Dubai moves to curb random “SIM card” trade

Dubai has told its telecom shops and other retailers to obtain an official permission to sell mobile phone SIM cards within a move intended to regulate the telecom market in the region’s main business centre.

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) said it had informed the country’s two service providers, Etisalat and Du, to ask all their agents to obtain licence from DED allowing them to deal in SIM cards.

“The move is designed to ensure this type of business is carried out according to the law and to upgrade services to consumers,” said Mohammed Al Saadi, executive director of commercial licences at DED.

“From now on, all authorized distributors and those who deal in SIM cards, must obtain the necessary license which takes only one day to be issued,” he told the Arabic language daily Emirat Alyoum.

He said the decision would also limit the number of shops involved in this business which he described as one of the vital sectors that need to be regulated. “In the coming period, service providers will contract only with shops which have licence to deal in SIM cards,” he said.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.