Netflix prices to go up in the UAE

UAE Netflix subscribers will have woken up on Monday morning to an email informing them that monthly prices are going up.

The streaming service, introduced in the UAE in 2016, said the hike in subscription rates will go into effect on October 17. Users will now be charged in dirhams rather than dollars.

“From time to time, Netflix plans and pricing are adjusted as we switch to local currencies, add more exclusive series, movies, documentaries, stand-ups, kids content, introduce new product features and improve the overall Netflix experience to help members find something great to watch even faster,” Netflix told Gulf News tabloid! in an email statement.

For a Basic subscription, users will pay the same price of Dh29 a month (single-screen watching in standard definition). But a Standard subscription is slightly more expensive at Dh39 rather than $11.99 (Dh37); Standard gives users the ability to watch on two screens at a time in HD quality.

A Premium subscription will increase most drastically, from $11.99 (Dh44) to Dh56; Premium allows users to watch on four screens at a time, and is available in HD and Ultra HD.

Users have a month to change their plan or cancel their subscription ahead of the price hike.

In an email titled, ‘Why our monthly prices are changing,’ the Netflix team explains their reasoning: “Why? We’re hard at work improving Netflix so that members like you around the world have even more great TV and movies to enjoy.”

In October of last year, Netflix gave a similar 30 days’ notice that it would raise its subscription rates by 10 per cent across the US — the UK was also affected by price hikes — but the changes did not impact Middle East customers.