Bulk SMS in Saudi Arabia
Send campaigns, alerts and OTPs to customers across the Kingdom from a registered sender name, in Arabic and English, on direct routes to STC, Mobily and Zain, with published list prices and sending hours kept within CST rules. BroadNet is licensed in every country where it operates.
Arabic and English bulk SMS from registered Saudi sender names. Sender names and messages are sample data.
Short answer
Updated
Bulk SMS to Saudi Arabia starts at US$0.016 per message segment on BroadNet's published rate card, on direct routes to STC, Mobily and Zain. Every sender name must be registered under CST rules, usually within 5 to 10 business days. Promotional SMS is banned from 22:00 to 09:00, and from 01:00 to 12:00 during Ramadan.
What you get with bulk SMS in Saudi Arabia
Direct routes to STC, Mobily and Zain
Messages travel on BroadNet's direct connections to the three Saudi networks, with operator delivery reports for every message.
CST sender name registration
We register your sender names with your commercial registration and authorization letter, one per legal entity per use case, with the fee passed through at cost.
Arabic-first SMS
Send Arabic with Unicode encoding and English in GSM-7, and see the segment count before sending, from an interface available in Arabic.
Sending hours, including Ramadan
Schedule promotions for Saudi time, outside 22:00 to 09:00, and switch to the 01:00 to 12:00 restriction during Ramadan.
Excel and CSV campaigns
Upload opted-in lists, personalise with columns, filter duplicates and preview each message before it goes out.
Delivery reports by operator
Summary and advanced reports with filters and CSV export, so you see delivery for STC, Mobily and Zain separately.
API and SMPP
Send from your app or core systems with the REST API, or connect an SMPP client over SMPP 3.4 with TLS for sustained volume.
Invoices in SAR
Prepaid wallet or agreed terms, with invoicing in SAR or USD, no setup fee and no monthly minimum.
Saudi bulk SMS list prices by operator and volume
Indicative list prices in US dollars per message segment from BroadNet's published rate card, reviewed 24 September 2026. They exclude VAT and sender name fees; your quote confirms the final rate.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| STC | US$0.016 per segment, US$0.01408 from 100,000 a month, US$0.01184 from 1 million, US$0.0096 from 5 million. |
| Mobily | US$0.016 per segment, US$0.01408 from 100,000 a month, US$0.01184 from 1 million, US$0.0096 from 5 million. |
| Zain KSA | US$0.0173 per segment, US$0.01522 from 100,000 a month, US$0.0128 from 1 million, US$0.01038 from 5 million. |
| Arabic messages | Unicode SMS fits 70 characters per segment, or 67 per part when longer, against 160 for plain English. Each segment is charged. |
| Sender name registration | Required for every sender name with CST and operator approval, usually 5 to 10 business days. Passed through at cost. |
How to start sending bulk SMS in Saudi Arabia
Sender name approval sets your launch date, so gather your company documents first.
- 1
Plan sender names
Use separate sender names for transactional messages such as OTPs and for promotional campaigns.
- 2
Submit documents
Share your commercial registration, authorization letter and brand proof; we submit the names for CST and operator approval.
- 3
Prepare consented lists
Upload only customers who opted in, with numbers in international format starting 966, and keep the consent records.
- 4
Write in Arabic first
Write the Arabic version, add English where useful, check segments and include an opt-out such as ايقاف or STOP.
- 5
Schedule within the rules
Send promotions between 09:00 and 22:00 Saudi time, adjust for Ramadan, and review delivery by operator.
Is bulk SMS right for your Saudi campaigns?
A good fit when
- You need to reach every mobile number on your list across STC, Mobily and Zain.
- You send seasonal campaigns, such as Ramadan, Eid or national holidays, and need them delivered on time.
- You send OTPs and alerts that must arrive at any hour from a registered transactional sender name.
- You want published list prices, SAR invoicing and no monthly minimum.
Good to know before you start
- Every sender name must be registered and approved before use; unregistered names are blocked.
- Promotions need verifiable opt-in in line with the Personal Data Protection Law and an opt-out in every message.
- Promotional sending is banned overnight and for longer hours during Ramadan.
- CST and operator requirements change; we confirm the current rules for your traffic during onboarding.
SMS list rates in Saudi Arabia
Indicative price per SMS segment by monthly volume tier, averaged across operators, from BroadNet's published rate card. The more you send, the lower the rate.
Indicative list prices in USD before taxes and sender ID fees, reviewed September 24, 2026. Your quote confirms the final rate.
| Operator | Up to 100,000 |
|---|---|
| STC (Saudi Telecom Co.) | $0.0160 |
| Mobily (Etihad Etisalat) | $0.0160 |
| Zain KSA | $0.0173 |
Bulk SMS in Saudi Arabia: common questions
How much does bulk SMS cost in Saudi Arabia?
BroadNet's published list price for SMS to Saudi Arabia starts at US$0.016 per segment on STC and Mobily and US$0.0173 on Zain, falling to about US$0.0096 to US$0.0104 at 5 million messages a month. Prices exclude VAT and sender name fees; your quote confirms the rate.
Do I need to register a sender name to send SMS in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Every sender name must be registered under CST rules and approved for STC, Mobily and Zain, one per legal entity per use case. Expect to provide your commercial registration and an authorization letter. Approval usually takes 5 to 10 business days.
What hours are allowed for promotional SMS in Saudi Arabia?
CST's anti-spam regulations ban promotional messages from 22:00 to 09:00 every day, and from 01:00 to 12:00 during Ramadan. Transactional messages such as OTPs and account alerts can be sent at any hour.
Can a company outside Saudi Arabia send bulk SMS to Saudi numbers?
Yes, through a licensed route with a registered sender name. Foreign companies register with their own company documents. We confirm what your entity needs at the start of onboarding.
Should bulk SMS in Saudi Arabia be in Arabic?
Arabic is not mandatory for every message, but many Saudi customers prefer it. Arabic SMS uses Unicode with 70 characters per segment, so a bilingual message often takes two or three segments. Check the count before sending.
Why are my SMS messages to Saudi Arabia not delivered?
The usual causes are an unregistered or mismatched sender name, promotional content on a transactional sender name, sending outside permitted hours or numbers in the wrong format. Use 966 plus the number and check the delivery report by operator.
Can I send bulk SMS to Saudi Arabia through an API?
Yes. Use the REST API to send single messages or upload a file of numbers for bulk sending, or connect an SMPP client over SMPP 3.4 with TLS. Delivery statuses reach your webhook or your SMPP session.
Guides on this topic
- UAE & Saudi ArabiaSMS Sender ID Registration in the UAE and Saudi Arabia Explained8 min read
- UAE & Saudi ArabiaRamadan and Eid Messaging Campaigns in the GCC: A Planning Guide8 min read
- SMS & OTPBulk SMS Best Practices: How to Plan Campaigns That Deliver8 min read
Explore more of the platform
Get a Saudi bulk SMS quote
Tell us your monthly volumes, sender names and message types. We'll confirm rates for STC, Mobily and Zain and start your sender name registration.
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