Does *67 still work to hide my caller ID when dialing US?

Not from Saudi Arabia. The *67 caller-ID block code is a North American switch feature that only works when your call originates on a US or Canadian carrier's network. Dialing 00 1 *67 from STC, Mobily, or Zain won't hide your number; the digits just get treated as part of the dialed sequence and the call will fail. If you need to hide your number when calling the US from Saudi Arabia, you'd need to use a VoIP service that supports outbound caller-ID suppression, or a US Google Voice number called via WiFi. Most US institutions (banks, IRS) won't connect blocked-caller-ID calls anyway.

Is WhatsApp calling still blocked in Saudi Arabia in 2026?

As of February 2026, WhatsApp voice and video calls started working again on most Saudi networks (STC, Mobily, Zain). CITC hasn't issued a formal policy reversal, so treat it as "currently working, not officially confirmed." It could revert. Botim, the carrier-approved paid alternative, still works as a paid fallback. Microsoft Teams Free works for most users; consumer Skype was retired in 2025. None of these apps can dial landlines, so US bank fraud desks, the IRS, USCIS, and SSA still require regular phone calling or a browser-based PSTN service. VPN circumvention violates Saudi law - don't use one.

Is STC's 120-minute international add-on worth SAR 80/month?

Only if you call the US weekly. SAR 80 for 120 minutes works out to an effective SAR 0.67 per minute, versus STC's standard pay-as-you-go of roughly SAR 1-2/min. Break-even is about 80 minutes of US calling per month. For a Saudi-based expat who calls home every Sunday for 30 minutes, the add-on saves money. For someone who calls Chase twice a year about a card hold, the add-on charges SAR 80 in dormant months and wastes money. WorldDialer at $0.04/min (~SAR 0.15/min) still undercuts every Saudi pay-as-you-go rate and beats the SAR 0.67 effective rate on the add-on, with no monthly fee.

Should I avoid Saudi Friday for calls to US offices?

Yes for outbound work calls. Saudi weekend is Friday-Saturday. When it's Friday afternoon in Riyadh, it's Friday morning to early afternoon in the US, and US agents are typically still working. But US Friday evening (Saudi Friday night / Saturday early morning) is when US offices start closing. The best window for US East Coast business hours is Sunday-Thursday afternoon Riyadh time, which is Sunday-Thursday morning US Eastern. Tuesday-Thursday 1-2 PM Riyadh is the sweet spot for IRS or USCIS calls without a 90-minute hold: it's 6-7 AM US Eastern, right when those lines open.

How to Call US from Saudi Arabia (Cheapest Way 2026)

To call the US from Saudi Arabia, dial 00 + 1 + the US area code + the 7-digit number. On a mobile phone, you can use + instead of 00, so the IRS international line becomes +1 267 941 1000 and Chase Bank becomes +1 713 262 3300. Saudi Arabia uses 00 as its international exit code, and the three licensed carriers — STC, Mobily, and Zain — all use the same dialing format.

WhatsApp voice calling started working on most Saudi networks again in February 2026. If your goal is calling your sister in Atlanta, the app already on your phone may do the job. The harder problem is calling US numbers that aren't on an app — your bank's fraud desk, the IRS, USCIS, the SSA. Those are landlines. Apps don't reach them. Here's the dialing format, what STC and Mobily charge, and how to keep the bill from quietly hitting SAR 40 for a 20-minute call.

How to Dial the US from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's international exit code is 00. Dial it, then 1, then the US area code and 7-digit number.

Dial 00 (Saudi exit code) — or + on a mobile phone
Dial 1 (US country code)
Dial the 3-digit area code
Dial the 7-digit phone number
Example: 00 1 267 941 1000 reaches the IRS international line

That's the whole formula. The + shortcut works on every Saudi carrier — STC, Mobily, Zain, all the MVNOs running on top of them. From a hotel landline in Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam, use 00 (plus whatever outside-line digit the hotel uses, usually 9). Saudi Arabia's own country code is +966, but that's for people calling INTO Saudi Arabia — you won't need it on your way out.

What STC, Mobily, and Zain Charge to Call the US

Depends on your SIM, and the published rates are quietly tilted toward selling you a monthly add-on. Standard pay-as-you-go IDD from a Saudi mobile to the US runs from about SAR 1 to SAR 2 per minute before VAT, with Mobily publishing the cleanest tariff.

Carrier | Standard Rate to US | Notes

Mobily | SAR 2.05/min peak, SAR 1.85/min off-peak | Pre-VAT. Postpaid and prepaid same rate.

STC | Roughly SAR 1-2/min standard; SAR 80/month for 120 min add-on | Effective rate with the add-on lands near SAR 0.67/min.

Zain | Pay-as-you-go SAR 1.50+/min; Kareeb prepaid from 19 halalas/min | Kareeb is a separate prepaid package; USA inclusion depends on the bundle tier.

Saudi VAT is 15%, so add that to every figure when you check your bill.

A 20-minute call to your US bank on Mobily peak runs SAR 41 before VAT, SAR 47.15 with VAT. STC's base pay-as-you-go is similar. The 120-minute add-on at SAR 80/month is fine if you call the US every week — most expats don't.

The migration tax shows up in those monthly packs. STC International is SAR 80 a month. Mobily and Zain run similar bundles. The math works for weekly callers. It punishes the expat who needs one call to Chase about a card hold, then doesn't dial a US number for three months. You're still paying for the months you stay quiet.

WhatsApp, Botim, and the Saudi VoIP Reality

Saudi Arabia's regulatory environment for VoIP runs through the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CITC). For most of the post-2017 era, voice and video calling on apps like WhatsApp, Skype, and FaceTime was blocked or intermittent. Botim, the carrier-approved paid app, was the reliable consumer option.

That shifted in February 2026. WhatsApp voice and video calling started working on most Saudi networks. CITC has not issued a formal policy change, so the status is "currently working, not officially confirmed." Treat it as good news that could revert, not a guarantee.

What this means in practice:

WhatsApp / Botim / Microsoft Teams: Work for calls between two people who are both on the app. If your family in Houston is on WhatsApp, you have a free option for those calls today.
Skype consumer: Microsoft retired consumer Skype in 2025. Teams Free covers the same gap and generally works in Saudi Arabia.
Apps cannot call landlines. Chase's international fraud desk, the IRS, USCIS, the SSA — none of these institutions answer a WhatsApp call. They answer +1 numbers from any phone or licensed routing service.

If you're calling family on WhatsApp, you already have the tool you need. World Dialer is for the calls WhatsApp can't make.

A note on VPNs: this article doesn't recommend them. CITC restrictions on circumvention apply, and Saudi anti-cybercrime law treats commercial VPN misuse as a real penalty. The licensed path is the only path worth recommending.

Why US Toll-Free Numbers Fail from Saudi Arabia

US 1-800 numbers are toll-free inside the US. From Saudi Arabia, they're a coin flip. Some Saudi mobile routes refuse them outright. Some connect and bill them as international IDD at full carrier rate. None of them are actually free.

This applies to every US toll-free prefix: 1-800, 1-888, 1-877, 1-866. Dial 00 1 800 xxx xxxx (or +1 800 xxx xxxx from mobile) and you're rolling dice. If the call connects, your Saudi carrier may charge SAR 1.85-2.05 per minute. If it doesn't, you'll spend an hour finding out why.

The fix: find the company's regular +1 (NXX) number. Banks, the IRS, the SSA, USCIS, Medicare — they all publish a direct, non-toll-free line for international callers. Use those (the table is below).

Your Options for Calling the US from Saudi Arabia

Four practical ways to call the US from Saudi Arabia. Three of them assume you're either calling another app user or paying a carrier rate.

Method | Cost | Setup | Best For

Saudi mobile (standard IDD) | SAR 1.85-2.05/min | None | Emergencies and one-off calls

Carrier international add-on | SAR 80-100/mo + per-min | Activate the add-on | Weekly callers to the US

WhatsApp / Botim / Teams | Free (Botim varies) | Both parties on the app | Family, friend-to-friend

WorldDialer (browser) | $0.04/min | None | Occasional callers to US landlines

The carrier add-ons assume a steady call pattern. They're built for the expat who calls home every Sunday. If you're the expat who calls Chase twice a year about a card hold and then forgets US dialing exists, the add-on charges you for the dormant months.

WhatsApp and Botim solve the personal-call side cleanly when both parties are on the app. They do not solve the landline problem. Calling the IRS, calling Bank of America's fraud desk, calling USCIS about a green card renewal — those are +1 (NXX) calls. The other party isn't on an app.

WorldDialer runs in a browser, on licensed routes, no VPN involved. Open the tab, add credit, dial. $0.04 a minute to US landlines, the same rate whether you're in Riyadh, Jeddah, or a compound outside Khobar.

US Phone Numbers You'll Actually Need

These are the non-toll-free US numbers that work from Saudi Arabia. Bookmark them. The 1-800 versions will likely fail from your Saudi mobile.

Institution | Number | Hours (ET)

Chase Bank | +1 (713) 262-3300 | 24/7

Bank of America | +1 (315) 724-4022 | Mon-Fri 7 AM-10 PM, weekends 8 AM-5 PM

IRS International | +1 (267) 941-1000 | Mon-Fri 6 AM-11 PM

SSA International | +1 (410) 965-0160 | Mon-Fri 9 AM-4 PM

USCIS (outside US) | +1 (212) 620-3418 | Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM

Medicare (outside US) | +1 (410) 786-3000 | Mon-Fri 8 AM-7 PM

The IRS and SSA publish these on .gov sites — they're set up for calls from overseas. USCIS handles green-card, naturalization, and consular-process questions from outside the US on +1 (212) 620-3418, not the US-only 800 line. Calling US banks from abroad covers the wider list.

A 20-minute call to Chase:

On Mobily peak: SAR 41 (~$10.93) — SAR 47.15 with VAT
On STC standard pay-as-you-go: roughly SAR 30-40 (~$8-10.65)
On WorldDialer: $0.80

Same call. Same Chase. Different bill.

When to Call the US from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is on UTC+3 year-round with no daylight saving. The US has DST roughly mid-March through early November, so the gap to US Eastern Time is +7 hours in US winter, +8 hours in US summer. Practical conversions:

US East Coast 9 AM-5 PM = 4 PM-12 AM Riyadh (US summer/DST) or 5 PM-1 AM Riyadh (US winter)
IRS opens at 6 AM ET = 2 PM Riyadh (US winter) / 1 PM Riyadh (US DST) — call right after lunch
US West Coast 9 AM-5 PM = 8 PM-4 AM Riyadh (US winter) / 7 PM-3 AM Riyadh (US summer)

The clean window for US East Coast business hours from Riyadh is late afternoon through early evening Saudi time — after Asr prayer, before Maghrib if you want sun still up. If you're trying to reach an IRS or USCIS line without a 90-minute hold, 1-2 PM Riyadh on a Tuesday or Wednesday is a strong window. Avoid the US Friday afternoon (Saudi Friday night) — US agents start clocking out and Saudi weekends begin.

Call US Numbers from Saudi Arabia

You have the dialing format. You have the numbers. Here's the easiest way to use them.

WorldDialer works from Saudi Arabia, on licensed routes, in a browser. $0.04/minute to US landlines. No app, no subscription required, no VPN.

Next time you need to call a US number that isn't on WhatsApp — your bank, the IRS, your kid's US college bursar — open the tab and dial.

→ Try WorldDialer

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