Staying connected in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia registers SIMs biometrically. Buying a local prepaid line means presenting your passport and giving fingerprints at a carrier kiosk or counter, commonly at the airport on arrival, where the staff do this constantly and it is quick. It is not an obstacle so much as a step nobody warns visitors about, and it surprises people who expected to grab a SIM from a shelf.

That friction is the honest argument for a Nomad eSIM here: a few dollars per gigabyte, set up before you fly, no kiosk and no biometrics. It costs more per gigabyte than the local SIM, so it is a convenience purchase rather than a saving, and on a short trip it is a reasonable one. If you are staying longer or want a Saudi number for domestic apps and deliveries, do the local SIM.

The well-documented history is that Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on internet calling in September 2017, deliberately, as part of opening up to business, and WhatsApp and FaceTime calling have generally worked there since. That is the position most sources describe and it is the one we would report.

What stops us stating it flatly is that some 2026 sources claim the calls are blocked again by the major carriers, and we could not resolve that disagreement to our own standard. Worth knowing how thin the evidence is. Almost every page on the internet about Gulf app-calling is published by a company selling a VPN or an eSIM, both of which are the advertised fix, and they contradict each other flatly: on the same week in 2026 we found sources calling this country blocked, intermittent and permitted. So we are not going to give you a confident answer we do not have. Messaging works everywhere in the Gulf. Assume app calling might not, have a backup before you land, and test it on arrival rather than at the moment you need it.

Coverage is good where visitors go: fast 4G and 5G in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, solid service at AlUla and Diriyah, along the highways and on the Haramain high-speed line, and around Medina. It thins in the interior desert, deep in the Empty Quarter and on the mountain roads of the Asir southwest, so a desert or mountain drive wants offline maps and a paper note of where you are staying.

Roaming is about 10 to 12 dollars a day, so 70 to 84 dollars a week, with AT&T capping at 10 daily fees per line per bill period, about 120 dollars, and Verizon having no equivalent cap, which matters on the longer stays business travel here tends to involve. T-Mobile's tiers include 5GB to 30GB before 256kbps. This guide is written for US travelers departing the US. For more, see cash or card in Saudi Arabia, taxis and apps in Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi Arabia money guide.

Common questions

Quick answers.

More on Saudi Arabia

The little money things nobody warns you about.

• Do US citizens need a visa for Saudi Arabia?Yes, and it is the most expensive entry in the Gulf, but it is also the most generous: a year of validity, multiple entries, and medical insurance folded into the price.
• Cash or card in Saudi Arabia?Saudi Arabia went card-first fast. Cards and phone payments cover almost everything in the cities, the riyal does not move, and the 15% VAT is the one number worth planning around.
• Do you tip in Saudi Arabia?Not obligatory, and not the US convention. Service is often charged for already, and where it is not, a small amount in cash is welcome rather than expected.
• Taxis, apps and the metro in Saudi ArabiaSaudi cities are vast and built for cars, so getting around is mostly apps. Riyadh is the exception now, because its new metro is absurdly cheap and reaches the airport.
• The Saudi VAT refund, and the step everyone missesShort answer: Saudi Arabia charges the highest VAT in the Gulf and, unusually for the region, gives it back on shopping. The scheme works, but it starts at the till rather than at the airport, and that is where most claims are lost before they begin.
• Saudi Arabia hotel taxes and fees, explainedShort answer: about a fifth on top, and how much depends on the stars on the door. Saudi Arabia charges the highest VAT in the Gulf, and the municipality levy beside it asks cheaper hotels for half what it asks the smart ones. Here is what lands on the bill.
• What does getting sick in Saudi Arabia cost a visitor?Saudi Arabia is the rare country that answers part of the insurance question at the border: a basic emergency policy from a Saudi-regulated insurer is bundled into the tourist visa itself. Knowing exactly what that policy is, and is not, is this page.