If you're visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time, you'll want to make sure you have the best mobile phone connection possible. After all, you don't want to miss a single detail of your trip! Here are five mobile phone connections in Saudi Arabia that are perfect for new visitors.
Each of the 5 recommended mobile phone connections in Saudi Arabia needs to be checked with your provider prior to arriving in the country so don't get caught without connectivity. If you have any questions, check out our frequently asked Q&A section for more answers about travelling internationally. The information listed here should also answer all cellular-related questions that you may have regarding lesser-known facts and ground rules when visiting foreign countries from a U.S.-based carrier.
Saudi Arabia has some of the best mobile phone connections that you'll find anywhere in the world, and they are more than adequate enough for anyone who is visiting while travelling overseas. The country hosts two high-speed GSM carriers (Kingdom Carriers & Nawras Saud
i Telecom) which operate on 850/1900 MHz frequencies providing 3G coverage to all major cities throughout Saudi Arabia with over 199 million people making up its population locally.
STC Network (Saudi Telecom Corp.): This Saudi mobile phone carrier is the only GSM operator in all of Saudi Arabia. STC unlimited offers are available for new customers in Saudi Arabia. It's a joint venture between King Fahd Complex for Advanced Information Communication Technology (FACT) and the Saudi government with virtually zero presence outside of Western Asia. The network was built by Telecommunication Technologies International Ltd, an Indian-based telecommunications company engaged in providing telecom services to operators in the Far East, Middle East and Africa regions since 1999.
Kingdom Noor: This is a local service brand of STC Ltd. operating GSM 900/1800MHz with average 3G speeds ranging from 2mbit to 7mbit in some urban areas, low-cost pay as you go roaming packages (you are charged for the usage time only) and 250 MB data per month (< 80 days monthly). There's also a local wireless package that gives unlimited outbound calls and 100 minutes of calling to over 40 destinations, but if you want to make an inbound call from a mobile phone of another operator you'll be charged on per-second basis (you can buy at the S1 shop).
Nawras Saudi Telecom: Nawras runs its service using mostly 1900/900MHz and 850/1900 MHz which is pretty much the same as STC. The local starter package costs 2 SAR and is usable for 60 days after the activation date.
