The Best VPNs for the United Arab Emirates

We’re on a mission to identify the very best VPNs available all over the world because wherever we might happen to be, a solid VPN is always necessary equipment. In this edition, we’re looking carefully at who offers the very best VPNs in the United Arab Emirates. So read on, and next time you happen to find yourself on the Arabian Peninsula, you can be sure you’ll know which service is right for you.

Overview of the Best VPNs for UAE

Methodology

We take our work seriously so we apply a strict methodology when compiling lists like this one. The process can be lengthy, but as a result, we can guarantee careful, thorough evaluations of each and every product we examine. Of course, we have a number of specific criteria we consider when looking at VPNs including security, privacy policies, speed, available features, and pricing. First and foremost for this list, though, we were looking for companies that maintain a strong number of servers in the United Arab Emirates. All of these elements play a role in our final decisions, and while no VPN is ever perfect, we feel confident saying these are the best the UAE has to offer.

Servers

As we mentioned, the most important qualification to be on this particular list is to have multiple servers in the United Arab Emirates, since that is essential for getting safe, secure connections and fast speeds. All the VPNs on this list have servers located all over the world, which means even if you’re traveling outside the UAE, you can be sure there’s a strong connection nearby. However, all of the VPNs on this list had at least 12 servers in-country.

Security

When we talk about security, we’re really talking about whether or not a VPN is subject to leaks, vulnerabilities that would allow our information to be visible to hackers or government surveillance agencies. We test leaks by running very specific checks. For DNS leaks, we use a program at DNSLeakTest.com to test each and every VPN. We do the same for WebRTC leaks using a tool offered by ExpressVPN. Every VPN on this list passed its leak tests with flying colors.

Privacy

Beyond security, we expect our VPN connection to be private. That means that wherever we might go on the Internet, and whatever we might do, we expect to remain anonymous. That should include protection from hackers, but it should also include protection from the spying tactics of government agencies.

Obviously, a company’s privacy policy tells us a great deal about how important they take our privacy. First, then, we read over all of these policies with a fine-tooth comb, looking for just what they do and don’t promise. All companies, for instance, log some information about us, even if it is just used to improve the quality of the service. We prefer VPNs, though, that log only the bare minimum like our email address and that don’t log our web traffic, our IP addresses, or any timestamps related to our activities.

In addition, we know that privacy policies only go so far; the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Any company can say they guard our privacy, but what do they actually do about it, and what is their record on actually succeeding? So we consider, for example, where a country is based since that can reveal whether it participates in Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or 14 Eyes surveillance alliances.1 We consider what tools it uses to protect us, looking carefully at what kind of encryption methods it employs, (AES-256 is best) whether it uses multi-hop technology and split tunneling, whether it utilizes some form of kill switch, and what kind of IP addresses it issues to users (we prefer dynamic over static). Finally, we research each company’s record to determine whether they have a history of cooperating with authorities or of any serious data breaches.

Speed

Using a simple speed test developed by Ookla,2 we test each VPN for upload, download, and latency speeds. Every VPN slows down a machine to some extent, so we compare the speeds of our devices with VPN to those same devices when they aren’t running the software. This allows us to say to a precise percentage just how much slower a machine runs with a specific VPN.

Features

The most important features for any VPN are those that help to ensure security and privacy (see above). However, it’s nice to have additional perks as well. We like VPNs, for instance, that allow us easy access to Netflix and other streaming services and that have specific tools for torrenting. We pay attention to the quality of the company’s apps, and we take into consideration what sort of response we get from customer service.

Pricing

Last, but far from least, we consider a VPN’s pricing and subscriptions, not just to see which companies offer the lowest price but to consider what kind of value we’re getting for our money. Does a company offer monthly subscriptions, if that’s what we need? How much of a discount do we get for signing long-term contracts? And what exactly do we get for our money? How many simultaneous connections do we get? How many server switches do we get? How many devices does it allow us to use? In general, we look for plans that cost $10 a month or less, and we’re always on the lookout for brands that offer discounts. There are also some completely free VPN options as well as VPNs with free trials, but they usually have limits on the number of connections, devices, etc.