best VPNs for UAE and Dubai – At a glance

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for UAE and Dubai.

How we selected the best VPN services for the UAE

We identified a specific set of criteria to form our recommendations for the best VPNs for Dubai and the rest of the UAE. In particular, those currently in the UAE should use VPNs that allow them to securely access a large number of blocked websites and VoIP services without worrying about data leaks that reveal what websites or services they’re accessing.

The VPN services we determined were the best for UAE and Dubai VPN users all fit the following criteria:

  • Good encryption
  • No traffic logs
  • Plenty of servers
  • DNS leak protection

As an added bonus, we also emphasized any services that utilized obfuscation to hide the fact that you’re even using a VPN at all. We go into more detail on our testing process below.

Expert tip: Some VPN sites are blocked in the UAE so if you are not yet there, be sure to sign up before traveling.

Best VPNs for UAE and Dubai

Here is our list of the best VPNs for the UAE and Dubai that are still working:

1. NordVPN

                    Jan 2023

Works in UAETested Jan 2023

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Background
  • FireTV

Website: www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

NordVPN is a great option for those seeking an extra amount of security. This service also offers a Tor over VPN option. It hit every point in our criteria (no-log policy, high-level SSL-2048-bit encryption, a large variety of servers). Tor is perhaps the safest method to browse the web. NordVPN combines its service with Tor to offer an extremely safe and heavily encrypted web-browsing experience, especially for those connecting in the UAE and Dubai.

Additionally, NordVPN features a DNS leak resolver designed to prevent DNS leaks as well as a process-specific internet kill switch should the service fail, or should any individual program running start leaking data. OpenVPN protocols are available here, as well as PPTP and L2TP/IPsec. While NordVPN does not include its own obfuscation method, it does support Obfsproxy. Their website provides a helpful walkthrough on how to set this up through their service. The service also utilizes a double VPN feature which doubles the encryption, although this does, understandably, slow down the service a bit.

VPN apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

NordVPN speed test data

BEST VPN FOR UAE AND DUBAI:NordVPN is our first choice browsing safely in Dubai & UAE. It’s an especially fast VPN with strong unblocking, powerful online privacy features, and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros:

  • Trusted VPN provider and works in UAE
  • The fastest speeds of any VPN we’ve tested
  • Strong encrypted connections, security and privacy credentials
  • Works with Skype
  • User data is protected as it keeps no logs

Cons:

  • Desktop apps can be sluggish

Our score:

Find out more in our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark

Works in UAETested Jan 2023

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website: www.Surfshark.com

Surfshark is a high-level VPN service that offers everything we looked for in our criteria. This includes AES-256 encryption, a strict no-log policy and a large number of server locations.

You’ll also find that Surfshark utilizes OpenVPN TCP/UDP protocols while supporting PPTP and L2TP/IPsec VPN protocols as well. Notable on this service is the zero-knowledge DNS on each server (meaning your private information is not saved on any server you connect to), automatic kill switch, double VPN chaining, and ease of use, as well as a reasonably large number of servers and server locations (over 500 servers in 50 countries).

Unlike most VPN services, Surfshark also offers the option to use one account to cover an unlimited number of devices.

Surfshark speed test data

BEST BUDGET OPTION:Surfshark offers online security at an affordable price. Boasts solid speeds, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and impressive unblocking ability. Connect as many devices as you like in the UAE and Dubai.

  • Works in UAE and China

  • Excellent security and privacy credentials

  • Keeps no logs

  • Allows unlimited devices

  • Steady, reliable VPN connection speeds

  • Server network is smaller than most other VPNs

  • Speeds vary between servers

You can read our full Surfshark review here.

3. ExpressVPN

Website: www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN easily meets all of our criteria for making the list of best VPNs for UAE and Dubai. The company stores no identifying logs about what users do online while connected.

The VPN uses AES-256 encryption, noted as one of the best encryption methods and notably used by many governments, including the U.S. government and military. ExpressVPN supports OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, SSTP, L2TP/IPSec and PPTP protocols. ExpressVPN employs DNS protection and an automatic internet kill switch in case the service fails.

Finally, ExpressVPN has among the largest number of servers, with geographic locations in 94 countries. As a bonus, this service utilizes its own, proprietary method of obfuscation to hide the fact that you’re connected to a VPN. As such, the service works in even the most VPN-unfriendly countries. It is known to even get past the Great Firewall of China. ExpressVPN reliably works with most major geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and HBO GO, as well as VoIP services like Skype.

VPN apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux (command line), and certain wifi routers.

ExpressVPN speed test data

GREAT FOR SECURITY:ExpressVPN is a quick, reliable service that works well in Dubai & UAE. Unblocks all major sites and apps including Skype and offers unlimited bandwidth. Keeps your personal data safe and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Class-leading privacy and strong security features

  • Fast connection speeds for streaming and torrenting

  • Works with all major streaming services including Netflix

  • Unlimited data with no data caps for users

  • Obfuscated servers

  • There are cheaper VPNs

  • Few customizable features

Read our full ExpressVPN review here.

4. PrivateVPN

Website: www.PrivateVPN.com

PrivateVPN is a young, up-and-coming VPN provider that offers a service on par with its veteran rivals. The company has a no logs policy and accepts payment via credit card, Stripe, PayPal, or Bitcoin. You can choose between 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption, both of which use perfect forward secrecy. IPv6 leak and DNS leak protections are built in, as is a kill switch. The company is based in Sweden.

You can connect a maximum of six devices at the same time on a single account. Apps and software are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

PrivateVPN speed test data

GREAT SPEEDS:PrivateVPN works well in the UAE and allows up to 6 devices on the same account. Small network of servers but fast VPN connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • A low cost option that works in UAE

  • Keeps no logs whatsoever

  • Works with a wide range of media streaming services

  • Fast download speeds

  • Small number of servers locations to choose from

  • Support not available 24/7

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

5. Private Internet Access

Website: www.PrivateInternetAccess.com

Private Internet Access operates a network of more than 10,000 servers globally, with servers located in 809+ countries, including Dubai and the UAE. Accessing streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer isn’t as consistent as we’d like, but when it does work, you can expect some impressive speeds. PIA uses the WireGuard protocol for supercharged gaming and streaming, and you can also tweak encryption settings to increase speeds further.

PIA has a suite of useful security tools which includes a malware blocker, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection. Additionally, it uses 256-bit encryption and has a verified logging policy – even though it’s based in the US, a Five Eyes country.

Apps and software are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. You can connect ten devices at a time. You can take it for a spin for 30 days using its money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access speed test data

WIREGUARD SUPPORT:Private Internet Access includes a built-in adblocker and kill switch, operates servers in over 80 countries, and doesn’t collect logs.

  • Tweak encryption for faster speeds

  • Secures your connection and blocks ads automatically

  • 10 simultaneous device limit

  • Decent speeds with the use of WireGuard

  • No Smart DNS support

  • Fails to unblock some streaming services

Read our full Private Internet Access review.

Methodology for selecting the best VPNs for UAE

The UAE is a top vacation and work destination. However, its government also imposes one of the most restrictive internet blocking policies in the world. If you want unfettered access to the free web while you work or travel in the UAE, a VPN will be necessary. Taking into account what matters most for VPN usage in the UAE, we rate VPNs for UAE using the following criteria:

Our research into VPNs is extensive. You’ll find there are far more technical and policy aspects to VPNs and VPN providers which distinguish the good from the bad. We recommend exploring our extensive VPN testing methodology.

VPNs to avoid in the UAE and Dubai

If you’ve been Googling around for what VPN to use while you’re in the UAE, a few probably popped up that are actually best avoided, either because they don’t work in the UAE or because of a precedent of shifty practices. There are a lot of bad VPN services out there, but here are two, in particular, to stay away from:

Hola

Hola is a peer-to-peer network that uses idle bandwidth on other people’s computers to create a VPN tunnel. Likewise, other people utilize your bandwidth when you’re not using it. This can make you liable for other people’s online activity, a huge risk when in the UAE and Dubai. The company has a history of abusing users’ trust as well. It once turned all of the devices on its network into a huge botnet and used it to carry out distributed denial-of-service attacks on websites.

HideMyAss

While HMA doesn’t record any of your activity or the contents of your internet traffic, it does store detailed metadata user logs including your real IP address. The most famous example is the arrest of Cody Kretsinger, a LulzSec hacker involved in a cyber attack on Sony Pictures. HideMyAss handed over evidence to authorities under a court order that led to his arrest. While we don’t condone what Cody did, VPN users’ should be skeptical of HideMyAss’ “no logs” claims.

Many users turn to a VPN to bypass these digital content blocks, an action that currently resides in a significant legal gray area in the country. In fact, rumors regarding legal consequences for using a VPN in the country abound.

Just recently, many UAE residents received a text message telling them to report a police station in Dubai to pay a fine of Dh5,000. This turned out to be a lie. Despite such false rumors, VPNs remain hugely popular.

A 2012 cybercrime law passed in the country only appeared to ban the use of VPNs for activity considered illegal in the county. Pornography, anti-religious hate speech, and gambling generally top the list. However, that law has since been amended and expanded, throwing many VPN users or potential users into confusion over the new law and whether or not there is a UAE VPN ban in place. Many are now more confused than ever over what is and is not permissible.

Yet between 2012 and 2016, few, if any, VPN websites that allowed users to access blocked internet content were themselves blocked by the TRA, indicating that the country is not actively blocking these sites, or at the least, not actively reporting it. Even still, many local stores sell VoIP cards that allow the use of Voice Over IP services, despite the ban on services like Skype. It would appear a blind eye is turned to what might be considered minor transgressions and a huge number of people use Skype and other “banned” VoIP services with the help of a VPN.

UAE’s content and VPN laws

The UAE’s internet content blocking laws are overly complex but based on two categories: religious principles and protecting businesses.

The religious principles aspect of this is pretty clear. The United Arab Emirates has a complicated government structure with an absolute monarchy at the top. Laws are based on a mixture of Sharia and secular civil ideals.*

As the country’s laws have a significant basis in Sharia, the Telecom Regulatory Authority’s online content blocking makes sense per the UAE’s enshrined Muslim belief system, although it’s less draconian than what one might find in other primarily Muslim countries such as Iran or Saudi Arabia.

According to the TRA, content that “contradicts with the ethics and morality of the UAE” is blocked outright. This includes:

  • pornography
  • VoIP sites and services (Skype)
  • gambling
  • websites containing anti-religious hate speech
  • websites related to the production, sale and distribution of illegal drugs
  • content that is often contrary to beliefs of the majority Sunni population
  • Many Wikipedia pages
  • Israeli websites

The TRA provides statistics yearly on its content blocking initiative:

2016 amended VPN law

In early 2016, the UAE amended its cybercrimes law to specify more VPN uses. The law reads:

“Whoever uses a fraudulent computer network protocol address (IP address) by using a false address or a third-party address by any other means for the purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery, shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine of no less than Dhs 500,000 ( USD $136,128.51) and not exceeding Dhs 2,000,000 (USD $544,514.04), or either of these two penalties.”

Many stories came out immediately following this amendment that seemingly broadened the extent of this law to include all VPN usage. However, this has not been the case. Indeed, VPN usage in the UAE and Dubai is exceptionally high and very common. As evidenced by the TRA’s own content filtering statistics, most websites outside of those going against ethics laws are not commonly banned. This includes VPN services. Nevertheless, as long as the VPN you are using is doing its job and obfuscating your connection to the VPN server, you’re not likely to draw any attention from authorities.

Some content blocking is meant to benefit businesses

The UAE sees a significant amount of international business traffic and relies heavily on that traffic as part of its economy. Dubai, in particular, has a large number of non-Muslims and temporary residents living and working in the city year-round and long-term. To stay on the friendlier side of their international business partners, the country tends to spend less time enforcing some of the laws it has on the books in Dubai, although recent changes to the law may indicate a consequential return to strict censorship and enforcement.

Businesses themselves enjoy some content blocking laws that are designed to protect their interests. The digital content blocking of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and many other messaging apps, such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Google Hangouts, is because the country wants to protect its telecommunications industry from losing business to those using free communication platforms. As such, long-distance calling in the UAE can only be accomplished the old-fashioned way, at least legally.

The VoIP cards that are commonly sold in the country are a below-the-counter method of getting past this ban. VoIP calling cards are a workaround to the system allowing users to call a remote PSTN that then connects to a VoIP system. In this manner, users can make VoIP calls using the regular cellular network or even a landline phone.

UAE’s Freedom

We recently created a comparison study on the internet censorship policies of various countries. UAE actually ranked in our top 10 worst countries for internet censorship.

As of 2020, the UAE has a score of 28 out of 100 for internet freedom from the democracy and freedom ranking organization Freedom House. The higher the score, the better the country’s internet freedom ranking.

The full report from Freedom House confirms the fact that the UAE’s internet content blocking is among the worst in the world, although it is not the worst in the world, or even in the Middle East. The report also indicates that the country’s Internet service providers like Etisalat utilize content blocking tools NetSweeper, SmartBlocker, and Blue Coat ProxySG. The report additionally indicates that Facebook and YouTube are available, although some search terms and content are blocked on those sites.

Online streaming in Dubai and the UAE

Netflix is not blocked in the UAE. The service launched in the UAE earlier in 2016. There are now over 300 TV shows and just under 1,000 movies available in the country. This represents around 30% of what is available through U.S. Netflix. Many Netflix users in Dubai are using VPNs to access other Netflix regions. Note that not all VPNs are effective at accessing Netflix; for more details see our Netflix VPN list.

Tip: Get your VPN before arriving in the UAE

Although VPN websites are in the legal gray area in the UAE, accessing them to download a VPN service may trigger warnings and make you a monitoring target, even if you’re not using the service for illegal purposes. It’s best, then, to download a VPN program before entering the country.

Downloading before you go will help ensure you have the VPN service on your computer before going to the country. You won’t raise any red flags by going to the VPN’s website after you arrive. And if you’re making sure to utilize obfuscation, assuming you’re using a service that has this option, you can avoid even getting identified as a VPN user at all.

Getting around VPN blocking

As stated earlier, VPN blocking does occur in the UAE, as VPN services are among the items listed by the TRA that they monitor. The new amendments to the country’s cybersecurity law to broaden the scope of VPN illegality also makes it more likely that you’ll find your VPN service blocked.

You can, however, get around VPN blocks by utilizing several known methods.

1. Don’t use a free VPN

Free VPN providers are a gamble that is simply not worth your time, especially if you’re traveling to the UAE. Free VPNs often:

  • useless secure encryption methods
  • place third-party ads on your web pages
  • keeps logs
  • have fewer server options
  • have slower servers with less bandwidth
  • sell users personal information

Given the significant gray area that exists for VPN users in the UAE and Dubai, there’s no reason to take that risk to save a few bucks.

2. Change your TCP port to 443

OpenVPN TCP protocol can travel through the 443 port. This is the same port as the HTTPS protocol. This is essentially a mild obfuscation method, as it makes your VPN traffic look just like regular SSL traffic from an HTTPS website. Many paid VPN services allow you to change to this setting rather easily, especially if they’re already using OpenVPN.

3. Change to a different protocol

If the OpenVPN TCP protocol is getting blocked, you may try changing to L2TP/IPsec protocol. This protocol is highly secure and still common. However, make sure that your L2TP protocol comes with the IPsec security, as a “raw” L2TP protocol is not secure.

You may also try the SSTP protocol, if available. However, this protocol is not commonly supported on most devices, although some Windows machines may have it as an option.

We do not recommend changing to the PPTP protocol. It’s not secure, primarily because it is viewed as obsolete. Given that you’ll be connecting to a VPN in a more-or-less unfriendly environment, you’ll want to avoid an insecure VPN protocol.

*Disclaimer: While we have researched this topic thoroughly, nothing in our article should be taken as legal advice. Our goal is to provide you with the best information and solutions. That said, we are not legal experts on the nuances of the UAE’s laws.

Originally, when Netflix launched globally, it drew ire for attempting to block VPN users outright, which was not a good look considering that those in the UAE face harsh punishments for breaching a myriad of often vague online restrictions. It has since changed its approach, though. Instead, if Netflix detects that you’re using a VPN, it will only show movies and TV shows that it has global broadcast rights to (all Netflix Originals, for instance). You’ll still be able to watch, just with a vastly reduced selection of content.

Masking your VPN traffic is important in the UAE, because VPN use is frowned upon. Although it is legal to have a VPN subscription in the UAE, it is illegal to engage in certain activities with them. If you opt to use a VPN to access VoIP services or online content censored by the government, for example, you are technically in breach of the law.

By subscribing to a VPN that has robust encryption, DNS leak protection, a killswitch, and obfuscation, you can ensure that everything you do online remains private from your ISP and the government. This gives you complete online freedom, while preventing you from being flagged as a VPN user who might be breaking the rules.

A proxy is an online service that allows you to pretend to be in a different location. However,  it does not prevent your ISP or other eavesdroppers from tracking you. This differs from a VPN, which provides encryption and other privacy features – in addition to the location spoofing you get with a proxy. 

Proxies are also riskier than a VPN. Thai is because it is difficult to know who is in control of a proxy server, and you cannot be 100% sure about what the administrator might do with the data that passes through the proxy. 

Tor is a privacy-enabled browser that connects you to the Tor network. It is a highly secure browser that provides a huge number of privacy benefits, including the ability to conceal your location from the websites you visit, to use the internet anonymously, and to conceal your online habits from your ISP with encryption. It also prevents tracking and fingerprinting, among other things.

The important thing to remember, however, is that Tor is slow and only suitable for certain use cases. Thus, anybody who wants to access Netflix, engage in video calls, or play online games, will find that Tor does not provide the speeds necessary. 

It is also worth noting that in recent years some concerns have been raised about the potential for Tor exit nodes to be compromised, meaning that you can’t always be sure that your traffic isn’t passing through a nefarious relay on the network. 

VPN’s on the other hand, are built to provide you with privacy and freedom while also giving you good enough speeds to stream in HD or do other data-intensive online tasks. VPNs also have solid privacy policies – as well as apps and server networks that have been audited by third parties. As a result, anybody who uses a trusted VPN brand can be sure that their online habits are being protected properly.

With the legality of VPNs being something of a gray area in the UAE, it’s a good idea to download and install a VPN before you travel to Dubai. That way, you can better protect yourself from prying eyes as soon as you arrive. If you use a VPN that obfuscates traffic, you should even be able to bypass VPN blocks too.