Before you start

Passport plus a valid Saudi visa (visitors), or a physical Iqama (residents)
An unlocked, GSM-compatible handset, eSIM-capable if you want an eSIM
Your presence in person, for the biometric capture
For postpaid: an active Iqama and usually a Saudi account or card for direct debit

Step-by-step

1
Buy a prepaid line at the airport or an official store on arrival
King Abdulaziz International has staffed carrier kiosks, and STC, Mobily and Zain all have stores across Jeddah. Start prepaid: it activates on your passport and visa in one visit. Avoid unofficial stalls entirely — a line that is not properly registered to you is worse than no line.
In personWho: You, with a carrier agent15–30 minutes in storeStarter packs roughly SAR 30–50; visitor bundles more
2
Complete the biometric registration
The agent scans your ID and captures a fingerprint that is checked against the national identity system before the line is allowed onto the network. This is mandatory for residents and visitors alike and cannot be done remotely, which is why a fully online arrival plan does not work here.
In personWho: YouPart of the same visitIncluded
3
Re-register the line to your Iqama the week it is issued
A line opened on your passport before residency has to be migrated to the Iqama, and residents can usually do this in the carrier app through Nafath rather than returning to a store. Skipping it is what breaks Nafath and bank logins later, with no error message that names the phone as the cause.
Mobile appWho: YouSame week as Iqama issuanceFree
4
Move to postpaid once the Iqama and bank account exist
Postpaid needs an active Iqama and usually a Saudi account or card for the monthly direct debit. It buys larger data allowances and bundled handsets. Until then prepaid is entirely adequate — Saudi mobile data is fast and cheap by international standards.
In personWho: YouSame day in storeCommonly SAR 100–300+ per month depending on bundle
5
Audit what is registered to you on Mutasil
CST's Mutasil service lists every number tied to your ID, free. Use it to confirm nothing was opened in your name without consent and to see how close you are to the per-ID cap. If you are at the cap, a new purchase is simply refused until you release an old line.
OnlineWho: YouInstantFree
6
Order home internet with the building's cabling in mind
Fibre coverage in Jeddah is good in the newer northern districts and patchier in the older central and southern ones, where 5G fixed-wireless is often the realistic option. Ask the landlord what is physically installed to the flat rather than what the carrier's coverage map claims for the district, especially if you work remotely.
OnlineWho: YouDays for wireless; longer if cabling is neededVaries by speed and technology

Documents you’ll need

Passport plus valid visa (visitors) or physical Iqama (residents)
A live fingerprint captured at the point of sale
Border entry number, useful for visitor registration on arrival
Saudi account or card for postpaid direct debit

Things most newcomers don’t know

The SIM is the root of your digital identity here, and a mis-registered one poisons everything downstream.

Nafath sends its approval push to the number registered against your Iqama. If the line is in an employer's name, or still registered to your passport from arrival week, government portals and bank apps fail authentication and give you no indication that the phone is the problem. People spend days debugging their bank before someone tells them. Migrate the line to the Iqama in the same week you receive it.

Source: CST SIM registration rules; MoI Nafath

You cannot do this remotely, and that shapes your first 24 hours.

The live fingerprint capture means a store or staffed kiosk visit is unavoidable — visitor eSIM activation inside an app is frequently blocked by a Saudi-ID check. Land at King Abdulaziz International with either a roaming plan or a travel eSIM already loaded, because the alternative is arriving in a large, poorly-signed city with no data and no way to call a ride.

Source: CST; carrier point-of-sale practice

There is a hard cap on lines per ID, and old lines you forgot about count.

Residents are generally limited to a small number of lines per Iqama, prepaid and postpaid both counting, and visitors similarly per passport. A dormant line from a previous stay, or one a former employer opened, will consume your allowance and get a new purchase refused at the counter with no explanation. Check Mutasil before you assume you can add a line for a family member or a work device.

Source: CST Mutasil

If your fingerprints will not read, there is an official workaround most counter staff will not mention.

Worn or unreadable fingerprints are a genuine blocker — common in trades and after certain medical treatments. CST provides a SIM Authentication Code obtained through the national digital identity as the sanctioned alternative to biometric capture. Knowing it exists turns a dead end into a ten-minute detour, but you will usually have to ask for it by name.

Source: CST SIM Authentication Code service

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming you can activate a Saudi eSIM from abroad or from your hotel — the biometric step requires a person.
Leaving a line registered to your passport after the Iqama is issued, then blaming the bank when Nafath fails.
Using an employer's or a friend's line, which means you do not control the number your entire identity hangs on.
Hitting the per-ID cap because of a dormant line and only discovering it at the counter.
Signing a home internet contract on a district coverage map rather than on what is cabled to the flat.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.