Cell phones

Carriers in Jeddah are the same ones in all of Saudi. There aren't many promotions to Europe and the U.S, so rates are high.

Gmail lets you call U.S numbers for a single cent per minute. Skype is also dirt cheap for US. I think the same thing applies for European countries.

Your question was bit confusing...
Do you need a cellphone plan that you can use to call US and Europe?

or

You need a cellphone that you can carry to US and Europe and use it there as well?


If you wish to make calls to US n Europe, you should opt for Voip Softwares as all the Operators in KSA are very expensive for calling international numbers. Voip is widely available in Jeddah and other cities and if you have a visa card you can do all at your home.

As for the cellphone, you can buy any cellphone from market as long as they are not locked with Mobily or STC (Al Jawal). All the other phones will most likely to work in US and Europe.

saboodles12 wrote:

Hey All,
Any advice on cell phones in Jeddah. We would like one that works in Europe and US and not crazy expensive.
Thanks,

Yes, I did not word the question correctly....sorry! I would like to know a cell phone plan that works with a smart phone & will work in the US, KSA & EU.
Thanks!

It is allright

There are many options but I would prefer Mobily as it has better rates than Al Jawal and Zain.

Plus, in Mobily you can receive roaming calls without any extra charges, just like normal fone call without any cost. As per statement on their website:

Through one of the largest roaming agreements ever, customers of Mobily can now receive their local and international calls for as if they are still in Saudi Arabia in more than 100 countries with more than 220 operators. Countries covered include the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Sudan, Libya, USA, UK, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain, France, Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Denmark and Norway.
[Ref:http://www.mobily.com.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gLUwsPd08TIwN_JxdXA09D81AXnzATJ9cQY6B8pFm8gb-xgZFLmIGRs0GooZuHt7GbqQEEEKPb0N3A3cnQINDQ1cDbw8nR0NXSgATdBjiAIyHdfh75uan6BbmhoRHljooATSYILA!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfODU4SEdJNDIwT0JERTBJMTdVRExWNEJFTDE!/?resetPortlet=true]

It will work with your smartphone (if it is unlocked), and will work nicely in USA and Europe and even in Albania! lol.

Hi,
Not much help I'm afraid, but when I came to Jeddah a year ago all my colleagues recommended that I have two phones, one for local use and one for when I go back to the UK. I have done this and I share both numbers with my key contacts and it works ok for me. If people from the UK want me then they text and then I email or message them from my pc, likewise when I'm in the UK, if people from KSA need me then they text me.
BR
Russ aka Pottermus

Thank you, Russ

samsung has a lovely phone that has  the ability to carry two sims cards so you can put one in for here and another for other places and it is easy to switch between the two. I have this phone , I love it. I do not see anything on it to tell me what the name of the phone is. Just ask for the one with the two sims cards, or look it up.