What Pre Paid Service Plan Can Call The Middle East

The apply of mobile phones in Saudi arabia is, in a word, endemic. So, if y'all are moving to the Kingdom, you volition find information technology very easy to gear up up your telephone.

There are several mobile phone operators offering a range of pre- and post-paid options in Saudi Arabia. In fact, your merely problem might be figuring out which one to choose. To help you make a determination, this guide provides the post-obit data:

The mobile network in Saudi Arabia
Can you apply your ain mobile phone in Saudi Arabia?
Mobile phone operators in Saudi Arabia
Pre-paid vs mobile contracts in Saudi arabia
Mobile telephone plans and contracts in Kingdom of saudi arabia
Pre-paid SIM cards in Kingdom of saudi arabia
Mobile phones in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia mobile numbers
Repairing a mobile phone in Kingdom of saudi arabia
Mobile phone laws in Saudi Arabia
If you don't have a mobile phone in Saudi Arabia

The mobile network in Kingdom of saudi arabia

As in many other countries, mobile phones in Kingdom of saudi arabia operate on a GSM network. In addition, most operators are at present moving toward 5G engineering. Yet, while phone signals are generally fantabulous in major towns and cities, they are significantly weaker in less built-up areas. To become an idea of mobile network coverage in Saudi arabia, wait at this map.

Wi-Fi connection in Saudi arabia

Nigh 80% of the population in the Kingdom has a mobile telephone, then you should notice it quite easy to notice a Wi-Fi connection. Nigh public areas – such as hotels, restaurants, and coffee houses – offer gratuitous Wi-Fi hotspots.

Furthermore, Internet speeds are usually very adept. In fact, in Nov 2019, a report stated that Saudi Arabia was 14th in the earth for mobile internet speeds and 54th for broadband net. Specifically, the report showed that the average mobile download speed was 55.58mbps. The boilerplate broadband download speed was slightly slower, at 52.95mbps.

You should know that the government monitors Internet use very strictly in Saudi arabia. For example, recent reports take suggested that more 6,000 sites – and 5.v million links – are blocked in the land.

Tin can you use your ain mobile phone in Kingdom of saudi arabia?

As long as they meet certain requirements, most people will be able to apply existing mobile phones in Saudi Arabia. Firstly, the phone should operate on a GSM network. And secondly, information technology should be unlocked – which means it shouldn't be tied to a item network. If your electric current phone meets these requirements, so you will be able to use information technology; you will simply demand to become new SIM cards in Saudi Arabia. Y'all tin get your phone unlocked in the country, however, information technology tin be expensive to do so.

For curt stays and visitors to the Kingdom, you may exist able to use information roaming on your overseas telephone. While normal roaming charges can be expensive, most operators now offer affordable packages. If you choose to use these options, yous should expect into the pricing before y'all leave.

Mobile phone operators in Saudi Arabia

Three chief companies handle mobile phones in Saudi arabia. These are STC (Saudi Telecom Company), Zain, and Mobily. STC was founded in Riyadh in 1998 and has since get the leading telco in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, 81% of their customers subscribe to mobile phone services, which accounts for 71%; or approximately US$10.1 billion.

Man in Medina on a videocall on his mobile phone

Mobily launched mobile services in 2005 after winning a bid for Saudi Arabia'southward 2d GSM license. Afterward, in 2011, the company became the get-go operator in the Middle Eastward and Africa to launch 4G services.

The third mobile operator to enter the Kingdom of saudi arabia market, Zain was established in Riyadh in 2008.

Recently, several international companies take entered the Saudi Arabian mobile market. These include London-based Virgin Mobile and Lebara. Nonetheless, these brands are new and have all the same to see considerable take-up.

Pre-paid vs mobile contracts in Kingdom of saudi arabia

About people use mobile phones in Saudi arabia. However, that doesn't mean they want to be tied to a fixed-term, postal service-paid contract. In fact, 68.eight% (or 28.4 million) phone users in the Kingdom use pre-paid mobile services. Of course, the remaining 31.2% of mobile users practice accept contracts.

In that location are good reasons for these statistics. Equally y'all will see after in this guide, mobile contracts come with many more features and ofttimes offer a better value proposition for users. Nonetheless, pay-every bit-y'all-go users have much more flexibility to utilise their phones as they wish and accept meliorate control over how much they spend each calendar month.

If you only plan to stay in the Kingdom for a brusque menses – or you lot are a visitor – y'all would be ameliorate off using a pre-paid mobile selection. However, if you program to be there for at least one year and want to keep in bear on with people dorsum home, then a contract will give you lot amend value for money.

Mobile phone plans and contracts in Kingdom of saudi arabia

There are several operators of mobile phones in Saudi Arabia, and each one offers a diversity of plans and services. Because of this, y'all volition have to practice a little research to find i that suits your needs.

STC offers a series of post-paid plans under the name Mofawtar. These range from the Bones plan to the Mofawtar five packet. With the no-frills basic package, yous will pay SAR70/month for 2GB of internet and 100 minutes of network calls. However, the Mofawtar 5 contract – which is SAR800/month – comes with unlimited data, calls, and SMS, as well as roaming information and calls. In addition, y'all can get a 10% family disbelieve for five numbers.

Zain's post-paid packages are somewhat cheaper and may offer much more than value for money if you want a new telephone. These plans range between SAR199-499/month. You will go 1,500-unlimited local telephone call minutes and between 15–200GB of data each month. Y'all volition too be able to choice a phone – at no extra cost – from a limited selection. Additionally, Zain has an exclusive 5G parcel. For SAR299/month, you lot will become three,000 local call minutes, 50GB of information, 5G services, and a costless smartphone.

Mobily also offers post-paid plans which are priced between SAR50-400/month and offering various inclusions for local calls and data, but no roaming. However, the post-paid 400 Package, which costs SAR400/calendar month, is corking value. That is because the package includes unlimited local information, unlimited calls, 100 roaming minutes, and 1GB of roaming data.

If you choose a mobile phone plan, yous will usually take to sign on with that operator for a flow of 12, 18, or 24 months. If you want to change your service provider before your contract ends, you will have to pay out the balance before you lot can move.

How to get a mobile phone contract

In that location are many ways to get a mobile telephone contract in Saudi Arabia. For example, STC allows yous to subscribe to its services past phone and SMS or through their defended app or website. Nevertheless, you volition find it far easier to go into a store.

Usually, you will accept to provide your Iqama (resident permit) and passport to go your contract. Y'all will also take to provide details such equally your name, e-mail, and accost. Yet, in one case they have all this information, the operating companies will mostly have your mobile service up and running within a few hours. If yous don't become your contract in-store, all the same, the procedure can take a little longer considering they will take to send you your SIM card past post.

Pre-paid SIM cards in Saudi Arabia

Many people use pre-paid SIM cards in Saudi Arabia, and for good reason. These offer far more flexibility and control over your spending.

STC offers two types of pre-paid SIMs: Sawa 24 and Sawa Ziyara. The Sawa 24 costs but SAR25 and comes with credits that must be topped up regularly. The SIM card is valid for just 90 days, withal, yous tin can extend this by continuing to top upwards the value of your card.

Conversely, the Sawa Ziyara is valid for 120 days and cannot be extended. You will pay SAR30 for the SIM card and then choose a plan that costs SAR40 or SAR70. Both come with 3GB of data and 3GB of STC Wi-Fi but take dissimilar values for international call balances and local telephone call minutes. To top up your Sawa card, you can use the company's website or app, cocky-service machines, or purchase recharge cards in-store.

Zain also produces a range of post-paid SIM cards in Saudi Arabia. Kareeb is all-time for calling certain countries such as Bharat, People's republic of bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan, and the Philippines, for instance. Yet, Khateer is great for local utilize. That said, if y'all desire a pre-paid SIM card that functions like a mobile contract, you should try the Shabab service. These plans are priced between SAR59 and SAR199 and offer various inclusions for local calls and information. Although Shabab provides pre-paid plans, they automatically renew every month. Zain likewise offers a visitor's SIM card that is great for brusk-term trips to the Kingdom. There are 3 packages priced between SAR55-SAR199 and they all include data, local calls, and international credit.

You lot can purchase pre-paid SIM cards in Saudi arabia at stores, the airport, or online. Yet, you will need to provide ID – like you Iqama or passport – to make the purchase. You will find many street vendors selling pre-paid SIM cards. A note of circumspection, though, practise not buy cards from them considering these are ordinarily already registered to other owners.

Mobile phones in Kingdom of saudi arabia

In 2019, in that location were twenty meg smartphones in Saudi arabia; that means most lx% of the total population has 1. To put this into context, this is the 3rd largest smartphone market in the earth and nearly double the international average.

Smartphones in Saudi arabia

All the world's most popular smartphone brands are available in Saudi Arabia. However, the nearly popular are – of course – Samsung, Apple tree, and Huawei. These iii companies have 34%, 30%, and 28% shares of the local smartphone market, respectively.

As in well-nigh countries, yous can buy smartphones in Kingdom of saudi arabia directly from the telecoms. For example, STC has the Apple iPhone eleven Pro 64G for SAR4,095. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G is available through STC with monthly mobile phone plans priced between SAR25 and SAR250/month. Alternatively, you can buy information technology on its own for SAR4,199 from Mobily.

Of form, you lot can too buy your smartphone 2d-mitt. SOUQ, a subsidiary visitor of Amazon, is a good place for this as they offering a range of devices at good prices. For example, you can notice an iPhone XS 512GB for SAR3,598. Yous can also effort places similar Friday Market (a Samsung Note ten+ 156GB was SAR3,000) or Expatriates.com (an iPhone 11 Pro 256GB was SAR4,200. Additionally, the Facebook market has plenty of second-hand phones for sale.

Kingdom of saudi arabia mobile numbers

If you lot program to call Saudi Arabia from overseas, yous will demand to use 966, which is the international dialing lawmaking. Within the Kingdom, all phone numbers are 7 digits long. In addition, you volition normally have to use an extra three-digit area code. The most important expanse codes are:

001 – Riyadh and central region
012 – western region, including Jeddah and Taif
013 – eastern region, including Dammam and Qatif
014 – northern borders, including Tabuk
017 – southern region, including Asir
050/053/055 – STC mobiles
058/059 – Zain mobiles
054/056 – Mobily mobiles
0570/0571/0572 – Virgin mobiles
0576/0577/0578 – Lebara mobiles

If you need to switch mobile phone providers at whatsoever fourth dimension, you should be able to keep your existing number. Mobile operators offer number porting at no additional charge; you will just need to let them know when you sign upward with them.

Repairing a mobile telephone in Saudi Arabia

It is possible to get mobile phones repaired in Saudi Arabia. However, it will probably exist more expensive than in other countries. In add-on, you volition need to ask around and exercise enough of research to find a reliable repair shop.

Mobile telephone laws in Saudi Arabia

As in most other countries, it is illegal to employ your mobile telephone while driving in Saudi arabia. This includes Bluetooth and hands-free devices. The police force came into effect in 2018 as a consequence of pregnant road accidents linked to mobile use. If you lot are caught using a mobile phone while driving, y'all will have to pay a fine of around SAR300; you may besides exist detained for 24 hours.

A man in Saudi Arabia calling while driving

If y'all don't have a mobile phone in Kingdom of saudi arabia

STC provides landline services throughout Kingdom of saudi arabia. Their Basic Abode Phone plan includes free installation and costs SAR45/calendar month – although yous have to pay on tiptop of this for any calls you brand. The Home Phone Plus program also includes free installation, only at SAR99/month, it comes with free local calls. Y'all can also buy Marhaba cards to brand international calls on these landlines. These cards offer a 25% discount on international calls compared to the charges on normal plans.

Public phones are apace falling out of way in Saudi Arabia and y'all may accept trouble finding these. However, your all-time bet will be public places such equally shopping malls.