GSMplans is an independent editorial resource covering mobile telecommunications across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain.
Our Mission
Mobile plans and USSD codes across the GCC are scattered, contradictory, and rarely updated. Operator websites are often only in Arabic, change without notice, and use inconsistent terminology. Forums and blogs serve fragmented, outdated information. We built GSMplans to be the single, verified, English-language source of truthfor everyone navigating GCC telecom — residents, expats, tourists, business travelers, and Hajj & Umrah pilgrims.
Meet the Team
GSMplans is published by a small editorial team of telecom-industry practitioners and content specialists with on-the-ground experience in the Gulf market.
GSMplans Editorial Team
Research & Verification
GSMplans is researched and maintained by an in-house editorial team. Every USSD code, price, and step-by-step instruction is checked against official operator sources — websites, store visits, and customer-care confirmations — before publication, then re-verified on a rolling basis. Substantive pricing or policy changes are reviewed before they go live.
Roman Shah
Editor & Lead Copywriter
Roman leads content strategy and editorial production at GSMplans. He’s responsible for the site’s voice, the structural decisions that make plan and code pages quick to scan, and translating operator-level complexity into clear English that travelers, expats, and residents can actually use. Roman comes from a copywriting and content-design background focused on technical and regulated subject-matter.
What We Cover
- USSD code guidesfor every common service — balance check, data balance, recharge, customer care, call forwarding, APN settings, balance transfer, lost SIM, number portability, eSIM activation, and more.
- Mobile plan guidescovering prepaid, postpaid, 5G home wireless, fiber broadband, tourist SIMs, roaming packs, business / enterprise plans, eSIM solutions, and specialty comparisons.
- 16 operators across 6 countries: Etisalat, Du, and Virgin Mobile (UAE); STC, Mobily, and Zain (Saudi Arabia); Zain, Ooredoo, and STC (Kuwait); Ooredoo and Vodafone (Qatar); Omantel, Ooredoo, and Friendi (Oman); Batelco, STC, and Zain (Bahrain).
- Interactive tools— a free USSD lookup, side-by-side plan comparator, and a personalised plan-matching quiz.
Who We’re Built For
- New GCC residentssetting up their first SIM or home internet
- Existing residentswondering if a better plan exists than the one they’re on
- Tourists and business travelersarriving in Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, Muscat, Manama, or Kuwait City
- Hajj & Umrah pilgrimsneeding reliable Saudi connectivity for the pilgrimage
- Expat workerslooking for the cheapest calling plans home to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, or Africa
- SME & enterprise IT teamsevaluating business connectivity across countries
Editorial Independence
GSMplans has no commercial relationshipwith any GCC telecom operator. We are not owned by, contracted to, or paid by Etisalat, Du, STC, Mobily, Zain, Ooredoo, Vodafone, Omantel, Friendi, Batelco, or Virgin Mobile. All operator names and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
The site is monetized through display advertising— primarily Google AdSense and equivalent ad networks. Ad placements do not influence editorial content, plan rankings, or recommendations. If an operator runs an outstanding plan, we say so; if their plan is poor value, we say that too.
How We Verify Information
Every plan, code, and price published on GSMplans is verified against operator sources — official websites, store visits, customer-care confirmations, and (where applicable) independent third-party testing. Our editorial team personally reviews substantive plan and pricing changes before they go live. Each guide carries a Verified [Month Year]badge so you can see when it was last checked. See our Editorial Standardspage for the full methodology.
Contact & Corrections
If you spot outdated information, an error, or a plan we’ve missed, please reach out via our Contact page. We aim to verify and respond to corrections within 48 hours.