# SMS gateway, bulk SMS and CST sender ID registration in Saudi Arabia

> BroadNet delivers A2P SMS and OTP in Saudi Arabia over direct connections to STC, Mobily, and Zain KSA, plus an operator-grade route to Virgin Mobile KSA, with CST sender ID registration in 5-10 business days.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/coverage/saudi-arabia
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

Direct A2P agreements with STC, Mobily, and Zain KSA — sender IDs registered through CST, PDPL-aligned, AED or SAR billing.

## Key facts

- Regulator: CST (Communications, Space and Technology Commission)
- Dialling code: +966
- MCC: 420
- Mobile subscribers: 47.6M
- Sender-ID lead time: 5-10 business days
- Time to launch: Live in 5–15 business days from test-access request to production
- Typical OTP latency: 2.9 s
- Typical delivery rate, operator-direct: 99.4%
- SMS price band: SAR 0.06 – 0.0649 (indicative list rates, reviewed 2026-09-24)
- Billing currencies: SAR, USD, AED

## Operators

| Operator | MNC | Route | Grade | A2P rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STC (Saudi Telecom Co.) | 420-01 | Direct | A+ | SAR 0.06 |
| Mobily (Etihad Etisalat) | 420-03 | Direct | A+ | SAR 0.06 |
| Zain KSA | 420-04 | Direct | A | SAR 0.0649 |
| Virgin Mobile KSA | MVNO · STC | Operator-grade | A | SAR 0.06 |

## Technical facts for Saudi Arabia

Network codes, message lengths and sender-ID rules in one table. Segment lengths are the GSM standard values (3GPP TS 23.038).

| Technical facts | |
|---|---|
| Mobile country code (MCC) | 420 |
| Dialling code | +966 |
| Operators (MCC-MNC) | STC (Saudi Telecom Co.) · 420-01; Mobily (Etihad Etisalat) · 420-03; Zain KSA · 420-04 |
| SMS length, GSM-7 (Latin alphabet) | 160 characters in a single SMS; 153 per part when concatenated |
| SMS length, UCS-2 (Arabic, Cyrillic and other scripts) | 70 characters in a single SMS; 67 per part when concatenated |
| Regulator | CST (Communications, Space and Technology Commission) |
| Sender-ID rules | Alphanumeric IDs require CST + operator approval; one ID per legal entity per use case. Foreign senders must bind through a CST-licensed local aggregator. Arabic and Latin scripts both supported. |
| Sender-ID lead time | 5-10 business days |

## Pricing

| Band | Transactional | Promotional | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | SAR 0.060 | SAR 0.073 | List rate up to 100K messages/month |
| Growth · 100K+ | SAR 0.053 | SAR 0.065 | Auto-tier discount |
| Volume · 1M+ | SAR 0.0444 | SAR 0.054 | Includes quarterly route review |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Direct operator pricing + signed SLA |

## Sender ID

Alphanumeric IDs require CST + operator approval; one ID per legal entity per use case. Foreign senders must bind through a CST-licensed local aggregator. Arabic and Latin scripts both supported.

CST sender ID registration handled by BroadNet — typically 5-10 business days, single fee per legal entity.

## Rules

- **CST-licensed routes only**: All A2P SMS must terminate via a CST-licensed local aggregator. Foreign senders bind through BroadNet's KSA entity.
- **Pre-registered sender IDs**: Alphanumeric IDs require CST + operator approval. Reservation is one ID per legal entity per use case.
- **PDPL 2023 enforcement**: Saudi PDPL is fully enforced from 2024. Consent, data minimisation, 72-hour breach notification, cross-border transfer restrictions.
- **Arabic + Latin content**: UCS-2 (Arabic) routes carry the same SLA as GSM-7. BroadNet's compliance engine flags mixed-script abuse automatically.
- **No off-window promotional**: Marketing windows mirror local prayer timing for several operators. Engine applies operator-specific quiet hours by default.

## Compliance

Saudi PDPL fully enforced from 2024 — consent, data minimisation, 72-hour breach notification, cross-border restrictions. Some categories (banking, government) require Arabic content. Operator-specific quiet hours apply.

## Sample A2P template

```text
Your one-time code is 274501. Valid for 5 minutes. Do not share.
```

Arabic:

```text
رمز التحقق لمرة واحدة هو 274501. صالح لمدة 5 دقائق. لا تشاركه.
```

## Related

- https://www.broadnet.me/regulations/saudi-arabia
- https://www.broadnet.me/pricing/sms/saudi-arabia