Layover guideRiyadh · RUH

Staying connected in Riyadh

Grab an stc visitor SIM; reserve online but activation is in person at a branch.

Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

stc sells a dedicated prepaid "sawa visitor" SIM line for people visiting KSA (vacation, business trip, Hajj or Umrah), with packages valid from 2 to 4 weeks depending on tier.

You can book a sawa visitor number online (held for 30 days), but stc requires you to visit a branch in person on arrival to activate it; SIMs are sold at stc sales offices.

Displayed stc package prices already include the 15% Saudi VAT, so the shelf price is the final price.

stc (Saudi Telecom Company) — sawa visitor packages · checked 2026-08-18

The rest of Riyadh

The whole guide

Getting out of the airportRiyadh Metro Line 4 runs into King Khalid International Airport with a separate station for each terminal cluster, but the only travel window RCRC has published is 6:00 am to midnight.Ride-hailingRide-hailing is a licensed activity the Transport General Authority actively polices, so stay on a mainstream app and take complaints to the TGA rather than the driver.Local laws that catch crew outIslamic law is strictly enforced, the offences that catch crew are ordinary at home, your phone counts as evidence, and the US advisory currently sits at level 3.WeatherDesert heat: summer daytime maxima 35-45C, mild winters, and a legally mandated midday outdoor-work ban Jun 15-Sep 15.Eating near the crew hotelsBujairi Terrace in Diriyah is the premium dining district; operator-published hours and paid parking below.What to buySouq Al Zal (afternoons/evenings only) is the old-city market; Souq Taibah is the gold market.