+966 explained
The Saudi Arabia country code, 966, is what you dial before a Saudi Arabia number when you call from abroad. It is also known as the Saudi Arabia dialing code, Saudi Arabia calling code, or Saudi Arabia phone code. In the Saudi Arabia phone number format, +966 comes first, then the area code, such as 11 for Riyadh, then the local number.
- Country code
- +966
- The 00966 country code is the same number
- ISO country codes
- SA, SAU
- Use the SA country code or the SAU country code on forms and passports. To call Saudi Arabia, dial +966
- Used in
- Saudi Arabia
- No other country or territory dials +966
- Exit code
- 00
- From most countries. Also 011 from United States and Canada, 0011 from Australia, and + from any mobile
- Trunk prefix
- 0
- Drop it after +966
- Number length
- 9 or 10 digits
- After +966
- Time now in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia mobile number format
- 051 234 5678
- From abroad: +966 51 234 5678
- Saudi Arabia landline number format
- 011 234 5678
- From abroad: +966 11 234 5678
+966 area codes of main cities
Each +966 area code below is in the form you dial from abroad: +966, then the city code, then the local number. Inside Saudi Arabia, callers leave out +966 and put 0 in front of the city code. So Riyadh is +966 11 from abroad and 011 at home.
- Riyadh
- +96611
- Jeddah
- +96612
- Dammam
- +96613
- Madinah
- +96614
- Hail
- +96616
- Abha
- +96617
Saudi Arabia phone number types
The first digits of a Saudi Arabia number tell you what kind of number it is: a landline, a mobile, a free number, or one that costs more to call. Here is a sample of each type of Saudi Arabia phone number, as dialed inside Saudi Arabia and from abroad.
Good to know before you call Saudi Arabia
“As-salamu alaykum”
It means peace be upon you. No source gives a phone-specific greeting for Saudi Arabia, so this is the everyday Arabic greeting
Reply
“Wa alaykumu s-salam”
Emergency number
999
997 reaches the Red Crescent for an ambulance. 998 reaches Civil Defense for a fire. 937 is the health emergency line.
CST, the national numbering planSaudi Arabia was the first country in the Middle East, Africa, and the Islamic world to offer mobile number portability, from 2006.
CST, the national numbering planA 3-digit number can cost its holder up to 300,000 riyals a year. An 8-digit number needs a one-time 10-halalah allocation fee, then 30 halalah a year to keep it.
CST, the national numbering planSaudi Arabia's regulator started in 2001 as the Saudi Communications Commission and took its current name only in 2022.
CST, about the Commission
What it costs to call Saudi Arabia (using Suparelay)
Landline from $0.30/minMobile from $0.39/min
Only 81 of 220 countries cost less to call than Saudi Arabia.
Enter a numberEach bar counts the countries at that price
Want to call Saudi Arabia?
Call any phone from this tab. Nothing to install on either side, and you pay cents a minute.
Why a call to Saudi Arabia fails
You call from: 🇺🇸 United States
The 0 is still in the number
The 0 at the start of a Saudi number is for calls inside the country. From abroad, leave it out: +966 takes its place.
- Connects
- 011 966 11 234 5678
- Does not connect
- 011 966 011 234 5678
The exit code is wrong for your country
00 works from Saudi Arabia, Europe, and most of the world. From the US and Canada the exit code is 011.
- Connects
- 011 966 11 234 5678
- Does not connect
- 00 966 11 234 5678
Questions about +966
Which country is +966?
+966, or country code 966, belongs to Saudi Arabia. Its capital, Riyadh, dials out with area code 011.
What is +966?
+966 is the part you dial before a Saudi number when you call from another country. It replaces the 0 that starts every Saudi number, such as Riyadh's 011.
What is the difference between +966 and 00966?
The + stands for your exit code. 00 is the exit code in Saudi Arabia, Europe, and most of the world, so the 00966 country code and +966 reach the same number there. From the US and Canada, dial 011 966 instead.
Do I drop the 0 after +966?
Yes. The 0 is the Saudi trunk prefix and works only inside the country. Dial +966 11 234 5678, not +966 011 234 5678.
Can I text a +966 number?
Yes. Write the number as +966 without its first 0, and your phone sends the text abroad at your carrier's international rate.
How much does it cost to call Saudi Arabia?
A call to a Saudi mobile number can cost more than a call to a landline. The dialer on this page shows the exact price of the number you enter before you call.
Can I keep my Saudi mobile number if I switch operators?
Yes. Saudi Arabia became the first country in the Middle East, Africa, and the Islamic world to offer mobile number portability, starting in 2006.
What is the emergency number in Saudi Arabia?
999 reaches the police. 997 reaches the Red Crescent for an ambulance, and 998 reaches Civil Defense for a fire.
The information on this page is accurate as of September 26, 2026.
CST, the national numbering plan for Saudi Arabia