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Saudi Arabia SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Saudi Arabia SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Saudi Arabia
ISO code:
SA
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
420
Dialing Code
+966
Market Conditions: Saudi Arabia has a highly developed mobile market with widespread SMS usage. The country's major mobile operators include STC (Saudi Telecom Company), Mobily, and Zain. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram are popular, SMS remains crucial for business communications and authentication. The market shows a relatively even split between Android and iOS devices, with a slight preference for iOS among higher-income consumers.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia supports most standard SMS features including concatenated messages and alphanumeric sender IDs, though two-way SMS functionality is limited and MMS messages are converted to SMS with URL links.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Saudi Arabia through standard A2P channels. Businesses requiring two-way communication typically need to implement alternative solutions or use dedicated enterprise messaging services.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is supported for most sender ID types, though support may vary based on the specific sender ID type used. Message length rules: Standard 160 characters per message segment using GSM-7 encoding. Encoding considerations: Messages using GSM-7 encoding can contain up to 160 characters, while UCS-2 encoding (used for Arabic and special characters) allows up to 70 characters per segment. For messages containing the EURO symbol (€), UCS-2 encoding is recommended.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in Saudi Arabia through standard A2P channels. Instead, MMS content is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can view the multimedia content. This ensures compatibility while maintaining the ability to share rich media content.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is available in Saudi Arabia. This means subscribers can change their mobile service provider while keeping their original phone number. While this feature is supported, it typically doesn't affect SMS delivery or routing as messages are routed based on current network assignments.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Saudi Arabia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failure response (400 error code 21614) from the API, and no message will be delivered or charged to the account.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Saudi Arabia
The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) governs SMS communications in Saudi Arabia, enforcing strict regulations to protect consumers. All businesses must comply with both CITC regulations and the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) when sending SMS messages.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Written or electronic consent must be obtained before sending any marketing messages
Double opt-in is strongly recommended for marketing communications
Consent records must be maintained and readily available for audit
Purpose of messaging must be clearly stated during opt-in
Best Practices for Consent Management:
Implement a clear opt-in process with checkbox confirmation
Store consent timestamps and opt-in method
Maintain detailed records of consent source and date
Regularly update consent database and remove expired consents
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All promotional messages must include opt-out instructions in both English and Arabic
Standard keywords must be supported:
STOP/إيقاف - for opting out
HELP/مساعدة - for assistance
Opt-out confirmations must be sent in the same language as the original message
Commands must be processed within 24 hours
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Saudi Arabia maintains a national DND registry managed by the CITC:
Businesses must regularly check numbers against the DND list
Numbers on the DND list must be removed from marketing databases
Violations can result in significant penalties
Recommended to maintain internal suppression lists in addition to DND compliance
Time Zone Sensitivity
Messaging Hours:
Promotional messages: 09:00 AM to 08:00 PM (Saudi Arabia Time, GMT+3)
Transactional/service messages: 24/7 permitted
Religious and cultural considerations during Ramadan and other holidays
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Saudi Arabia
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Fully supported and required for A2P messaging Registration requirements:
Pre-registration mandatory
2-week approval process
Company documentation required
"-AD" suffix required for promotional sender IDs
Sender ID preservation: Yes, displayed as registered when properly approved
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International: Neither domestic nor international long codes are supported Sender ID preservation: N/A Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: Not available for SMS messaging in Saudi Arabia
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Saudi Arabia Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Prohibited Content and Industries:
Gambling and betting
Adult content
Political messages
Religious content
Controlled substances
Cannabis and alcohol
Money lending/loan services
WhatsApp/LINE chat links
Phone numbers in message body
Content Filtering
Carrier Filtering Rules:
URLs must be pre-registered and whitelisted
Identical content messages are blocked
Messages containing restricted keywords are filtered
Numeric sender IDs are blocked
Tips to Avoid Blocking:
Register all URLs before sending
Vary message content between campaigns
Avoid URL shorteners
Use registered alphanumeric sender IDs
Keep content professional and compliant
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Saudi Arabia
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
Maintain consistent brand voice
Include company name in message
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 3-4 messages per month per recipient
Respect prayer times and religious observances
Avoid sending during sensitive cultural periods
Space out messages to prevent recipient fatigue
Localization
Support both Arabic and English
Right-to-left text formatting for Arabic
Use local date and time formats
Consider cultural sensitivities in content
Provide customer support in both languages
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Send confirmation of opt-out
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Regular database cleaning
Honor opt-outs across all campaigns
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major carriers (STC, Mobily, Zain)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track opt-out rates
Analyze engagement patterns
Regular content and URL testing
SMS API integrations for Saudi Arabia
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to Saudi Arabia. Authentication requires your Account SID and Auth Token.
Key Parameters:
alphanumericSenderId: Pre-registered sender ID
to: Recipient number in E.164 format (+966)
body: Message content (supports Unicode)
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);asyncfunctionsendSMSToSaudiArabia( to:string, message:string, senderId:string):Promise<void>{try{// Validate phone number formatif(!to.startsWith('+966')){thrownewError('Saudi Arabia numbers must start with +966');}const response =await client.messages.create({ from: senderId,// Your pre-registered alphanumeric sender ID to: to,// Recipient phone number body: message,// Message content statusCallback:'https://your-webhook.com/status'// Optional status tracking});console.log(`Message sent successfully. SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers a comprehensive SMS API with specific features for Saudi Arabia. Authentication uses API Token and Service Plan ID.