American media company Netflix Inc was founded in 1997 as a mail-order DVD business by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scott Valley, California. The company now offers an online streaming library of films and television programs and as of January 2019, Netflix had over 139 million paid subscriptions worldwide, including 58.49 million in the United States, and over 148 million subscriptions total including free trials. 

This huge increase over the last two years was largely due to the fact that Netflix had launched in new markets and expanded rather quickly. In January 2016 Netflix went live in the United Arab Emirates(UAE), the service was launched with the offer of a one-month free trial period, after users provide their credit card information.

Fast forward to three years later and most of Abu Dhabi and Dubai is accustomed to Netflix. The company currently groups Middle East operations along with its Europe and Africa business unit based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. However, Netflix has predicted that the sharp increase in users means it will open a Dubai office very soon.

Here’s everything you need to know about Netflix in the UAE. Our list includes Netflix middle east content, the VPN debate, pricing and original shows you should definitely watch.

Installation and use

Go to www.netflix.com and sign up for a Netflix Account. It's free to try for a month. 
You can watch Netflix on any of the below devices:

• Laptop
• Smart TV
• Roku
• Gaming Console
• Chromecast
• Apple TV

Laptop does not require any Netflix app installation but all the devices may require a free app installation.

We recommend using – Laptop(connect to your TV via HDMI) or Smart TV

The VPN debate

A Virtual Private Network(VPN) allows you to connect to a server that's not located where you are – which means you could browse the internet through a server located in the US or Europe, whose networks have no restrictions.
Prior to Netflix official launch in the UAE, using VPN to access the service was quite common. However, it must be noted that using VPN in the UAE to access unauthorized services in illegal and in this case that would be Netflix US catalogues. Here's a list of rules from UAE’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA).

These days VPN services for accessing Netflix do not work consistently and it is quite purposeless to google and pay for services termed 'Best VPN for UAE' or 'Best VPN for Dubai' because of the lag in audio and video playback.

We Recommend – Use the paid service to access the UAE Netflix Catalogue. It is worth the money.

Netflix Middle East Content

Here are some cool original Netflix content you should definitely check out. All Netflix Middle East content also includes English and Arabic subtitles while some also include Arabic audio.

Best Netflix Original Movies

• Beasts of No Nation
• Bird Box
• Geralds Game
• I don’t feel at home in this world anymore
• Okja
• Mudbound

Best Netflix Original Shows

• Stanger Things
• Orange is the New Black
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Master of None
• Glow
• Daredevil
• 13 Reasons Why
• You
• Ozark
• House of Cards
• Narcos

Best Arabic Language Movies/Series

• Theeb
• Omar
• Sandstorm

Best Audio in Arabic Titles

• Boss Baby
• Teen Titans
• Kung Fu Panda
• Bee Movie
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Brave

Pricing

Netflix UAE offers 3 tier pricing – Basic – AED29, Standard -AED39, Premium-AED56
Standard and Premium offer HD options and Premium offers a UHD option. But perhaps the main difference is the number of screens you can watch at the same time. With the basic option you can watch one screen, standard two and premium four.

For more info and to get watching on Netflix visit netflix.com

Last Update: January 2019