Do you need to call Saudi Arabia for business or personal reasons? If so, you’ll need to know the country code for Saudi Arabia. This is 995.
You will also need to know the international access code for the country you are calling from. In Dubai and the UAE, this is 00 (or + from a mobile phone).
How to Call Saudi Arabia from Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
To call a telephone number in Saudi Arabia from Dubai (United Arab Emirates), just follow these steps:
- Dial the international call prefix. For calls from Dubai (United Arab Emirates), this is 00 (or ‘+’ from mobile phones).
- Dial the Saudi Arabia country code – 966.
- Dial the subscriber number, omitting the first zero if there is one.
Landlines – City/Area Codes in Saudi Arabia
Area codes for a selection of the biggest cities in Saudi Arabia are listed below:
- Riyadh – 011
- Jeddah – 012
- Mecca – 012
- Medina -014
- Hofuf – 013
- Ta’if – 012
- Dammam – 013
- Buraydah – 016
- Khobar – 013
- Tabuk – 014
A 0 prefix with the area code is used when calling a landline number from a different area within Saudi Arabia or from a Saudi Arabian mobile.
Do not dial the 0 prefix or area code when telephoning from a landline in the same area.
Do not use the 0 prefix with the area code when calling from overseas.
For example, to call a number in Riyadh XXXXXXX :
- From a landline in Riyadh dial XXXXXXX.
- From a landline in Saudi Arabia outside Riyadh, dial 011-XXXXXXX.
- From a mobile phone in Saudi Arabia, dial 011-XXXXXXX.
- From another country, dial the international dialling code (00/+), the country code for Saudi Arabia (966), the area phone code without the 0, and then the subscriber number e.g. 00-966-11-XXXXXXX or +966-11-XXXXXXX.
Mobile Telephone Numbers in Saudi Arabia
Mobile phone numbers in Saudi Arabia begin with 05. The 0 prefix is removed when calling from outside Saudi Arabia.
To make a phone call to a mobile phone number in Saudi Arabia from abroad, dial the international exit call prefix (00/+), the Saudi Arabia country code 966, and then the subscriber number e.g. 00-966-5XXXXXXXX or +966-5XXXXXXXX.
Landline Use in Saudi Arabia
Data from the World Bank shows that in 2021 there were 18.34 landline telephone subscribers for every 100 people living in Saudi Arabia.
In 2002 there were 15.10 fixed-line telephone subscriptions for every 100 people living in Saudi Arabia.
The table below shows how fixed-line phone subscription statistics have changed in recent years.
| Year | Landline Telephone Subscriptions (per 100 People) in Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 18.34 |
| 2020 | 15.97 |
| 2019 | 15.01 |
| 2018 | 15.38 |
| 2017 | 13.63 |
| 2016 | 12.68 |
| 2015 | 11.44 |
| 2014 | 16.44 |
| 2013 | 15.69 |
| 2012 | 15.58 |
| 2011 | 15.37 |
| 2010 | 14.16 |
| 2009 | 14.64 |
| 2008 | 14.94 |
| 2007 | 15.14 |
| 2006 | 15.57 |
| 2005 | 15.76 |
| 2004 | 15.62 |
| 2003 | 15.13 |
| 2002 | 15.10 |
Mobile Phone Use in Saudi Arabia
According to the World Bank, there were 126.36 mobile phone subscribers per 100 people in 2021.
This is a big increase from 2002 when there were 22.14 mobile phone subscribers for every 100 people.
Mobile telephone subscription statistics by year for Saudi Arabia are shown in the table below.
| Year | Mobile Phone Subscriptions (per 100 People) in Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 126.36 |
| 2020 | 120.05 |
| 2019 | 115.27 |
| 2018 | 117.97 |
| 2017 | 117.60 |
| 2016 | 143.44 |
| 2015 | 161.21 |
| 2014 | 164.15 |
| 2013 | 168.68 |
| 2012 | 171.96 |
| 2011 | 179.10 |
| 2010 | 175.32 |
| 2009 | 157.51 |
| 2008 | 131.21 |
| 2007 | 107.58 |
| 2006 | 77.61 |
| 2005 | 58.06 |
| 2004 | 38.78 |
| 2003 | 31.27 |
| 2002 | 22.14 |
Internet Use in Saudi Arabia
According to statistics from the World Bank, in 2021 100.00 per cent of the population of Saudi Arabia used the internet.
This is a significant increase from 2002 when only 6.38 per cent of the population were active internet users.
Internet usage statistics in recent years are shown in the table below.
| Year | Individuals Using the Internet in Saudi Arabia (% of Population) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 100.00 |
| 2020 | 97.86 |
| 2019 | 95.72 |
| 2018 | 93.31 |
| 2017 | 94.18 |
| 2016 | 74.88 |
| 2015 | 69.62 |
| 2014 | 64.71 |
| 2013 | 60.50 |
| 2012 | 54.00 |
| 2011 | 47.50 |
| 2010 | 41.00 |
| 2009 | 38.00 |
| 2008 | 36.00 |
| 2007 | 30.00 |
| 2006 | 19.46 |
| 2005 | 12.71 |
| 2004 | 10.23 |
| 2003 | 8.00 |
| 2002 | 6.38 |
Time Difference
When calling Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates, please note there is a time difference between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The current time in the UAE is . The date is .
The time in Saudi Arabia is now . The date is .
The time difference between UAE and Saudi Arabia is 1 hour.
Exchange Rate
The official currency of Saudi Arabia is the Saudi riyal (SAR).
Current exchange rates between the UAE dirham and the Saudi riyal (SAR to AED, AED to SAR) are:
- 1 Saudi riyal (SAR) = 0.98 AED
- 1 UAE dirham (AED) = 1.02 SAR
Exchange rates on this page were last updated on .
Useful Information
Saudi Arabia (officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It borders Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Yemen. The Red Sea lies on its western coast and the Persian Gulf on the east.
Most of the country is flat desert. The Empty Quarter is the biggest area of continuous sand in the world. It covers around ¼ of the country.
Saudi Arabia has little rainfall and extremely hot summers.
The discovery of oil in the 1930s transformed the country. It is the world’s biggest oil producer and boasts the largest proven oil reserves. Oil revenues make up most of the country’s income and allow a fairly generous welfare system.
Most Saudis live in urban areas. The biggest cities are Riyadh (the capital) and Jeddah. Approximately one-third of the population are immigrants.
The official religion is Sunni Islam. The country enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law, although some relaxations have been allowed in recent times. The pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Arabic is the official language. Many people speak English and road signs are written in both Arabic and English.
The weekend in Saudi Arabia is Friday and Saturday.
Useful information about Saudi Arabia:
- Two-letter Country Code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2): SA
- Three-letter Country Code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-3): SAU
- Region: Asia
- Sub-region: Western Asia
- Capital: Riyadh
- Area: 2,149,690 square km
- Language(s): Arabic
- Borders: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Data from the World Bank shows that in 2021 the population of Saudi Arabia was 35,950,396.
In 2002, the population was 22,623,415. Over the last 20 years, the population grew by 13,326,981 (58.9%).
The table below shows how the total population has changed in recent years.
| Year | Total Population of Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 35,950,396 |
| 2020 | 35,997,107 |
| 2019 | 35,827,362 |
| 2018 | 35,018,133 |
| 2017 | 34,193,122 |
| 2016 | 33,416,270 |
| 2015 | 32,749,848 |
| 2014 | 32,125,564 |
| 2013 | 31,482,498 |
| 2012 | 30,821,543 |
| 2011 | 30,150,945 |
| 2010 | 29,411,929 |
| 2009 | 28,483,797 |
| 2008 | 27,437,353 |
| 2007 | 26,400,068 |
| 2006 | 25,382,870 |
| 2005 | 24,397,644 |
| 2004 | 23,661,808 |
| 2003 | 23,150,847 |
| 2002 | 22,623,415 |
Map of Saudi Arabia
The location of Saudi Arabia can be seen on the map below.
