For prepaid mobile subscribers in the UAE, international calling packages represent a significant recurring expense. Etisalat markets multiple structures: daily bundled packs, per‑minute rate plans, and monthly or weekly subscriptions with defined country coverage. However, publicly available information is fragmented. The three source documents provided do not collectively offer a complete, officially verified reference.
This report consolidates the available data into a structured reference, focusing on activation methods, coverage details, and critical gaps that prevent a fully informed purchase decision.
Package Types by Validity: Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Per‑Minute
Across the aggregated sources, four distinct offer types appear, each with different validity periods and activation paths. The daily pack is the only product directly linked to the official Etisalat corporate website (eand.ae). The 9 fils/min offer is described in a third‑party article with detailed activation steps, but it does not appear in the official source provided. The monthly and weekly packs are only detailed in a scanned Scribd document that lacks an official publication date; thus, their current availability cannot be confirmed from the available data.
| Package Type | Validity | Documented Activation Method | Data Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily International Minutes Pack | 24 hours | Etisalat App / website only | eand.ae (official) | Verified |
| 9 Fils/Minute Offer | Recurring (no fixed expiry) | USSD *050# → menu; also app | GulfUpdates24 | Documented, not official |
| International Monthly Pack | 30 days | *100# (Scribd); app / *050# likely | Scribd document | Legacy reference |
| International Weekly Pack | 7 days | *100# (Scribd); app / *050# likely | Scribd document | Legacy reference |
Activation & Deactivation Methods: USSD Codes vs. App‑Only
Daily International Minutes Pack – The official source (eand.ae) lists only app‑based activation. No USSD code is provided.
9 Fils/Minute Offer – GulfUpdates24 describes two methods: (1) dial
*050#→ navigate to “International Calling Plans” → select “India 9 Fils/Minute”; (2) Etisalat App → International services → select the plan → activate. No direct USSD code for immediate activation exists; the user must interact with a menu.International Monthly & Weekly Packs – The Scribd document lists
*100#as an activation method. No official source in this data set confirms*100#as a current, valid USSD code. Both packs are likely also accessible via the*050#menu or app, but this is not explicitly stated.
Deactivation methods: Across all three sources, no deactivation USSD codes are documented. The only deactivation methods mentioned are the Etisalat App (implied, as activation is possible there) and customer support (explicitly noted for the 9 fils plan in GulfUpdates24). Users wishing to cancel a monthly or weekly pack cannot do so via a short code based on the available information.
Country & Network Coverage: Included and Excluded Prefixes
The Scribd document, titled “dialing‑codes‑for‑new‑idd‑monthly‑packs,” contains a two‑page table of prefixes covered by the International Monthly and Weekly packs. It lists 26 countries and over 150 specific prefixes for Pakistan alone. Critically, it also documents 45+ excluded prefixes for the UK and Canada—information absent from the official Etisalat page, yet essential for users to avoid unexpected charges.
Countries with full coverage (all networks included): India (91), Bangladesh (880), USA (1), Nepal (977), Malaysia (60), Saudi Arabia (966), Oman (968), Kuwait (965), Bahrain (973), Uzbekistan (998), Nigeria (234), Thailand (66), China (86), Germany (49), Australia (61).
Countries with specific network inclusions (selected prefixes):
Pakistan: Dozens of fixed‑line prefixes (e.g., 9221, 9222, 9251, etc.) and mobile network codes for Jazz (9230, 9232), Ufone (9233), and Zong (9231). All major carriers are included, but the list is prefix‑specific rather than “all networks.”
Afghanistan: Etisalat Afghanistan (9378, 9373) and Roshan (9379, 9372).
Egypt: Etisalat and Vodafone Egypt (20261, 2011, 2010).
Indonesia: Indosat prefixes only (62814, 62815, 62816, 62855–62858).
Jordan: Zain, Umniah, and Jordan M‑Orange (96279, 96278, 962, 96277).
Critical exclusions (UK & Canada): The Scribd document includes a dedicated section listing prefixes that are not covered by the monthly or weekly packs. Calls to numbers beginning with these codes will be charged at standard out‑of‑pack rates.
| Country | Excluded Prefixes (Examples) |
|---|---|
| UK | 44843, 44844, 44845 (local call numbers); 447781, 4478398 (mobile Guernsey); 4478297–4478299 (mobile Jersey); 4475090–4475097 (mobile Jersey Telecom); 4477977–4477979, 447937 (Manx Telecom); 4474184, 4474520–4474526, 447624, 447924 (various mobile); 4470, 449 (premium/pagers); 44870–44873 (national call numbers) |
| Canada | 1250 (British Columbia – Northwest), 1867 (Yukon) |
The exclusion list is highly specific. Users who frequently call UK numbers beginning with 447 (mobile) or 448 (non‑geographic) may find that a monthly pack does not cover those calls. The official Etisalat page does not reference these exclusions; therefore, the Scribd document—while unverified by Etisalat—provides the only available granular coverage data.
Value Comparison: Cost per Minute by Package Type
Because the daily pack does not disclose its minute allotment or price in the source material, a direct cost‑per‑minute comparison is impossible. The 9 fils plan offers the only transparent per‑minute rate, making it the only plan where the marginal cost is known upfront.
| Plan | Cost Structure | Transparency Level | Data Source Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily International Minutes Pack | Bundled (price + minutes not specified) | Low | Official page lists the pack but no pricing or minute data |
| 9 Fils/Minute Offer | 0.009 AED/min | High | Per‑minute rate explicitly stated in GulfUpdates24 |
| International Monthly Pack | Flat subscription (price not specified) | Medium | Coverage defined; price missing from all sources |
| International Weekly Pack | Flat subscription (price not specified) | Medium | Coverage defined; price missing from all sources |
Only the 9 fils/min offer provides enough information to calculate the cost of a call before subscribing. For the daily, monthly, and weekly packs, the user cannot determine the per‑minute rate or total cost without accessing the Etisalat app, which was not included in the provided data set.
Decision Framework: Matching Plans to Usage Profiles
Using only the data fields that are consistently documented—validity, activation method, coverage specificity—a rule‑based framework can be built that avoids assumptions about price or user satisfaction.
| If your usage pattern is… | Recommended plan | Rationale (based on available data) |
|---|---|---|
| High‑volume calls to India, unpredictable minutes | 9 Fils/Minute Offer | Only plan with a known, low per‑minute rate; activation via *050#; no commitment beyond usage. |
| Single day of intense international calling to covered countries | Daily International Minutes Pack | Official 24‑hour validity; purpose‑built for short windows; price and minute allowance must be verified in app. |
| Monthly calls to multiple countries with stable patterns | International Monthly Pack | Requires verifying excluded prefixes (UK/Canada) via Scribd list; price unknown; activation likely via app or *050#. |
| Short‑term (1 week) multi‑country calling | International Weekly Pack | Same coverage constraints as monthly; activation method unverified; suitable for temporary travel or short projects. |
The framework cannot account for price sensitivity because pricing data is missing for three of the four plan types.
Critical Data Gaps & Recommendations for Verification
The analysis identifies four categories of missing data that prevent a fully informed purchase decision. Any claims of “best value” or “cheapest plan” cannot be made from the available sources.
Data gaps:
Pricing: No prices listed for the Daily International Minutes Pack, International Monthly Pack, or International Weekly Pack in any source.
Minute allowances: The Daily Pack does not disclose how many minutes are included; therefore, the effective per‑minute rate cannot be calculated.
USSD codes: No official, standalone USSD code for monthly/weekly packs is verified.
*100#appears only in the Scribd document, which is not an official Etisalat publication.Deactivation codes: No deactivation USSD codes are documented for any pack. The only mentioned deactivation paths are the Etisalat app and customer support.
Recommendations:
For daily pack users: Use the Etisalat App to view the exact price and minute allowance before activating. The official website does not provide these figures.
For monthly/weekly pack users: Verify the “included countries” list within the app, as the Scribd prefix document may be outdated. Cross‑reference the excluded prefixes for the UK and Canada if those destinations are frequently called. Do not rely solely on the
*100#code; it is unconfirmed in official sources.For all users: Dial
*050#to explore the current international calling menu; this is the only activation method documented for the 9 fils plan and likely provides access to other packs. Contact Etisalat customer support to confirm the most current USSD codes and deactivation procedures, as the available data set does not contain complete, officially verified codes.
Conclusion: Transparency Limitations in the Available Data
Across three distinct sources, no single document provides a complete, officially verified, up‑to‑date list of all Etisalat international call packs with USSD codes, pricing, and coverage. The most trustworthy activation path is *050# for the 9 fils plan, while monthly pack users must rely on app‑based verification to avoid excluded prefixes.
The official Etisalat page confirms the existence of a daily pack but omits pricing and minute details. The third‑party article offers a detailed activation walkthrough for the 9 fils plan but lacks official validation. The Scribd document supplies the only comprehensive prefix‑level coverage data, yet its age and unofficial status introduce uncertainty.
For consumers, the path to a fully informed decision requires active verification through the Etisalat app or customer support. The *050# menu serves as a practical entry point, but the absence of published USSD codes for subscription and deactivation remains a notable gap. Until official sources consolidate this information, users must navigate multiple channels to assemble a complete picture of available international calling packages.
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