Are you planning your trip to Medina as a tourist or for Hajj or Umrah and wondering if you can buy a prepaid sim card at Medina Airport on arrival?
In this guide you can find everything you need to know before buying a sim card for tourists at Medina Airport: where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per January 2025, the best eSIMs for Saudi Arabia, my recommendation and and more.
In the last years I traveled a couple times to Saudi Arabia and really fell in love with this incredible country and especially Medina, a magical place that is one of the best places to visit in Saudi and of course a holy place for Muslims.
Mostly I use eSIMs to stay connected when traveling abroad, but sometimes I buy a local prepaid sim card on arrival. It depends on the length of my trip to Saudi.
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card in Saudi Arabia
- Where to buy a sim card at Medina Airport
- Prices prepaid sim cards at Medina Airport
- Best sim card at Medina Airport in 2025
- Best eSIMs for Saudi Arabia
- Order a prepaid sim card for Saudi Arabia online
- Vlog about my experiences buying a sim card at Medina Airport
On Traveltomtom you can also find specific sim card guides for Jeddah Airport and Riyadh Airport as well as a comprehensive guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
Some links in this article about buying a sim card at Medina Airport are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends an STC sim card for visiting Saudi. STC has great prepaid sim cards for tourists and also have the best mobile internet network coverage in Saudi Arabia. For around $23 USD you get 20 GB data.
If your phone is eSIM compatible then its is worth ordering an Airalo eSIM for Saudi Arabia with unlimited data for 10 days for $35 USD.
For more info check my comparison of the best eSIMs for Saudi Arabia in 2025.
Another suggestion is an international travel sim card with data. These international sim cards with global data are valid in multiple countries and regions around the world.
If you are traveling to more countries in Asia then check out my list of the best sim cards for traveling in Asia in 2025.
Why buying a sim card in Saudi Arabia
First of all it is easy to arrange and it will save you a lot of money on high roaming costs. A working data connection on your phone makes life simply easier. There are many taxi apps (Uber, Careem) that you can use in Saudi Arabia to go for example to Mosque Quba, which is 15 minutes outside of Medina.
Also finding nearby restaurants with good ratings, getting directions from Google Maps or simply staying in touch with friends and family and showing them the beauty of Medina.
Don't rely on public WiFi as there is no guarantee it is working or even fast enough. Also a reminder that browsing the internet on public WiFi is through an UNSECURED network. The use of a VPN is recommended to protect your data.
Being a nomadic travel blogger since 2012 I always look for the best ways to get connected when planning my next trip.
As I like to document all my travel tips and I am also on a journey to travel to every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all around the world: Pakistan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Turkey, USA, Asia, Europe, United Kingdom, Germany, Marrakech, Philippines, China, Indonesia and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me and let me help you save money!
Where to buy a sim card at Medina Airport
There are 2 different shops at Medina Airport that sell prepaid sim cards for tourists: STC and Zain. The small STC shop can't be missed as you walk straight into it when walking out of arrivals. You will see its big purple letters.
The Zain shop is located near the entry/exit of the airport terminal, just 30 meters away.
Medina Airport is pretty small and easy to navigate. You will find ATM's, car rental companies, currency exchange and the information desk all next to each other.
Reminder that both prepaid sim card shops are open 24 hours and you can pay by international credit cards, so there is no need to exchange money first.
Prices prepaid sim cards at Medina Airport
Prices and info below are updated as per January 2025. Prices are in Saudi Riyal: $1 USD = 3.75 SAR and 1 SAR = $0.27 USD.
Prices for tourist sim cards are everywhere the same. It doesn't matter of you buy your sim card at Medina Airport or in the city center of Medina in a phone store.
Zain
You will get a free sim card and registration when buying one of the Zain prepaid sim card packages:
- 3 GB data + 1 GB Snapchat, WhatsApp & Facebook + 50 minutes valid for 2 weeks = 34.5 SAR
- 15 GB data valid for 2 weeks = 57.5 SAR
- 10 GB data + 5 GB Snapchat, WhatsApp & Facebook + 150 minutes valid for 4 weeks = 80.5 SAR - 21.45 USD
- 25 GB data + unlimited Snapchat, WhatsApp & Facebook + 350 minutes valid for 4 weeks = 149.5 SAR
At the Zain store at Medina Airport they offer physical prepaid sim cards as well as eSIMs for tourists.
STC Saudi Arabia
At STC they offer a wide range of prepaid sim card packages for tourists at Medina Airport, valid for 4 weeks:
- 1 GB data + 1 GB Social Media + 60 minutes = 40.25 SAR
- 4 GB data + 4 GB Social Media + 120 minutes = 74.75 SAR - $19.9 USD
- 10 GB data + 10 GB Social Media + 500 minutes = 86.25 SAR
- 10 GB data + 15 GB Social Media + 300 minutes = 115 SAR
- 25 GB data + 25 GB Social Media + 500 minutes = 132.25 SAR - $35.2 USD
- 70 GB data + unlimited Social Media + 800 minutes = 195.5 SAR
- 100 GB data + unlimited Social Media + unlimited calls = 276 SAR
At the STC store at Medina Airport they offer physical prepaid sim cards as well as eSIMs for tourists.
Best sim card at Medina Airport in 2025
After comparing the Zain and STC prepaid sim cards for tourists at Medina Airport Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that STC has better prepaid sim card plans for tourists than Zain.
When you are looking for the cheapest prepaid sim card deal at Medina Airport then head to Zain. They have a prepaid sim card for tourists starting from 34.5 SAR ($9.2 USD) and you get 3 GB data + extras.
Traveltomtom recommends an Airalo eSIM for Saudi Arabia with unlimited data for 10 days for $35 USD or a Jetpac eSIM for Saudi Arabia with 10 GB data for $21 USD.
For much more details and info about using eSIMs check out Traveltomtom's comparison of the best eSIMs for Saudi Arabia in 2025.
I am an advocate for using eSIMs. As soon as the plane touches the ground you are online.
As STC has great prepaid sim card deals for tourists and also the strongest 4G/5G mobile network in Saudi Arabia STC is the best sim card at Medina Airport in 2025.
For more info about the best 4G/5G coverage in Saudi Arabia check my article about the best prepaid sim card for tourists in Saudi Arabia.
Best eSIMs for Saudi Arabia
The easiest way to get data on your phone when traveling to Medina in 2025 is an eSIM. You order online and arrange everything in just a couple clicks. No more visiting a sim card shop and swapping physical sim cards.
You order an eSIM for Saudi Arabia on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Tonga eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Medina it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For all FAQ about eSIMs check out my guide with everything you need to know before buying an eSIM for Saudi.
Here are some recommendations.
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo in more than 50 countries around the world and never faced an issue.
Here are the Airalo eSIM plans for Saudi Arabia for 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $8.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $16 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $27 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $44 USD
- 25 GB data for 45 days = $49 USD
- Unlimited data* for 10 days = $35 USD
*FUP is 3 GB high speed data per day, then reduced data speed at 1 Mbps.
Click here for more info or to order an eSIM for Saudi Arabia via Airalo.
The above eSIMs from Red Sand are data-only and valid in Saudi only. They operate on the 4G/LTE/5G network of Zain. Yes, these eSIMs for Saudi Arabia support 5G.
Jetpac
Jetpac eSIMs for Saudi are great value. On top of that Jetpac offers extra perks for travelers like airport lounge passes, free VPN subscriptions and more. Check out our complete Jetpac review including all pros and cons.
Here are the Saudi Arabia eSIM plans from Jetpac for 2025:
- 1 GB data for 4 days = $1 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $14 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
Click here to order a Jetpac eSIM for Saudi Arabia.
The Jetpac eSIMs for Saudi are data-only and any incoming or outgoing calls or sms are not supported. The eSIMs are 5G ready and they operate on the Zain network in Saudi Arabia.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for Saudi.
There are many more eSIM providers like Nomad, Holafly, GigSky, etc. Find them in my comparison of the best eSIMs for Saudi Arabia in 2025.
Order a prepaid sim card for Saudi Arabia online
If your phone is not eSIM compatible and buying a prepaid sim card on arrival at Medina Airport sounds like too much hassle then I have a solution for you.
Arrive prepared in Saudi Arabia with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in Medina, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Saudi Arabia:
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international prepaid sim card for Saudi Arabia via SimOptions.
Vlog about my experiences buying a sim card at Medina Airport
To make things even easier you can watch my vlog below about my arrival and buying a sim card at Medina Airport and I show you exactly where to go.
I am sure some of the above tips for buying a sim card at Medina Airport were helpful for your upcoming trip. Please, when you still have questions leave me a comment below and I will try to help you out.
Visiting Jeddah after Medina? Then I recommend you to take a look at my YouTube channel for my vlogs about traveling in Saudi Arabia. Specially recommended for you a trip by high speed train from Medina to Jeddah.
For some more Saudi Arabia travel inspiration check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow my road to visit every country in the world. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries.
Enjoy your trip to Medina, Saudi Arabia!