Umrah eSIM for Indians (2026): data, calls and OTPs in Saudi Arabia

There are three ways to stay online on an Umrah trip: a Jio or Airtel roaming pack, an stc visitor SIM activated at a branch after you land, or a travel eSIM installed at home. Whichever you choose, keep data working for Nusuk, the official app that issues the Umrah permit and books your date and time.

Prices side by side

Other sizes: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹299, and for 30 days 20 GB is ₹3,299 and 50 GB is ₹8,599. Unlimited plans give 1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps: ₹799 for 3 days, ₹1,299 for 5 days, ₹1,699 for 7 days, ₹2,299 for 10 days, ₹3,399 for 15 days and ₹6,699 for 30 days. Some shorter versions cost more than the 30-day plan: 5 GB for 15 days is ₹1,399, against ₹1,199 for 30 days. The full list is on the Saudi Arabia plans page.

How much data you need

Networks and coverage in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has three main mobile operators, stc, Mobily and Zain, and eSIMKite's Saudi plans list all three. In Opensignal's February 2026 report, stc won all four speed awards, with a download speed experience of 69.3 Mbps against 60.3 Mbps for Mobily and 52.1 Mbps for Zain. It also won both coverage awards, scoring 8.4 out of 10 for coverage experience against 5.6 for Mobily and 4.4 for Zain.

Mobily won the other side of the report: reliability, video experience, consistent quality and time on network, where it had signal 98.1% of the time against 97.5% for stc and 95.4% for Zain. For 5G, stc leads coverage experience with 3.2 out of 10, against 1.9 for Mobily and 1.5 for Zain.

Overall speeds are high. Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for September 2026 ranks Saudi Arabia ninth in the world for mobile speed, with a average download of 297.86 Mbps. These are national figures. Opensignal notes that time on network does not show whether you get signal in remote areas, so if you add a road trip outside the cities, for example to AlUla, stc's lead on coverage is the figure that matters.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

eSIMKite plans are data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so your number and WhatsApp account stay as they are. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: the packs that cover Saudi Arabia include SMS, 20 on the ₹891 Saudi pack and 25 on the ₹951 pack. Check in the MyJio app whether your plan receives SMS abroad without a pack.
• Airtel prepaid: the 5-day and 10-day packs include 20 SMS, and the IR activation pack costs ₹118 for 28 days at standard charges. Check the Airtel Thanks app before you fly.
• Airtel postpaid: new plans from ₹499 a month include one free roaming trip a year from 8 Oct 2026, with 5 GB, 60 minutes and free incoming SMS for 5 days. Airtel's announcement does not list the countries, so confirm Saudi Arabia in the app.
• Vi: check in the Vi app whether your plan needs a roaming pack to receive SMS abroad.
• WhatsApp: messages, photos and voice notes go over data. We found no current official statement on WhatsApp voice and video calls in Saudi Arabia, so make a test call early and keep a fallback with minutes. Every stc visitor bundle includes calls to India.
• UPI: Saudi Arabia is not among the countries where Indian UPI apps can pay merchants (August 2026), so carry a card or forex card. Visit Saudi says Visa, Mastercard and American Express are widely accepted, and Apple Pay works at most retailers.
• Visitor Card: the urpay app gives visitors a digital Mada or Visa card using their Border Number. It can go into Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, and withdrawals at Al Rajhi ATMs are fee-free.
• Cash: keep a backup card or some emergency cash, and change money at licensed exchange offices, which you will find at airports.

Before you land

• Visa: Indian passports are not on the Saudi eVisa list; check your options, including Umrah through Nusuk, on the official Visit Saudi visa page (updated 28 Jun 2026).
• Nusuk: the official Nusuk app issues the Umrah permit, books your date and time for Umrah, helps plan the trip and has guides to the rituals. Install it at home.
• Getting around: Uber, Careem, Bolt and Jeeny all operate in major Saudi cities. Domestic train tickets are booked on the SAR or Haramain websites, or at the station.
• Visit Saudi app: Visit Saudi's own official app, for trip planning.
• Wi-Fi: Visit Saudi says most public places such as hotels, restaurants and coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi. Install your eSIM in India so you are not hunting for Wi-Fi after landing.
• stc visitor SIM: if you want one, you can book a number online and stc holds it for 30 days, but you must visit an stc branch after you arrive to activate it.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the Saudi Arabia plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India. It takes about two minutes.
3. Leave the eSIM line off until you land. The plan starts counting when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy it.
4. On landing, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the mobile data line.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM. If several people in your group will share one plan by hotspot, pick 10 GB or Unlimited.

When a local SIM or roaming is the better choice

Pick an stc visitor SIM for a long stay, lots of data or a Saudi number: SAR 100 buys 51 GB and 5 hours of local and international calls for 4 weeks, and every bundle includes calls to India. The catch is the branch visit after landing. Pick a roaming pack if you will make many normal calls on your Indian number, because Jio charges ₹10 a minute without one; its ₹891 Saudi pack includes 100 outgoing and 100 incoming minutes for 7 days. Jio also sells Wi-Fi calling packs for calls to India, ₹121 for 100 minutes or ₹521 for 500 minutes, which work over hotel Wi-Fi if your phone supports Wi-Fi calling. The travel eSIM makes most sense when you want data from the moment you land, without a branch visit, and your Indian SIM kept for OTPs. It also wins on bigger amounts against roaming: our 10 GB plan is ₹1,999 for 30 days, against ₹2,891 for Jio's 30-day Saudi pack. More in Jio vs Airtel vs Vi roaming packs.

Questions

Get your Saudi Arabia eSIMQR code on screen and by emailQR code by email after a document check · 4G/5G · from $3.49

See Saudi Arabia plans

Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.