Will Etisalat SIM cards get blocked in foreign phones in Sharm el-Sheikh?

Mobile routers also have an IMEI. A router bought from an Egyptian mobile operator shop may be tied to the local network and may not work with SIM cards in other countries.

Dual-SIM phones with two radio modules each have their own IMEI per slot — effectively two phones in one body. Single-radio dual-SIM devices share one IMEI across both slots, so a block affects the entire device.

Staff at the Etisalat counter at Sharm el-Sheikh airport confirmed that IMEI-based blocking applies only to iPhones. Android devices work without issues. Three Etisalat SIMs were inserted into three Android phones and worked fine on both a previous and a recent visit.

Russia passed a law requiring phones to be registered by IMEI and linked to a SIM card. Unregistered devices risk losing calls, SMS, and data. Travelers were concerned this might affect Egyptian SIM cards used in unregistered handsets.