Short answer: setting up an eSIM for Saudi Arabia takes about two minutes and is done before you fly. You buy the plan, scan one QR code to install it, and leave it switched off until you land. When you arrive, you turn the eSIM line on for data — and your phone is online before you reach passport control. This guide walks through every step for iPhone and Android, plus the two settings that trip most people up.
Before you leave home
Do these three things while you still have Wi-Fi. Installing an eSIM needs a data connection, so the airport or the plane is the wrong place to start.
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Check your phone supports eSIM. Dial
*#06#— if you see an EID number, you are good. Most iPhones from the XR generation onward and most recent Android flagships qualify. - Make sure your phone is carrier-unlocked. A phone locked to your home network will refuse a new eSIM. If you bought it outright or finished your contract, it is almost certainly unlocked.
- Buy your plan and install it at home. Pick a Saudi Arabia eSIM, or browse all Umrah & Hajj plans. We email the QR code within minutes.
Installing the eSIM on iPhone
You only do this part once, at home, over Wi-Fi. It does not start using data yet — installing and activating are two separate things.
- Open Settings → Mobile Service (older iOS calls it Cellular), then tap Add eSIM.
- Choose Use QR Code and point the camera at the code in your email. If you are reading the email on the same phone, tap Enter Details Manually and paste the activation code instead.
- When it asks, label the new line something clear like “Saudi data” so you can tell it apart from your home number.
- Keep your home number as the default for calls and iMessage. You want the eSIM for data only.
That is the install finished. Now turn the line off again until you land, so it does not start counting on the wrong network.
Installing the eSIM on Android
Wording varies a little between Samsung, Google Pixel and other brands, but the path is the same.
- Open Settings → Connections → SIM manager (Pixel: Network & internet → SIMs).
- Tap Add eSIM or Download a SIM instead, then scan the QR code from your email.
- Give the plan a recognisable name, and leave your home SIM as the default for calls and texts.
When you land: the two settings that matter
This is where most connection problems come from, and both fixes take seconds.
- Turn the eSIM line on and set it as your data line. On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Service → Mobile Data and choose the Saudi eSIM. On Android: SIM manager → Mobile data and pick the eSIM.
- Switch on Data Roaming for that eSIM line. This sounds alarming, but it is correct and safe: a travel eSIM connects to a Saudi partner network, which counts as roaming in the software. Without this toggle the plan cannot connect. It only affects the eSIM line, not your home number.
Turn off mobile data on your home line at the same time, so your normal carrier cannot quietly rack up its own roaming charges. Your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and WhatsApp; it just is not carrying data.
If it does not connect straight away
Nine times out of ten it is one of these, in order of likelihood.
- Data Roaming is still off for the eSIM line. Re-check the toggle above — this is by far the most common cause.
- The wrong line is set for data. Confirm the Saudi eSIM, not your home SIM, is the active data line.
- You activated too early. Some plans start their validity window on first connection; if you toggled everything on during a layover, the clock may have begun elsewhere. Connecting only after you arrive avoids this.
- Network still handing over. Toggle Aeroplane mode on for ten seconds and off again to force a fresh search for the local network.
Keeping your own number
Because the eSIM sits alongside your physical SIM, your home number never leaves the phone. Calls and WhatsApp keep working on your own number over Wi-Fi or, if you choose, over your home line — while all your maps, browsing and messaging data runs on the cheaper eSIM. Nothing is swapped and nothing is shipped.
Want the full picture first? See our step-by-step eSIM setup guide and the device compatibility list, then pick your Saudi Arabia eSIM.
Frequently asked questions
Should I install the eSIM before or after I fly?
Install it at home before you fly, while you have Wi-Fi — installing needs a data connection. But leave the line switched off, and only turn it on for data once you land in Saudi Arabia.
Why do I have to turn on Data Roaming for an eSIM?
A travel eSIM connects through a local Saudi partner network, which the phone treats as roaming. Enabling Data Roaming on the eSIM line is required for it to work, and it does not affect or charge your home number.
Will I still get calls and WhatsApp on my normal number?
Yes. Your physical SIM stays in the phone, so your home number keeps working for calls and WhatsApp. The eSIM only carries data.
How long does setup take?
The install is about two minutes at home. On arrival, switching the line on and enabling roaming takes under a minute, and the connection usually appears within moments.
What if I still have no signal after enabling roaming?
Toggle Aeroplane mode on for ten seconds, then off, to force your phone to search for the local network again. Also confirm the eSIM — not your home SIM — is set as the active data line.