Short answer
In Saudi Arabia, promotional SMS can be sent between 09:00 and 22:00 Saudi time. CST's Regulations for Curbing SPAM Messages and Calls ban promotional messages from 22:00 to 09:00 daily, and from 01:00 to 12:00 during Ramadan. Transactional messages, such as OTPs, order updates and account alerts, can be sent at any time of day.
Sending windows at a glance
Times are Saudi local time in the recipient's time zone, not the sender's. A send scheduled for 22:30 by a team in Dubai lands at 21:30 in Riyadh and is allowed; one scheduled for 09:30 Dubai time lands at 08:30 in Riyadh, inside the ban.
| Period | Promotional SMS allowed | Promotional SMS banned |
|---|---|---|
| Normal days | 09:00 to 22:00 | 22:00 to 09:00 |
| Ramadan | 12:00 to 01:00 | 01:00 to 12:00 |
| Transactional messages | Any time | Not restricted by these windows |
How to schedule a Saudi campaign safely
Example: a campaign that starts at 21:45 Riyadh time and takes 40 minutes would run past 22:00. Move it to 10:00 the next morning, or split the list.
- Convert the send time to Saudi local time.
- Estimate how long the whole list takes to send at your throughput.
- Make sure the last message goes out before 22:00, or before 01:00 during Ramadan.
- Start no earlier than 09:00, or 12:00 during Ramadan.
- Keep OTPs and alerts on a separate transactional sender so they are never held back.
Other Saudi rules that apply to promotions
Rules change, so confirm the current regulation text on CST's website before a major campaign.
- Sender IDs need CST and operator approval: one per legal entity per use case.
- Consent should be captured in line with Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law, with source, timestamp, channel and lawful basis recorded.
- Opt-outs (STOP or ايقاف) must be one step and honoured until the person consents again.