Compare the Best Travel eSIMs for Saudi Arabia
Prepaid data eSIMs for visitors to Saudi Arabia, every plan ranked by real price per GB. This is not a Saudi Arabia contract or a local SIM. Updated daily.
The 3 best Saudi Arabia eSIMs right now
Nomad✓ Verified partner
Yesim✓ Verified partner
Ubigi✓ Verified partner
What Saudi Arabia data actually costs
Saudi Arabia travel eSIM prices look random until you convert every plan to one number: the real cost per gigabyte. Here is what that reveals right now.
The cheapest plan at each size, 30 days
| Data | Cheapest provider | Total | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | Nomad | $41 | $0.82/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 25 GB | Airalo | $49 | $1.96/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 20 GB | Nomad | $31 | $1.55/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 10 GB | Nomad | $18 | $1.80/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 5 GB | Nomad | $14 | $2.80/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 1 GB | Yesim | $5.42 | $5.42/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
Cost per GB rises from $0.82/GB at 50 GB to $5.42/GB at 1 GB. Buying a little more data than you expect to use is almost always cheaper per gigabyte than buying exactly what you need.
The "unlimited" trap
The same words, unlimited for 30 days, cover a wide price range, and most plans slow down after a daily threshold that the label hides.
| Provider | Unlimited, 30 days | Fair-use cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya | $49.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Airalo | $97 | Confirming | Get plan ↗ |
| Saily | $98.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗ |
| Yesim | $102.75 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
| Ubigi | $108 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
Unlimited 30 day plans run from $49.99 to $108, a spread of about 116 percent, for a label that means the same thing on paper. Check the daily cap before you buy, especially if you plan to tether a laptop.
Do not overpay for coverage you will not use
If your whole trip is in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi Arabia only plan is far cheaper per gigabyte than a Middle East or global plan carrying the same data. Same provider (Sim Local), same 20 GB, 30 days:
| Sim Local plan | Price | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia only | $35 | $1.75/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Middle East | $54.25 | $2.71/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Global | $35 | $1.75/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
A Saudi Arabia only plan costs much less per gigabyte than a regional or global plan with the same data. Only pay for the wider plan if you are actually crossing borders on this trip.
Which network does your Saudi Arabia eSIM use?
This is the question that decides your real signal, and almost no comparison site answers it. Your travel eSIM connects to one or more local networks as a visitor, and that choice matters the moment you leave the big cities, because rural coverage varies a lot between them.
| Provider | Host network | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Zain KSA (5G) | Confirmed |
| GigSky | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Ubigi | Zain Saudi Arabia | Confirmed |
| Nomad | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Saily | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Yesim | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
Only two of the six name their Saudi carrier in a checkable way, and both sit on Zain KSA: Ubigi lists Zain on its own partner page and Airalo is consistently reported on Zain's 5G; GigSky, Nomad, Saily and Yesim do not publish their Saudi host, and note that STC, not Zain, has the widest reported reach.
Coverage by where you are going
- Three national operators run the networks: STC (the largest), Mobily, and Zain KSA, and all three offer 5G in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca, and Medina.
- Opensignal's February 2025 report gave STC the widest 4G and 5G reach, with users on a mobile network about 94 percent of the time.
- That same Opensignal data recorded around 14 minutes of daily disconnection for STC users, compared with about 20 minutes on Mobily and 22 minutes on Zain.
- STC launched the Middle East's first commercial standalone 5G in central Riyadh and the KAFD district in 2023, and 5G now covers all major Riyadh districts.
- Networks around Mecca and Medina come under heavy load during Umrah and the annual Hajj, when large pilgrim crowds concentrate in a small area.
- Signal thins across remote desert and mountain routes, and can drop inside some Riyadh Metro tunnels and large indoor venues.
Travel eSIM vs a local Saudi Arabia SIM
A travel eSIM is the quick option for a short visit. You install it before you fly, land connected, and pay a fixed price for a data-only plan. Ubigi and Airalo put you on Zain, while GigSky, Nomad, Saily, and Yesim do not name their Saudi carrier, so the network can vary. None of them give you a Saudi number, so calls have to go through internet apps, which in Saudi Arabia still means the VoIP calling block applies.
A local prepaid SIM from STC (Sawa), Mobily, or Zain costs less per gigabyte for longer stays and gives you a Saudi number for calls and local services. Tourists can buy one at airports and telecom shops using a passport, and registration is done at the point of sale. Budget and MVNO options such as Virgin Mobile KSA, Lebara (on STC or Mobily), and Red Bull Mobile also sell tourist-friendly data packs.
Quick rule: For a short city trip pick a travel eSIM for convenience; for a longer stay or heavy data use, a local STC or Mobily prepaid SIM is cheaper per gigabyte and gives you a callable number.
Saudi Arabia's networks are STC, Mobily and Zain KSA, and STC's Sawa prepaid SIM is sold at airports and stores on presentation of a passport, on the network that carries the widest 5G reach; budget option Virgin Mobile KSA also sells tourist packs.
How a Saudi Arabia travel eSIM works
A travel eSIM replaces expensive roaming with a cheap local data plan you activate in seconds. There is no plastic SIM and no airport queue. Roaming with your home carrier can run 6 to 12 dollars a day, so a week easily tops 50 to 80 dollars for service you already pay for at home.
Three things to get right:
- Check your phone supports eSIM before you buy.
- Install the eSIM at home over WiFi, but wait to activate it until you land, because the validity period usually starts on activation.
- Keep your physical SIM in the phone for calls and texts on your normal number.
How we rank Saudi Arabia eSIMs
Every plan on this page is sorted by real price per GB (total price divided by included data, normalised to USD), so a cheap-looking 1 GB plan cannot outrank a better-value 10 GB one. We refresh prices daily and only list providers with a track record of activating on arrival. We earn a small affiliate commission when you buy through our links. It funds the price tracking and never changes the order you see.
Saudi Arabia travel eSIM FAQ
Which network will my eSIM use in Saudi Arabia?
Ubigi lists Zain Saudi Arabia on its own published partner page, and Airalo is widely reported on Zain's 5G, so both put you on Zain KSA. GigSky, Nomad, Saily, and Yesim do not publicly name their Saudi carrier, so the exact network can be STC, Mobily, or Zain and may vary by plan and location. STC has the widest reported coverage, so a Zain-hosted eSIM is not always the strongest signal.
Can I make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls in Saudi Arabia?
Voice and video calls over WhatsApp and FaceTime have been blocked in Saudi Arabia since 2017, and that block was still in place through 2024 and 2025. Text messages, photos, and voice notes still work normally. A travel eSIM roaming on a Saudi network is subject to the same restriction because it is applied at the network level, not on your device. Approved apps such as BOTIM and Google Meet are available for calls.
Is 5G widely available for travelers?
Yes. All three carriers run 5G across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca, and Medina, and STC has the widest 5G footprint after launching the region's first standalone 5G in Riyadh in 2023. Opensignal's February 2025 report put STC's overall network availability near 94 percent. Whether you get 5G depends on which carrier your eSIM lands on and your exact location.
Do any of these eSIMs give me a Saudi phone number?
No. All six providers sell data-only eSIMs for Saudi Arabia with no local number and no SMS. You can still message and call through internet apps, subject to the VoIP calling block. If you need a callable Saudi number, buy a local STC, Mobily, or Zain prepaid SIM instead.
Will my eSIM work during Hajj or Umrah in Mecca and Medina?
Coverage reaches both cities, but the networks get heavily congested when millions of pilgrims gather in a small area. Expect slower speeds at peak times near the holy sites even where 5G is normally strong. Choose a larger data allowance so you are not left short if speeds dip during the busiest periods.
What does an unlimited Saudi Arabia plan actually give me?
In practice it means a daily high-speed cap followed by throttling, not uncapped fast data. Nomad allows 2 GB per day before reducing speed, and Saily allows 3 GB per day before dropping to 1 Mbps. GigSky, Ubigi, and Airalo do not sell a 30-day unlimited plan for Saudi Arabia, and Yesim sells unlimited-labelled plans but does not publish its fair-use daily limit.