Local coverage
eSIM Saudi Arabia
A Saudi Arabia eSIM is data only: it registers on STC 5G when you land, and there is no Saudi number to collect at a counter. That difference is what to weigh when you choose between this, a carrier eSIM and a visitor SIM.
- eSIM QR code sent to your email
- Secure checkout with Stripe or PayPal
- Refund policy for unused eSIMs
Data only
Starts when you connect to a compatible network
Top-up available
Available
Within 180 days of purchase
Visiting more than one country?
A regional or global eSIM covers Saudi Arabia and the other stops on your route with one plan.
Everything you need for Saudi Arabia
Coverage
Plan type
Network
Hotspot
Networks in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabia plans on this page connect to these local networks.
Using mobile data in Saudi Arabia
Coverage during your trip
Saudi Arabia is a single coverage field on this plan, not a list of cities, so Jeddah, Riyadh, Mecca and Medina all draw on the same allowance. What the phone shows at each stop comes from STC's network rather than from the eSIM, and the drives between cities are where travellers get caught out: download the route, the hotel pin and the driver's number before you leave.
Choosing and preparing your plan
Three routes get mixed up here. This plan is data only and has no Saudi number. A carrier product such as stc's sawa visitor SIM bundles a Saudi number with local and international minutes, but stc asks you to visit a branch on arrival to activate it, and its packages run two to four weeks. Umrah and Hajj sit on a separate track: the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists issuing the Umrah permit through the Nusuk platform as a step of the Umrah visa service and asks travellers to print the visa and the permit before travel, so finish those steps before you fly rather than at the airport.
Saudi Arabia eSIM questions
How is this different from an eSIM sold by stc or another Saudi carrier?
A carrier eSIM is a phone line: stc's own eSIM page describes activating one on a new stc number, or moving your existing SIM to an eSIM, through the mystc app. This plan is data only, has no Saudi number, and installs before you fly. If you need a local number and call minutes, the carrier route is the one to compare; for maps, rides and messages, this one has fewer steps.
Which network will the eSIM use in Saudi Arabia?
The plan page lists STC, with 5G. The phone picks it up on its own once the eSIM is on and set as the line for mobile data. Your home SIM stays as the line for calls and text messages, which is the number a hotel desk or a driver can reach you on.
We are travelling for Umrah as a family: how many plans do we need?
One eSIM profile per phone; plans cannot be moved between devices, though hotspot is available on selected plans if you want to share data. A week of light use at 300–500 MB a day comes to roughly 2–3.5 GB, so start at 3 GB at $8.00 and step up to 5 GB if the week includes photos, video or a second device on hotspot.