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I've been provided an Etisalat GSM/postpaid SIM card from my company. In the last several months I've been traveling in and out of UAE. Unfortunately my company hesitates to give me the international roaming facility (which I see in Etisalat website it requires 2000 AED deposit). Normally I switch to local prepaid SIM card in each country I landed.

The problem is that the postpaid number is the only one mentioned in my business card and has been communicated to friends and family. I'm quite disturbed that I have to resend notification SMS to them everytime I land in different country.

Has anyone got solution/experience on the "workaround"?
I don't necessary need/use my postpaid card while roaming. But at least all the calls (or missed call notification) and SMSes could be diverted/forwarded to one of my prepaid numbers (non-UAE) I choose.

Get a second phone of your own and pay the 2K deposit from your own money if you need it so bad.

KeithL wrote:Get a second phone of your own and pay the 2K deposit from your own money if you need it so bad.

Yes, but 2K is too expensive. I'd do if it were up to 500.

Do Etisalat do a redirect service?

check out www.united-mobile.com - no roaming charges in more than 80 countries...

Globetrotter wrote:check out www.united-mobile.com - no roaming charges in more than 80 countries...

This is great. The outgoing SMS/calls are more expensive than normal (from local number). But for incoming while roaming, this is what I'm looking for, even better (free). I'll try this one.

forgot to add one thing though:

in some countries/with some gsm providers they experience problems with sending and receiving sms (e.g. in mainland china). In UAE it works without any problems whatsoever.

phone calls worked fine anywhere I've been in the last two years.

Globe...

I just received my United Mobile SIM and activate/register through their website (status Activated). But I still can't get it work. I've followed the guide to dial a number (e.g. my home phone number) and wait for the call back. But every time I dial, it says "Please wait" then "Failed to send SMS" then "Network busy". Then it goes to the STK Service menu (Dial/Telephonebook/Search). I've tried to dial through Dial menu, but same problem. Tried also the numbers to check balance, etc.

How did you manage to make it work here?

Hi xty:

Solution: You have to configure the sms service number ("text messages service center") manually on your mobile - it's +42379010599.

Normally the new sim card should overwrite the old sms service settings of your mobile phone, but that doesn't always work with cellphones which run on symbian or windows mobile.

I'm in Dubai at the moment and use United Mobile all the time. Works with no problem whatsoever.

Let me know if it works,
rgds
Globetrotter