Destination
Saudi Arabia eSIM
Saudi Arabia mixes Riyadh business towers, Jeddah old-town corniche, AlUla desert heritage and Red Sea dive projects. Data on landing helps with riyal ATMs, Uber/Careem and Vision 2030 event ticket apps. With NXTL you get a global pay-as-you-go eSIM for Saudi Arabia: no tourist SIM desk, no timed data pack, and the same balance ready after Riyadh if your trip continues elsewhere. Live rates for Mobily, STC are shown on this page.
Live pricing
Network rates in Saudi Arabia
Rates are per gigabyte of usage from your balance — not the eSIM purchase price. By default the cheapest network tier is enabled, so your eSIM steers to the lowest available rates; you can still pick a network manually in the app if you prefer. Full pricing page
| Network | Technology | Rate per GB |
|---|---|---|
| Mobily Lowest rate | 5G LTE | $2.72/GB |
| STC | 5G LTE | $20.75/GB |
By default, NXTL steers your eSIM to the cheapest available network tier. You can still pick a network manually in the app if you prefer.
Trip cost calculator
What will data cost you in Saudi Arabia?
Your estimate
Pay-as-you-go: there is no daily allowance or data cap. You use what you need from your balance. Estimates use the selected network’s current per-GB rate; by default NXTL steers to the cheapest available network tier.
Data use
How much data do travellers actually use?
Light
Maps, messaging and email on the go
Moderate
Social apps, browsing and music streaming
Heavy
Video calls, HD streaming and hotspot use
Costs use the cheapest network tier, which is enabled by default on NXTL eSIMs and steers you to the lowest available rates. Actual usage varies by traveller.
Why NXTL here
What NXTL changes in Saudi Arabia
5G where verified
A 5G badge appears only on networks we can reliably match to technology data — never a guess.
Below the NXTL median
The lowest per-GB rate here is currently below the median rate across all NXTL-covered destinations.
Keeps working across borders
The same eSIM and the same balance continue in neighbouring destinations — nothing to re-buy at the border.
Balance never expires
Whatever you don’t use stays in your account for the next trip. No validity clock.
5% back in Tokens
NXTL Rewards returns 5% of usage as Tokens you can redeem into spendable balance.
Connectivity guide
Staying connected in Saudi Arabia
STC, Mobily and Zain cover cities and highways on 4G and 5G; Empty Quarter expeditions, remote Hijaz mountain tracks and new Red Sea resorts under construction can thin out. Riyadh metro expands with growing underground coverage. When you use NXTL in Saudi Arabia, your phone attaches to local networks such as Mobily, STC; the live table on this page is the current list.
Tourist SIMs are sold at airport kiosks with passport registration through Absher-linked processes at staffed counters. Visitor plans include large data allowances for short stays. NXTL is the lower-friction option for most visitors to Saudi Arabia. You are not shopping for a SIM in Riyadh after a long flight — the eSIM is already on your phone, billed pay-as-you-go, with credit that carries to your next destination.
Setup takes minutes at home. For Saudi Arabia, install NXTL while you still have reliable Wi-Fi, keep your home line active for calls and bank texts, and switch on eSIM data when you land (for example via King Khalid (RUH)) so you can navigate straight to Riyadh. Top up later if you need more; unused balance stays yours.
The reason travellers choose NXTL for Saudi Arabia — and for trips that do not stop there — is continuity. One eSIM, pay-as-you-go pricing, no expiry, and no new SIM when you leave Riyadh for the next country. Your leftover credit is still waiting.
AlUla helicopter tours and desert camps sit far from urban towers, so assume offline hours between heritage site visits. That is where NXTL helps in Saudi Arabia: one eSIM ready before you arrive, billed only for the data you actually use.
Local SIMs and roaming
Tourist SIMs are sold at airport kiosks with passport registration through Absher-linked processes at staffed counters. Visitor plans include large data allowances for short stays. For short visits built around Riyadh and Jeddah, NXTL is usually enough: data for maps and messaging, your home number kept for calls and bank texts, and pay-as-you-go credit that does not expire when you leave Saudi Arabia.
Your options
Other ways to get data in Saudi Arabia
An honest look at the alternatives — each has cases where it makes sense.
Roaming with your home plan
Zero setup, but daily roaming passes and out-of-bundle rates add up quickly on longer trips. Fine for a weekend; expensive for weeks.
Airport SIM counters
Available on arrival, but often with queues, ID registration and tourist pricing. An eSIM installed before you fly skips all of it.
Local prepaid SIM
Can be economical for month-long stays if you find a store and handle registration. For shorter trips, the time cost usually outweighs the saving.
Fixed-validity eSIM bundles
Simple upfront pricing, but unused gigabytes expire with the validity clock. NXTL is pay-as-you-go: your balance stays yours.
Multi-country travel
One balance continues across borders
Leaving Saudi Arabia? The same eSIM and the same balance keep working at each destination’s own rate — no new SIM, no new bundle, no expiry.
Nearby destinations
Setup
Installed in minutes, ready before you land
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Buy the Global eSIM
Checkout takes a minute and the QR code arrives instantly by email.
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Install on Wi-Fi
Scan the QR code at home or at the airport — before the flight is easiest.
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Land connected
Enable the eSIM for data on arrival. Usage is billed per GB from your balance.
FAQ
Saudi Arabia data questions, answered
Yes, where Saudi Arabia is in NXTL coverage. Your phone connects to local networks listed on this page — often Mobily, STC — including everyday use in places like Riyadh.
Rates for Saudi Arabia are shown live on this page and on the pricing page because they change over time. NXTL is pay-as-you-go: you only pay for the data you use.
NXTL’s travel eSIM does not give you a local Saudi Arabia phone number, so you skip the shop ID process that local prepaid SIMs usually need. Keep your usual number for calls and bank texts.
Install on Wi-Fi before you fly. Enable data after you land — for example at King Khalid (RUH) — so you are not relying on airport Wi-Fi.
No. Credit left after Saudi Arabia stays in your NXTL account with no expiry date, ready for later trips where NXTL has coverage.
Yes. The same NXTL eSIM and balance keep working in other covered countries, so Saudi Arabia does not have to be a disposable tourist SIM.
A local SIM can be right for a long stay with lots of local calls. For most visits to Saudi Arabia, NXTL is simpler: install before you travel, pay as you go, skip the desk, and keep leftover credit for the next country.
Ready for Saudi Arabia?
Global eSIM $11.99 · includes $10.00 credit · balance never expires