Best Free VPN for the UAE: These 3 Will Work Perfectly

Being a Middle Eastern country, the UAE is known for stringent laws regarding censorship and surveillance. With many sites under restrictions and the authorities spying on their residents, it’s clear why many are looking for the best free VPN for the UAE.

In addition, this country is no exception to geo-blocks. Sites like Netflix US and Hulu are inaccessible here. To that, we should add VoIP services like Skype or WhatsApp, both of which are blocked. This calls for a free UAE VPN, which should help you alleviate these problems.

For one, a VPN will help you unblock restricted sites and apps. Second, it’ll assign you a different IP and hide your original one, letting you browse the web anonymously. This is a powerful tool thanks to encryption and advanced security protocols but not always!

Some VPNs simply aren’t worth your time and finding a good free VPN for the UAE that works in 2024 is a time-consuming task. Hence, we did all the heavy lifting for you and are ready to present to you our findings. We advise staying with us – you’ll get a plethora of useful information.

Best Free UAE VPN for Up to 30 Days (Risk-Free!)

If you’re looking to use WhatsApp in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, using a VPN surely sounds smart. First, we’ll present our favorite free services for up to 30 days because we think they’re superior to really free providers. Let’s explain what we think about further.

NordVPN: The Absolute Best Free VPN for the UAE

NordVPN is the absolute best free UAE VPN for 30 days, so you get 30 days of risk-free use. This provider is way better than most of its rivals, while also costing less. Regardless, the trick that we explained many times will work here. You’ll have to get NordVPN through our site first.

Needless to say, the service offers an exclusive discount for our readers, so the longest plan comes at a very low price – 2 times lower than ExpressVPN (our #2) per month! This deal is accompanied by a 30-day refund policy, granting you the ability to enjoy it risk-free for a month and a half.

Try NordVPN for Free for 30 Days

Once you purchase NordVPN, you can even unblock porn sites in the UAE, enjoy online gambling, stream on a variety of platforms, and so forth. It does offer unlimited traffic and speeds, making it sort of addicting because of the level of freedom you have.

However, you’ll need to get a refund in the first 30 days. Contact NordVPN, request a refund, and it’ll be completed the same day.

Why Use NordVPN?

NordVPN has 6,300 servers in 111+ countries and even offers 5 fast servers in Dubai. Taking advantage of a UAE IP is therefore child’s play. This instantly makes it suitable for UAE residents abroad who want to access local TV channels and banking portals. However, that’s not all – this powerful VPN offers amazing security features and lots of other quirks.

256-bit encryption is a staple of this provider but it’s complemented by split tunneling, an automatic kill switch, and modern protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2, and NordLynx. Furthermore, the provider is equipped with an ad blocker, which can also frequently block YouTube ads!

NordVPN’s torrenting servers are nearly perfect. While streaming-optimized servers work with Netflix, dedicated torrenting servers are optimized for fast speeds and impeccable security, which makes for anonymous, yet fast torrent downloads.

We should also mention this provider’s audited no-logging policy. In addition, NordVPN’s Double VPN servers are excellent from a security standpoint, as they route your traffic through two VPN servers, resulting in two layers of encryption.

Much like you’d expect from it, the service relies on RAM-based servers and uses Private DNS to prevent DNS queries from being leaked to your ISP. The provider offers 10 simultaneous connections, which is 2 more than ExpressVPN, with a few other useful additions.

One is the dedicated IP option at just a few dollars a month and another is Incogni at just $4 a month which deletes your private info from data brokers. This VPN with antivirus will give you complete protection from online threats, making it reliable, flexible, and above all, suitable for everyone’s pocket (or wallet).

ExpressVPN: 30 Days of FREE Use in Dubai & Abu Dhabi

ExpressVPN isn’t a free provider and we think you all know it. However, we want to repeat a neat little trick that will allow you to use the best VPN for Dubai for free. This solution revolves around the 30-day money-back guarantee that ExpressVPN includes in all plans.

So basically, you’ll have to get it using the button below. There, you can claim a 49% discount and 3 free months for the annual plan, which the provider proudly offers through our site. This will allow you to save plenty of money and get the provider for a cheap price.

Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free for 30 Days

Alternatively, even the monthly plan is viable, as it’s subject to a 30-day refund policy as well. Once you get it, you can enjoy this provider without limits regarding bandwdith, performance, speeds, or anything else. Besides, this is a reliable VPN for the UAE. It will always work in this country.

Right before the first 30 days expire, you’ll need to contact the company using the live chat widget on the site. Just mention you want a refund and they’ll give it to you immediately without asking questions. This means you aren’t losing any money, despite sucking all the juices from ExpressVPN for 30 days.

Why Use ExpressVPN?

Why use ExpressVPN and not really free VPNs for the UAE? Well, it offers unlimited bandwidth and fast speeds, coupled with 3,000 servers in 105 countries. While it has no servers in the UAE, people in this country won’t care about that. They’ll want US servers, for example, and the provider has them.

Another important factor is security. ExpressVPN is really impeccable in this regard, as it packs 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and Lightway – a proprietary protocol for added security and performance. Users in the UAE will appreciate its no-logging policy.

ExpressVPN won’t store logs of your online footprints, IP addresses, or DNS requests, which is a breath of fresh air. Even better – it will let you unblock VoIP services in the UAE, as well as stream on Netflix or download torrents with excellent speeds.

The provider relies on 10 Gbps servers based on RAM, meaning nothing’s stored on them. This is further enhanced with a proprietary DNS service used for handling your DNS requests. As a result, your ISP is fully unaware of the websites you’re trying to visit or anything you do online.

ExpressVPN’s prowess is shown in device support. The provider has functional and well-optimized apps for any platform – even Smart TVs and routers in addition to iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its 8 simultaneous connections are welcome and will let you protect all your devices.

Let’s not forget about ExpressVPN’s expertise which produced three security audits from KPMG, Cure53, and PwC. These household names confirmed that ExpressVPN is safe, secure, and ready to be used as the second-best free VPN in the UAE for 30 days. You really can’t ask for more!

Really Free VPNs for the UAE: Our Selection of the Top 3

If you’re not willing to give NordVPN and ExpressVPN a shot, that’s completely fine. In this case, you can use some really free VPNs for the UAE, as long as you have your expectations in check. They’re by no means better than NordVPN and ExpressVPN. That’s simply unrealistic.

However, we at least made sure they’re safe and secure, so that aspect won’t be problematic. As for other features and functionalities… well, you’ll have to get used to a lot of compromises. Let’s discuss these VPNs and see what they can and can’t offer.

1. ProtonVPN

Our next favorite free UAE VPN in 2024 is ProtonVPN. Our team appreciates this provider for its unlimited bandwidth which makes it excellent for general browsing. ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, which inherently means top-notch security and privacy.

Indeed, it stores no logs and uses RAM-based bare-metal servers that users can enjoy. Its free services are based in one server location (titled “Fastest” in the app), with no UAE servers in place. However, the provider is filled to the brim with features like WireGuard, a kill switch, split tunneling, and 256-bit encryption.

Even the free version allows for port forwarding and users can enjoy VPN Accelerator, although it’s not particularly effective in the free version. Still, ProtonVPN has excellent support for all devices, all of which have, more or less, similar things to offer.

What they don’t offer is P2P friendliness. Yes, ProtonVPN forbids torrenting but even worse is that its servers aren’t great for streaming. Not only it is slow but also incapable of unblocking ANY popular streaming service. Therefore, US TV channels in the UAE are highly unlikely to work.

ProtonVPN lacks Secure Core servers – one feature we absolutely adore. The ad blocker called NetShield is reserved for premium users too. We’re not happy with its lackluster customer support available through email only, which even premium users get.

However, the biggest issue is ProtonVPN’s popularity which produces severe server overloads. Pretty much every free server is at 90% or so load, resulting in painfully slow speeds, seldom instabilities, and poor performance. Such a shame for a free VPN with unlimited bandwidth…

Visit ProtonVPN

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2. Hide.me

The second-best 100% free VPN in the United Arab Emirates is Hide.me VPN, a provider we often recommend. We love its free version because it comes with an audited no-logging policy and stores absolutely no personal data, offering unlimited traffic as well!

Moreover, Hide.me VPN is slightly faster than ProtonVPN but its performance is nowhere near NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

The provider offers bank-grade encryption and a kill switch, plus OpenVPN. This ensures you’re always anonymous online, especially when taking into account its superb IP/DNS leak protection. Hide.me VPN sports easy-to-use apps for all platforms, much like our premium VPNs.

On top of that, users in the UAE can enjoy servers in the US, the Netherlands, and 6 other countries. Although they’re not capable of unblocking streaming platforms, they’re at least more numerous than ProtonVPN’s servers. Sadly, this is where the good stuff ceases. Hide. me VPN’s annoying P2P limit is – as said – ANNOYING. It won’t work for torrenting.

We also dislike that many premium features are lacking. For example, MultiHop servers, an ad blocker, WireGuard, and the Bolt proxy are completely absent. Simultaneous connections aren’t present either.

This means you can protect only ONE device with your subscription. This makes the free version of Hide.me VPN impractical for people with more devices who want to take advantage of VPN protection on all of them.

Hide.me is, as you can see, miles below NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Its 24/7 live support is average too, so it’s yet another disappointment. As a free VPN for the UAE that’s safe and secure, it’s solid. But if you want even slightly more than safety and security, it’s actually terrible.

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3. PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN offers plenty of exciting features for less demanding VPN users.

We like its fast speeds, along with 12 server locations, which is more than what ProtonVPN and Hide.me VPN combined will offer. However, even this provider has no free UAE VPN servers, so keep that in mind.

On the other hand, it’s yet another provider from Switzerland, so many of the things we said about ProtonVPN are still in place. It’s a safe provider with AES-256 encryption, WireGuard, and protection against DNS leaks. Is this VPN really safe in terms of not storing logs?

Of course. A no-logging policy is here but we don’t like that it hasn’t been audited yet. ProtonVPN, in comparison, has a security audit from SEC Consult. PrivadoVPN is even capable of light streaming and its free version, surprisingly, can often unblock Netflix US.

The downside is that your streaming sessions are going to be crippled by limited bandwidth. With just 10 GB a month, watching a few episodes of the series will pose a challenge. On top of that, this will impact your torrenting experience, which, by the way, is allowed in this VPN.

PrivadoVPN has one big flaw and that’s the lack of the GUI Linux app. If you’re using this system and its distros, you’ll have to go for ProtonVPN or Hide.me VPN instead. Let’s not forget about the lack of simultaneous connections, which means using it on only one device at a time.

At least PrivadoVPN has 24/7 live chat support, which works surprisingly well. It’s also easy to use and offers split tunneling in the free version. It’s a mixed bag like other best free VPNs for the UAE on this list. But if you’re not willing to pay, this is as far as you can go.

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Free VPNs for Dubai & Abu Dhabi to Avoid

In our guide, we presented the three free VPNs for the UAE that you can use in Dubai and Abu Dhabi safely. However, we must state that many popular choices that we’ve seen people use are generally unsafe. Therefore, it’s hard to recommend them in this or any other country.

According to our numerous tests, free UAE VPN services that you should avoid include:

Hola VPN

Hola VPN is one of the worst services we used. It’s operating on P2P technology, which means every user shares his idle resources with other users in the network. This means each user willingly gives his IP address to other users who can, many times, abuse it and cause problems for these users.

In addition, Hola VPN stores every bit of information related to you. This includes your browsing history, IP address, social media credentials, DNS requests, timestamps, geolocation, and so forth. Hola VPN is also connected to Bright Data, one of the largest proxy services.

It is speculated that the company sells user-related data to this company, which is one of its many red flags.

Urban VPN

Urban VPN is based in the US and it’s a 100% free service with unlimited bandwidth and lots of servers. Once again, it’s a provider that stores all your private data and sells it to third parties to earn money. It offers no security features and even shows signs of IP leaks from time to time.

This is an unsafe, insecure, and unreliable Virtual Private Network that you should avoid in the United Arab Emirates. Not to mention it won’t work with streaming services or allow P2P – another criminal offense to VPN users.

To learn more, check our Urban VPN review.

Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield, Betternet, UltraVPN, and other Pango Group VPNs should be avoided. They offer solid security thanks to the Hydra VPN protocol but their intrusive logging practices are a major issue. We mentioned this in our UltraVPN review.

They’re also limited in terms of bandwidth and offer poor speeds and unstable performance. These, however, are minor issues compared to their privacy concerns that go far beyond logging. Since they’re all in the US, who knows where your personal data might end up – maybe at NSA or CIA?!

Are There Free VPNs With Servers in the UAE?

Finding free VPN servers in the United Arab Emirates is incredibly hard. When looking at our favorite choices from above, you’ll notice they don’t have them. On the other hand, we found that Urban VPN, a provider we don’t recommend, actually has a couple of them in this country.

In addition, Hola VPN also seems to have UAE servers but as explained, these providers are one of the worst you can use. That said, we can conclude that the quality free providers don’t offer any Dubai or Abu Dhabi server locations.

You can find them only in either paid services like NordVPN or CyberGhost, or, in other cases, in low-quality services like Urban VPN and Hola VPN. Of course, it’s better to use premium services instead, especially if you want to avoid logging and various other privacy concerns.

In Conclusion

We think this in-depth guide and ranking of the best free VPN for the UAE for 2024 is enough to see some things.

Generally speaking, if you’re in the UAE, using a premium provider is your best bet. NordVPN and ExpressVPN showed impressive performance in this country.

They’re not only safe and secure but also offer unlimited bandwidth, astonishing speeds, and streaming/torrenting capabilities. ProtonVPN, Hide.me, and PrivadoVPN are also secure but they lack many of the features that premium services have.

If you’re after streaming, torrenting, or even visiting the dark web, we’re afraid free providers won’t suffice. After all, NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer risk-free money-back guarantees of up to 30 days. If you need a VPN for a limited period, it’s a great incentive.

You can get a premium service, enjoy it during a particular period, and receive a refund, not losing any money in the process.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free for 30 Days