UAE country code +971
— call the Emirates & get a number.
Everything to dial the UAE correctly — exact formats from the US, UK, India and across the Gulf, every emirate area code, current mobile prefixes, live time & weather — plus how businesses get a UAE virtual number with MCM.
- 17,500+ Businesses
- 99.99% Uptime SLA
- 190+ Countries
- 4.8/5 on G2
United Arab Emirates at a glance
The numbers and facts you need before you dial.
What is the country code for the UAE?
The country code for the UAE is +971 — the unique digit string the global phone system uses to route any call from outside the Emirates onto a UAE number. Without it, the network has nowhere to land the call. It covers all seven emirates on one code.
Code +971 was assigned to the UAE by the ITU under the E.164 plan — the same standard that gives the US +1, the UK +44 and Pakistan +92. The “+” means “dial your local international exit code”; on a mobile, press and hold 0 to type it.
All four mean the same thing — they connect your call to the UAE.
How to call the UAE from anywhere
Every pattern is: exit code + 971 + area/mobile code (no leading 0) + subscriber number.
Dubai · 7-digit subscriber number. Mobile example: +971 50 123 4567 — mobiles use a 2-digit operator prefix, no city code.
- Dubai landline: 011 971 4 1234567
- Mobile: 011 971 50 1234567
- Abu Dhabi landline: 00 971 2 1234567
- Mobile: 00 971 5X XXXXXXX
- Sharjah landline: 00 971 6 XXXXXXX
- Mobile: 0011 971 50 XXXXXXX
Universal format (any mobile): +971 + area code + local number — the “+” tells your carrier to apply the right exit code automatically, wherever you are.
UAE phone number format explained
A complete UAE number is 9 digits in international format (after +971). Inside the UAE it's written with a leading 0 — the trunk prefix you drop when calling from abroad.
Landline
- Inside UAE
- 0 + area code + subscriber → 04 123 4567
- International
- +971 + area code + subscriber → +971 4 123 4567
Emirate area codes are a single digit (Dubai 4, Abu Dhabi 2). Landline subscriber numbers are 7 digits.
Mobile
- Inside UAE
- 0 + prefix + subscriber → 050 123 4567
- International
- +971 + prefix + subscriber → +971 50 123 4567
All UAE mobiles start with 5 after the country code. The 2-digit prefix (50/52/54/55/56/58) identifies the operator.
UAE area codes — emirates & cities
Rule of thumb: each emirate has its own single-digit landline code; mobiles ignore it entirely.
Seven emirates on the map
Hover an emirate to see its area code.
Quick math
Single-digit emirate code · 7-digit subscriber
| City | Emirate | Area code |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi | 2 |
| Al Ain | Abu Dhabi | 3 |
| Dubai | Dubai | 4 |
| Sharjah | Sharjah | 6 |
| Ajman | Ajman | 6 |
| Umm Al Quwain | Umm Al Quwain | 6 |
| Ras Al Khaimah | Ras Al Khaimah | 7 |
| Fujairah | Fujairah | 9 |
UAE mobile network prefixes
The 2-digit prefix after +971 tells you which operator issued the SIM — e.g. +971 50 … is e& (Etisalat), +971 55 … is du.
e&
Etisalat
The UAE's incumbent operator. Widest coverage and longest-running brand.
du
EITC
The challenger network. Strong urban 5G across Dubai and the northern emirates.
Virgin
Mobile UAE
App-based MVNO running on du's network — youth-oriented digital plans.
UAE time zone — GST (UTC +4)
The UAE does not observe daylight saving, so the offset is the same year-round. See the live clock at the top of this page.
Best call windows: Late morning to early afternoon UAE time (UTC+4) overlaps European business hours; early evening in the UAE catches the US East Coast morning. The Sunday–Thursday region work pattern is shifting toward Monday–Friday.
Emergency numbers in the UAE
Free to call from any UAE phone, landline or mobile.
Common mistakes when calling the UAE
Almost every failed international call is a formatting issue, not a network issue.
Leaving the leading 0 on the area code
Dial +971 4 123 4567, not +971 04 123 4567. The 0 is the domestic trunk prefix — drop it from abroad.
Dialing 971 without the exit code
From a US landline, "971 4 …" alone fails. You need 011 (or +) in front to flag the call international.
Mixing up the shared 06 emirates
Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain all use 6. Confirm the actual city before dialing.
Expecting a consumer-app call to connect
The UAE restricts some VoIP calling (WhatsApp/FaceTime/Skype). Use a dialed call or a UAE-licensed app.
Using the wrong exit code at home
011 (US/Canada), 00 (UK/EU/Gulf), 0011 (Australia). When unsure, dial "+" from a mobile.
Tips to reduce the cost of calling the UAE
Use a VoIP service
VoIP routes the call over the internet for most of the journey, so you pay local rates on the UAE end.
Get a UAE virtual number
A dedicated +971 number lets you receive calls at local rates and dial out with a local caller ID.
Pick the right time window
Some carriers charge different international rates by time of day — check before long calls.
Mind the VoIP restriction
Choose a provider that routes properly to the UAE rather than a consumer app that may be blocked locally.
Why businesses get a UAE virtual number
If you sell, support, or hire in the UAE, a local +971 caller ID gets answered where a +1 or +44 gets ignored. A UAE virtual number is a real Emirati number that rings on your existing system anywhere in the world.
Higher answer rates
Local caller IDs are answered far more often than unfamiliar international numbers.
Lower trust friction
A Dubai +971 4 number signals local presence without a physical office.
Cheaper inbound
UAE customers call a local number at local rates — no one rejects your calls for cost.
Centralized routing
Calls forward to your existing call center, mobile, or SIP platform — handled from anywhere.
Faster expansion
Launch a UAE customer line in a day instead of incorporating a local entity.
Real PSTN presence
A genuine UAE DID — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah — that rings on your phone system worldwide.
UAE virtual numbers with My Country Mobile
MCM provides UAE virtual numbers as part of its 190+ country platform — serving 17,500+ businesses across telecom, BPO, fintech, e-commerce and enterprise. You get the local Emirati DID, carrier-grade routing, and the APIs to wire it into whatever softphone, PBX, contact center or CRM you already run.
Local UAE DIDs in major area codes — Dubai (+971 4), Abu Dhabi (+971 2) and more
Call forwarding to any mobile, landline, SIP endpoint, or softphone worldwide
HD voice with G.711, G.729, Opus & AMR-WB — auto-negotiated per call
Sub-150ms latency on major voice corridors via distributed PoPs
99.99% uptime SLA backed by geo-redundant infrastructure & sub-2s failover
WebRTC support for browser-based calling without softphone installs
REST APIs for provisioning, routing & call detail records (CDRs)
Built-in fraud protection with AI anomaly detection & STIR/SHAKEN
24/7 network monitoring and dedicated support
How to get your UAE virtual number
Most businesses are live within hours, not days.
Choose your area code
Pick Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or another UAE area code based on where you want presence.
Tell MCM where to route
Forward to a mobile, an existing PBX, a SIP trunk, or a softphone — any destination type.
Provision via portal or API
Self-service portal for single numbers; REST API for bulk provisioning and CRM integration.
Go live
Receive calls with caller ID, call recording and CDR access from day one.
More country dialing guides
Ready to connect with the UAE?
Get a UAE virtual number from MCM — local caller ID, global routing, sub-150ms latency and a 99.99% uptime SLA, trusted by 17,500+ businesses. No credit card, 5-minute setup, no contracts.
UAE country code +971 — frequently asked questions.
Is the country code the same for Dubai and Abu Dhabi?expand_more
Yes. +971 covers all seven emirates — the emirate is set by the area code (Dubai 4, Abu Dhabi 2), not the country code.
Why does my WhatsApp or FaceTime call to the UAE fail?expand_more
The UAE restricts consumer VoIP calling. Use a normal dialled call or a UAE-licensed calling app rather than WhatsApp/Skype/FaceTime.
Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain all start with 6 — how do I know which one I'm calling?expand_more
They share the single landline code 6. The specific city is identified by the 7-digit local number, not a separate area code.
How do I dial a UAE mobile from the US?expand_more
011 + 971 + the 2-digit mobile prefix (50/52/54/55/56/58) + the 7-digit number. Drop the local leading 0.
Can I get a Dubai (+971 4) number without a UAE trade licence?expand_more
Yes — a virtual number lets you hold a +971 line and route calls anywhere; physical presence isn't required to receive calls.
What's the difference between an Etisalat (e&) and a du number?expand_more
The prefix: e& uses 50/54/56 and du uses 52/55/58 — though number portability can blur this.
Does the UAE change its clocks for daylight saving?expand_more
No. It stays on Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4) all year, so the time gap only shifts when your own country changes clocks.
Do UAE toll-free 800 numbers work from abroad?expand_more
Generally no — 800 numbers usually only connect inside the UAE. From abroad you need the full +971 geographic or mobile number.