Best eSIM Doha. Comparing the best plans for Doha

Welcome to the glamour of Doha. Get the best eSIM for your trip to Qatar with DTAC Happy Tourist. Enjoy 6GB of data with two eSIMs offering coverage in Qatar and in several other countries in the world. For just 15 usd you can avoid roaming fees while visiting Qatar, Israel, several countries in Asia, USA and Australia, or you can think bigger and travel all over the world with a 25 usd eSIM card offering coverage in over 70 destinations.

Doha, the capital of Qatar, one of the Gulf wonders promoted by the oil and gas industry, has grown exponentially over the last few decades. Named the capital of Qatar in 1971 when the country declared its independence, Doha has experienced a continuous development fueled by its privileged resources. Luxury is all over this modern metropolis, with examples of amazing modern architecture like the National Museum of Qatar, the Qatar National Library, the Doha tower or the Museum of Islamic Art.

You can go shopping at the Souq Waqif and enjoy a treasure hunt for traditional clothes and antiques, or stroll along the Corniche and its seafront promenade, or go swimming at the man-made Pearl Island. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always book a tour and camp in the surrounding desert. Qatar has attractions for every kind of traveler.

The best way to enjoy Doha without wasting money on roaming fees is to get the best eSIM for your next trip to Qatar. We’ve analyzed the eSIM plans so you don’t have to. Here you’ll find a list comparing the best plans for Doha in 2023.

ESIMs and advantages for travellers

An eSIM is an embedded SIM card. In simpler terms, it’s a SIM card that can be downloaded using a dedicated chip for storing the SIM profile. An eSIM offers the same features as a plastic SIM card, but in a software-based form.

Travelers can enjoy lower rates and regional coverage by downloading a dedicated eSIM, allowing them to avoid high roaming expenses. By using a travel eSIM and your home carrier SIM card at the same time, you can access local rates without removing your original SIM card.

Local eSIMs vs travel eSIMs and local vs worldwide coverage

The next question: should I buy a local eSIM or an eSIM from an international travel eSIM carrier?

It depends on how long you’ll be staying in the destination country. A travel eSIM is ideal for a holiday. These are specially designed for travelers and don’t require contracts or monthly payments.

Travel eSIM cards with worldwide coverage provide seamless connectivity in multiple countries, avoiding roaming costs and minimizing phone bills.

The only issue worldwide eSIMs might have is their price, since they have to coordinate several network providers in several countries, they are usually more expensive than single-country eSIMs, however, with DTAC’s Happy Tourist you’re buying an international worldwide eSIM for the price of a single-country eSIM, so this problem disappears.

Top international eSIMs for Doha

*Data collected in 2023

DTAC Happy Tourist: The best global eSIMs to visit Doha

Two plans with different validities

DTAC has the best eSIM cards for a trip to Doha and Qatar. With both plans offering 6GB of data, you can get coverage in several regions in the world. Depending on how you’re planning your trip to Qatar, you can purchase a 15 usd plan for coverage in a few countries or, for 25 usd, you’ll get coverage in most countries in the world. These are global eSIM cards for the price of a local eSIM, and with an excellent amount of data for a 10-15 days’ trip.

International coverage

The best feature of DTAC’s eSIM cards is that they offer coverage in Qatar and in several other countries in the world. You can use your eSIM to avoid roaming fees no matter where you’re travelling to. The 15 usd plan offers coverage in several countries in Asia, Israel, Qatar, USA and Australia and the 25 usd eSIM offers worldwide coverage in more than 70 countries. Purchase the plan that best suits your needs.

Maya

Pricey data package

Maya’s best offer for Qatar provides a 20GB card for a considerable payment of 46 usd (for 5 days) 49 usd (10 days) or 55 usd (15 days). This eSIM plan is quite tricky, since the offer they show changes depending on the validity. For our comparison, we’ve taken the 10 days card.

Local coverage only

Maya’s price is quite expensive, especially since it only provides coverage in Qatar. For almost the same price per GB, you’ll purchase a travel eSIM with coverage in several other countries with DTAC’s 15 usd eSIM. 

Airalo Pearl Mobile

Scant plan for 15 days

If you’re planning on staying for 15 days in Qatar, Airalo has an almost unusable 2GB eSIM for the expensive price of 9 usd. This meagre amount of data will barely cover the needs of an average mobile phone user.

Expensive plan for 30 days

For 30 days in Qatar, Airalo offers a 20GB eSIM card for 49 usd. It is a costly data package, with plenty of data allowance, however, you’d better think how much data you’re going to use while in Qatar (and only in Qatar) because if you don’t use all of it, you won’t have the opportunity to use  it anywhere else. We can’t seem to find its worth because it is a single-country eSIM just for Qatar. 

Nomad

10 Gigabytes

Nomad’s best plan in Qatar provides a 10GB card for 37 usd. With an expensive price per GB of 3.7 usd, this eSIM doesn’t offer an interesting value, especially since it is a single-country eSIM only for Qatar.

Long validity

Since this eSIM comes with a validity of 30 days, and an average traveller will use about 5GB of data every 10 days, you’ll need to stretch these 10GB for a longer period than usual. It isn’t a great offer when compared to the other candidates in our ranking.

Holafly

Abusive price

Holafly doesn’t have the usual unlimited data plans in Qatar. In exchange, they offer only 4 plans of 3, 5 and 8 GB at really expensive prices. Holafly’s best eSIM is the 8GB card which costs 47 usd. With a validity of 30 days, it is just an underwhelming eSIM because of its data allowance, its validity and its price (both per GB and overall).

Local coverage

Just like the other eSIM cards of our list (except DTAC’s eSIMs), Holafly’s card only provides coverage in Qatar. This eSIM is too expensive, with too little data and no extras. 

How to purchase your eSIM for Doha

After choosing the eSIM best suited for your trip to Doha, access the website of the carrier and proceed with the purchase. Once you’ve paid, you’ll receive an email with a QR code and an activation code to use on your mobile phone. Depending on your device, you can simply scan the QR or insert the code to install the eSIM on your device.

How to activate an eSIM

To activate your already installed eSIM, simply access your settings app on your mobile phone and choose the eSIM for data and your home carrier SIM card for voice calls and SMS. This process may vary slightly depending on your device.

Knowing the right time to activate it is crucial. We suggest doing it upon reaching the coverage area. This is why global coverage eSIM cards are preferable to single-country eSIMs. They allow you to stay connected while waiting for a connecting flight at a foreign airport, without relying on potentially unsafe or unreliable airport Wi-Fi for your mobile phone.

Is my device eSIM compatible?

Currently, a major issue with eSIMs is their compatibility. So, to know if you can use an eSIM on your mobile phone before making the purchase, check the carrier’s list of compatible devices on their website. This should be your primary source of information, especially since not all eSIM enabled devices can use all eSIMs.

iPhones since iPhone XS, Samsung Galaxy phones since Galaxy S20, and Google Pixel phones since the Pixel 4 XL are usually on these lists, but, if by any chance, you can’t find your device in a carrier’s list even though it is eSIM compatible, contact the eSIM carrier to verify its usability.

FAQ about Doha eSIM