For Umrah, mobile internet is not a convenience. The official Nusuk app runs your permits, and you will want to reach family, share your location in crowded areas and find your group. Here is what to sort out before you fly.
Why you need data in Makkah and Madinah
- Nusuk: Saudi Arabia’s official app and platform for Umrah. You book your Umrah permit and services through it, and it needs an internet connection to show and manage them.
- Al-Rawdah al-Sharifah: a visit to the Rawdah in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah requires a permit booked in advance through Nusuk (or Tawakkalna), according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Check the app for current slots and rules.
- Family and group: WhatsApp calls, video calls home, maps and location sharing all run on mobile data.
Three ways to get connected
- Your home operator’s roaming: the simplest, as nothing changes, but often the most expensive. Check your operator’s Saudi Arabia price before you go.
- A Saudi SIM card: sold at the airport and operator stores. Registration is mandatory: you show your passport, the border number you receive on entry is used, and fingerprints are usually taken. Since 2025 visitors can also register a Saudi eSIM remotely, with biometric checks through the Absher platform.
- A travel e-SIM: you buy it at home, install it before you fly, and it connects through the local networks when you land. No store queue after a long flight, and your home number stays active for calls and SMS.
Before you fly
- Check that your phone supports e-SIM and is not locked to a carrier: compatible devices. Dial *#06#: if an EID appears, your phone has e-SIM.
- Install the e-SIM at home, on Wi-Fi. Step by step: how to install your e-SIM.
- Install Nusuk and sign in before you travel, so you are not setting up accounts on arrival.
- Keep your home line on so your bank and WhatsApp verification SMS still reach you.
On arrival
Switch mobile data to the travel e-SIM and turn on Data Roaming for that line only. Leave Data Roaming off on your home line to avoid your operator’s charges.
How much data?
Video calls home use the most data; messaging and maps use little. Our guide how much mobile data do I need helps you estimate. If you are visiting other countries on the same trip, a regional plan may cover them all.
Adonis Telecom · Updated