UAE: How to verify SIM cards or mobile numbers linked to your Emirates ID (avoid fraud)

Dubai: In the UAE, you can view all the mobile numbers registered under your Emirates ID through a digital service called ‘Hesabati’, which enables citizens and residents to check for wrong SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards under their name.

Recently, the official twitter account of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) raised awareness on the service that helps detect any numbers registered under the customer’s name without their knowledge. Accessing ‘Hesabati’ is free of charge and only individuals who hold an Emirates ID can use the service.

The service is only accessible to individuals with a valid Emirates ID and allows them to see all the mobile and fixed line phone numbers registered under their Emirates ID number with telecom service providers in the UAE.

According to TDRA, ‘Hesabati’ is a digital initiative that seeks to ensure that no SIM card is registered under the individual's Emirates ID without his or her knowledge or consent and protect them against the misuse of numbers.

To use the service, you must have a UAE Pass, which is the national digital identity for citizens, and residents in the UAE. Click here to find out how you can sign up for the UAE Pass.

1. Visit the TDRA homepage - https://tdra.gov.ae/en/ and scroll down until you see the ‘Our Initiatives’ section. Click on ‘read more’ under ‘Hesabati’. Next, click ‘here’.
2. Then, sign in with your UAE Pass.
3. Next, click ‘Create an account’. Once you select this option, TDRA and UAE Pass will automatically create an account for you.
4. After a few minutes, the ‘Hesabati’ service will give you a list of all your active mobile numbers and fixed phone numbers registered with UAE service providers – which includes Du, Etisalat and Virgin Mobile.
5. The list will contain the following details – the account number (which is the mobile number), account type (pre-paid or post-paid), your mobile phone subscription plan and the expiry date of your mobile phone registration, which is the same as your Emirates ID expiry date.
6. If you see an unknown mobile number in the list that means that there is an unauthorised SIM under your name. If that is the case, click on the ‘Make A Complaint’ button under the mobile number.

Once you click on ‘Make A Complaint’, select the mobile service provider and provide a description of the issue, and then click on ‘Submit’. Once you submit the complaint, you will get a reference number to track the progress of the complaint and TDRA will follow up with you by email. You can also contact TDRA’s call centre - 800 12 to file a complaint.

Alternatively, you can directly contact your mobile service provider and notify them that an unauthorised SIM card is registered under your name.

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This article was originally published on June 21, 2023 and has been updated since.