# Calling to my Friend who is receiving me at the Dubai airport



## shahbazd.g (Apr 30, 2014)

Hi !
I am travelling to Dubai in 2 days. My friend will come to receive me at the airport.
What is the best way to contact him when I go there.
I heard that payphones accept cards which I dont have. 
Can we use local currency for calling from payphone? If yes, how much dirham coin to use ?


----------



## ExpatnKids (May 2, 2014)

shahbazd.g said:


> Hi !
> I am travelling to Dubai in 2 days. My friend will come to receive me at the airport.
> What is the best way to contact him when I go there.
> I heard that payphones accept cards which I dont have.
> Can we use local currency for calling from payphone? If yes, how much dirham coin to use ?


Yes there are payphones at the airport, and they accept coins, and cards, which are sold at the airport as well. But why not just call him from your own cellphone that you bring along? Just make sure you have roaming service activated. Send him an sms, as that would be cheap.


----------



## shahbazd.g (Apr 30, 2014)

I am going on an emplyoment visa..
Can i buy a sim at the airprt and call him ?
Will the sim be activated instantly ?
How much cost for the sim ?


----------



## ExpatnKids (May 2, 2014)

shahbazd.g said:


> I am going on an emplyoment visa..
> Can i buy a sim at the airprt and call him ?
> Will the sim be activated instantly ?
> How much cost for the sim ?


I think there are sims for tourists, but not entirely sure. I was talking about your home country phone line. I believe you are from India, and use a cell phone there. Why not just use the same sim at the airport to give your friend a quick call? This way you wont have to search around for a payphone, or buy a card to make a call. Just make sure you have roaming service activated, so that it works here.

Normally, I think sims are only available for residents with ID cards. So you may have to wait till you get your ID card before getting a sim. They cost 50 AED.


----------



## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

If you are coming by EK, subscribe to the flight arrival alert at emirates.com. Your friend will get an alert (if you provide his cell no.) informing him of the landing time. So he can start for the airport once he gets the alert, in most cases the time needed for you to clear everything will not be significantly much more than the time needed for him to come (less than an hour from any part in Dubai)


----------



## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

ExpatnKids said:


> Normally, I think sims are only available for residents with ID cards. So you may have to wait till you get your ID card before getting a sim. They cost 50 AED.


You can get a PAYG sim card easily without any visa, just go to the Etisalat (or Du) with your passport and thats it.


----------



## Mclovin oo7 (Sep 25, 2012)

You can also use the free WiFi and use your phone to send message via BBM or Whatsapp.


----------



## shahbazd.g (Apr 30, 2014)

Thanks for the help guys.


----------



## shahbazd.g (Apr 30, 2014)

londonmandan said:


> You can get a PAYG sim card easily without any visa, just go to the Etisalat (or Du) with your passport and thats it.


Is PAYG sim card available for employement visa holders?
Or just tourists?


----------



## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

shahbazd.g said:


> Is PAYG sim card available for employement visa holders?
> Or just tourists?


Anyone.


----------



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

londonmandan said:


> Anyone.


Both. You can buy them at the airport as you come through and you can buy them as a resident. Copies of your passport and visa, visit or residency, are required for both. I think the ones you buy at the airport have a shorter 'life'.


----------



## chestnut (Apr 1, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> If you are coming by EK, subscribe to the flight arrival alert at emirates.com. Your friend will get an alert ....


the FlightStats.com site also offers this service for certain countries/mobile companies but you have to register (I am registered and have never got spam I can trace back to them). They can also send emails (which I can receive on my mobile).


----------



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

shahbazd.g said:


> Hi ! I am travelling to Dubai in 2 days. My friend will come to receive me at the airport. What is the best way to contact him when I go there. I heard that payphones accept cards which I dont have. Can we use local currency for calling from payphone? If yes, how much dirham coin to use ?


It's very easy for your friend to check on-line to see if a flight has arrived or to call airport arrivals 04 216 6666. You just need to arrange a place to meet at the airport.


----------



## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

BedouGirl said:


> Both. You can buy them at the airport as you come through and you can buy them as a resident. Copies of your passport and visa, visit or residency, are required for both. I think the ones you buy at the airport have a shorter 'life'.


I bought my PAYG Etisalat sim Feb last year on a visit visa as I lost my other sim and it still works fine but I got that from MOE.


----------



## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Arrange where to meet before the flight, and your friend can watch online, or at the airport, when the flight lands. He can wait at arrivals for 10 mins - 2 hours, see you, and all's good. This worked well for everybody for the first 60+ years of international air travel.


----------



## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

vantage said:


> Arrange where to meet before the flight, and your friend can watch online, or at the airport, when the flight lands. He can wait at arrivals for 10 mins - 2 hours, see you, and all's good. This worked well for everybody for the first 60+ years of international air travel.


Or he could do what my driver does which is wait for the flight to land via the info screen then wait at the exit gate for us to come through.....


----------



## Zeeshan08 (Sep 15, 2013)

Also if you buy a prepaid sim, it will take 30 mins to activate...so keep that in mind.


----------

