AlUla eSIM
In AlUla you connect to STC or Mobily, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 83 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- STC and Mobily
- Typical speed in Saudi Arabia
- 83 Mbps typical, 24 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, standalone and non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover AlUla
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $8.89 | $8.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $5.63 | $16.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $4.78 | $23.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $3.39 | $33.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $2.64 | $52.89 |
How Saudi Arabia compares across Middle East
- Regional typical speed
- 72 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, STC, Mobily
- 5G
- Yes, standalone and non standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Kuwait, 86 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Bahrain, 78 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 3: Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla
Landing at Al-Ula International Airport (Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz) (ULH)
- Airport
- ULH / OEAO
Getting into AlUla
- AlUla year round bus, Eskan to AlJadidah via Aziziya, AlMahash and AlRuzayqiyah, every 30 minutes
Worth knowing about AlUla
- AlUla is both a small city of about 60,000 people and a 22,561 km2 governorate in Medina Province, so most journeys here are long road trips rather than city transit.
- AlUla's airport was approved to receive international flights only in March 2021 and is the first Saudi airport designed specifically for visitors.
- The main site, Hegra, is 22 km north of the town and was Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- AlUla is 350 km northwest of Medina; the historic Hejaz railway had stations at AlUla and Hegra but no passenger railway serves the town today.
- The airport opened on 31 October 2011 as Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Domestic Airport. The 2021 expansion lifted capacity from 100,000 to 400,000 passengers a year.
- AlUla is a three hour drive from Medina to the south and Tabuk to the north. Experience AlUla says flying to either city and driving on reaches AlUla within four hours.
- The Darb AlUla ride share app books cars to places such as Old Town and the Maraya venue. Taxis at the airport are limited and work on a first come, first served basis.
- Experience AlUla states there is good mobile phone and 5G coverage around AlUla, that more remote areas have little or no coverage, and that Wi-Fi hotspots are at most hotels.
- Experience AlUla advises visitors from outside Saudi Arabia to buy a local SIM once in AlUla, from the STC store or another telecom store, or at Jeddah or Riyadh airport while transiting.
- Credit card and contactless payment are widely accepted in AlUla, though some shops take cash only. Sockets are the UK type G pattern.
- AlUla has visitor centres at Old Town, Hegra, Dadan, Winter Park and AlUla International Airport. The airport centre opens 07:00 to 23:00 with extra cover overnight for flight arrivals and departures.
- Saudi Arabia's eVisa is open to nationals of 63 eligible countries. It is a one year multiple entry visa allowing stays of up to 90 days for tourism.
- Sharaan Nature Reserve covers 1,540 square kilometres in AlUla's Eastern Canyons and protects native species such as gazelles, the Arabian oryx and acacia woodland.
- Visitors reach Sharaan Nature Reserve by 4x4 with a professional guide. Experience AlUla puts it about 45 minutes from AlUla Old Town and sets a minimum age of eight for safari tours.
- Phase one of the AlUla experiential tramway is 22.4 km with 17 stations and 20 trains, linking AlUla's five core historical districts. RCU set activation for the second half of 2027.
- The Journey Through Time masterplan foresees a 46 km low carbon tramway connecting AlUla International Airport to the five districts, alongside bicycle, equestrian and pedestrian trails.