Working or living in the United Arab Emirates comes with a lot of perks (e.g. cheap electricity, luxurious hotels, and shopping malls, etc.). Unfortunately, Netflix isn’t one of them and while there’s nothing stopping you from accessing the video streaming service, you may find that the service just isn’t as enjoyable. As you may have already realized, the selections that Netflix UAE offers just isn’t as extensive as its western counterpart. Is there any way to get around it?
In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that by going over the following:
Table of Contents
Is Netflix Available in the UAE?
The UAE isn’t as conservative as other countries in the Middle East and expats can freely access the Netflix website and use the video streaming service. The only problem is that a lot of popular movies and TV shows aren’t accessible in the region due to licensing restrictions. As you may have already realized, content creators ultimately control which part of the world their work is accessible from.
So does this mean that you have no choice but to wait until Netflix secures the streaming rights to your favorite shows? Well, not at all and as you will soon learn, there is a way to get around Netflix’s licensing restrictions and it’s all thanks to the power of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks).
How to Access Netflix US in the UAE
Indeed a VPN service is an answer if you want to watch your favorite shows on Netflix. Well, that and moving back to the US. Kidding aside, VPNs enable users to bypass geo-blocking (content restrictions) by routing their Internet connection to a VPN server located in a different region (US).
Using a VPN to unblock Netflix US isn’t as complicated as you might think. For this example, we’ll be referencing NordVPN—one of the largest and most popular VPN services in the market today. Now, let’s say you want to watch a certain movie or TV show but just can’t seem to find it on Netflix (UAE). If so, then that particular series is probably not available in your region. Not to worry, you can get around it with the following steps:
1. Get a NordVPN account
The first step is to get an account with NordVPN. You will need a username and password to access their VPN network. Their VPN service starts at $11.95 per month or $3.49 per month for a 3-year plan.
2. Download and install the VPN app
Next, you will need to download and install their VPN app for the device that you are using. As you can see, NordVPN supports various types of devices from Windows, Linux, and Mac computers to smartphone devices that run on Android or iOS.
3. Open the app and log into the network
Open the NordVPN app and key in your credentials to log into their VPN network.
4. Connect to a US server
At this point, you should see the user interface for NordVPN. From here, you can connect to a US VPN server by clicking on the “United States” on the left menu under “All Countries.
5. Verify your VPN connection
The VPN app will notify you that you are now connected to a US VPN server and that your connection is protected. You can verify the matter by going to https://www.iplocation.net/ and check whether your IP address is now coming from the US.
6. Go to Netflix
Log on to your Netflix account and start watching your favorite shows.
Best VPNs to Unblock Netflix in the UAE
As you can see, unblocking Netflix US is really easy with NordVPN and if you want to go with a different VPN service, then the process should be fairly similar. That said, VPN services are not created equal and some will do a better job than others when it comes to unlocking geo-blocked content.
Most VPN services (especially the free ones) don’t work with Netflix at all as they continuously ban VPN servers that attempt to circumvent their content restrictions. NordVPN is one of the few VPN services in the market that is able to keep up with Netflix’s blocking attempts.
Other VPN services that we recommend for unblocking Netflix US in the UAE include the following:
Summary
So there you have it—everything that you need to know about watching US-only Netflix movies and TV shows in the UAE (or wherever you might be). As you may have already realized, you don’t have to let licensing restrictions get in the way of your downtime. With a good VPN service by your side, you can access just about any content you want from anywhere in the world. As an added benefit, you get peace of mind knowing that your personal information is encrypted and safe from prying eyes.
