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INSAIndia to Saudi Arabia

WhatsApp Business API for Saudi Arabia, checked against the PDPL

The PDPL is enforced, a stricter marketing draft is out for consultation until 5 November, and Arabic is the Kingdom's language: what to settle before your first template leaves India.

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≈3,280 km
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Dashed arc: the great-circle route from New Delhi to Saudi Arabia.
Time zone
Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3, no daylight saving[2]
Meta market
Saudi Arabia (own rate card)
Data law
PDPL, fully enforceable since 14 September 2024[3]
Regulator
Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA)[4]
Draft amendments
Consultation open until 5 November 2026[6]
Capital and language
Riyadh; Arabic (Basic Law, Art. 1)[1]

For Indian businesses with customers in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi firms assessing an Indian provider: a PDPL consent checklist to work through before sending, what SDAIA's October 2026 draft would change, how CST's SMS quiet hours relate to WhatsApp, and what a +966 message costs.

Before you send

Seven checks before your first template to a Saudi number

The PDPL has been enforced since September 2024, and SDAIA is consulting on tighter marketing rules until 5 November 2026. Tick off each step your process already covers.

Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (Royal Decree M/19 of 2021, amended by M/148 of 2023) has applied in full since its grace period ended on 14 September 2024, and SDAIA was actively enforcing it as of February 2026.[3]

Regulator: Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA)

Your sending checklist

7/7

ticked

Required
7 / 7

Ready to send

Every item ticked.

Tick each item as your process covers it. This is a practical checklist, not legal advice.

Ready to send. 7 of 7 ticked.

Sources for each point: Consent before any marketing template[5],[19]; Evidence for every opt-in[6]; An opt-out that stops everything[5],[6]; A 72-hour breach plan[3]; A view on localisation and registration[6]; Quiet hours as good practice[7],[8]; Adverts that say who is selling[9]

This section summarises public guidance from the sources cited. It is not legal advice; check with your counsel before you send.

The Kingdom in figures: 2025, and the 2026 forecast

A strong non-oil year, then a contraction forecast as Gulf shipping is disrupted. Figures from GASTAT, the IMF, the Ministry of Tourism and SAMA.

Real GDP grew 4.5% in 2025 on GASTAT's flash estimate; non-oil activities grew 4.9% and supplied 2.7 percentage points of that growth.[10]

The IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook projects a 3.3% contraction for Saudi Arabia in 2026, as the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz weighs on the Gulf, and growth of 7.9% in 2027.[11]

The IMF's Middle East director said Saudi Arabia and the UAE have alternative export channels and buffers that let them withstand the shock better than more exposed Gulf states.[12]

Tourism spending reached about SR304 billion in 2025, with about 123 million domestic and inbound tourists, according to the Ministry of Tourism.[13]

We Are Social and Meltwater's Digital 2026 research found more than 80% of people in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, taken together, active on WhatsApp, which respondents ranked as their favourite platform, ahead of Snapchat and TikTok.[16]

SAMA's sarie system settles transfers of up to SAR 20,000 instantly, around the clock, using a mobile number instead of an IBAN; its mada network links point-of-sale terminals, ATMs and e-commerce sites.[17],[18]

Who messages what

Five sectors, and what each sends

Where the Saudi economy is growing or concentrated, and the messages that follow. Each use case starts with an opt-in.

SectorWhat it sends on WhatsApp
Tourism and hospitality29.3 million inbound and 93.3 million domestic tourists in 2025; inbound visitors spent SR176.6 billion.[13]
  • Booking confirmations
  • Itineraries
  • Visitor support in Arabic and English
Retail, services and constructionNon-oil activities grew 4.9% in 2025 and were the largest contributor to GDP growth.[10]
  • Order and cash-on-delivery confirmation
  • Delivery updates
  • Site-visit booking
Regional headquarters and professional servicesThe Ministry of Investment issued 34 regional-headquarters licences in the second quarter of 2025 under its RHQ programme.[14]
  • Lead qualification
  • Meeting scheduling
  • Partner support
E-commerceOnline selling is governed by the E-Commerce Law of 2019, which sets what an electronic advertisement must contain.[9]
  • Abandoned-cart reminders to opted-in shoppers
  • Return and refund updates
  • Back-in-stock alerts
Energy and industrial supplyOil activities grew 5.6% in 2025; Aramco describes itself as one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.[10],[15]
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Field-team dispatch
  • Purchase-order updates

Prices in ₹ and SAR

What a +966 message costs from India

Plans start at ₹999 a month. Each delivered message is charged by category at InfiQ's Saudi Arabia rate, and service replies have been charged per message since 1 October 2026.

Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC

Lite

₹999 / month≈ SAR 39.41 SAR

₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ SAR 32.86 SAR

Everything a growing business needs to run WhatsApp properly.

Growth

₹2,999 / month≈ SAR 118.31 SAR

₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ SAR 98.59 SAR

Lite, plus the API, automation and team scale serious senders need.

Enterprise

Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.

Per message to Saudi Arabia · Saudi Arabia

InfiQ per-message rates for Saudi Arabia in rupees and SAR
Category₹ INRSAR
Marketing₹5.0537SAR 0.199
Utility₹0.9401SAR 0.0371
Authentication₹0.9401SAR 0.0371
Service₹0.9401SAR 0.0371
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and SAR
Per-message rates by market, effective 1 October 2026
MarketMarketingUtilityAuthenticationService
ArgentinaSAR 0.214₹5.4352SAR 0.0902₹2.2874SAR 0.0902₹2.2874SAR 0.0902₹2.2874
BangladeshSAR 0.254₹6.4397SAR 0.0128₹0.3254SAR 0.0128₹0.3254SAR 0.0128₹0.3254
BrazilSAR 0.217₹5.4970SAR 0.0236₹0.5981SAR 0.0236₹0.5981SAR 0.0236₹0.5981
ChileSAR 0.308₹7.8162SAR 0.0694₹1.7585SAR 0.0694₹1.7585SAR 0.0694₹1.7585
ColombiaSAR 0.0434₹1.0993SAR 0.0028₹0.0706SAR 0.0028₹0.0706SAR 0.0028₹0.0706
EgyptSAR 0.223₹5.6629SAR 0.0125₹0.3167SAR 0.0125₹0.3167SAR 0.0125₹0.3167
FranceSAR 0.298₹7.5588SAR 0.104₹2.6393SAR 0.104₹2.6393SAR 0.104₹2.6393
GermanySAR 0.474₹12.0088SAR 0.191₹4.8386SAR 0.191₹4.8386SAR 0.191₹4.8386
Hong KongSAR 0.254₹6.4397SAR 0.0902₹2.2867SAR 0.0902₹2.2867SAR 0.0902₹2.2867
HungarySAR 0.298₹7.5596SAR 0.121₹3.0700SAR 0.121₹3.0700SAR 0.121₹3.0700
IndiaSAR 0.0372₹0.9435SAR 0.0077₹0.1941SAR 0.0055₹0.1402SAR 0.0057₹0.1450
IndonesiaSAR 0.143₹3.6133SAR 0.0867₹2.1979SAR 0.0867₹2.1979SAR 0.0867₹2.1979
IraqSAR 0.118₹2.9992SAR 0.0274₹0.6943SAR 0.0274₹0.6943SAR 0.0274₹0.6943
IsraelSAR 0.122₹3.1045SAR 0.0184₹0.4662SAR 0.0184₹0.4662SAR 0.0184₹0.4662
ItalySAR 0.276₹6.9847SAR 0.104₹2.6369SAR 0.104₹2.6369SAR 0.104₹2.6369
KazakhstanSAR 0.209₹5.3098SAR 0.0624₹1.5824SAR 0.0624₹1.5824SAR 0.0624₹1.5824
KuwaitSAR 0.275₹6.9671SAR 0.153₹3.8671SAR 0.153₹3.8671SAR 0.153₹3.8671
MalaysiaSAR 0.298₹7.5644SAR 0.0486₹1.2314SAR 0.0486₹1.2314SAR 0.0486₹1.2314
MexicoSAR 0.138₹3.4877SAR 0.0295₹0.7471SAR 0.0295₹0.7471SAR 0.0295₹0.7471
MoroccoSAR 0.144₹3.6425SAR 0.0798₹2.0218SAR 0.0798₹2.0218SAR 0.0798₹2.0218
NetherlandsSAR 0.554₹14.0494SAR 0.174₹4.3987SAR 0.174₹4.3987SAR 0.174₹4.3987
NepalSAR 0.254₹6.4397SAR 0.0118₹0.2990SAR 0.0118₹0.2990SAR 0.0118₹0.2990
NigeriaSAR 0.179₹4.5421SAR 0.0233₹0.5898SAR 0.0233₹0.5898SAR 0.0233₹0.5898
OmanSAR 0.118₹2.9992SAR 0.0856₹2.1709SAR 0.0856₹2.1709SAR 0.0856₹2.1709
PakistanSAR 0.164₹4.1620SAR 0.0521₹1.3200SAR 0.0521₹1.3200SAR 0.0521₹1.3200
PeruSAR 0.244₹6.1843SAR 0.104₹2.6392SAR 0.104₹2.6392SAR 0.104₹2.6392
PolandSAR 0.127₹3.2105SAR 0.0422₹1.0702SAR 0.0422₹1.0702SAR 0.0422₹1.0702
QatarSAR 0.118₹2.9992SAR 0.0416₹1.0547SAR 0.0416₹1.0547SAR 0.0416₹1.0547
RomaniaSAR 0.298₹7.5596SAR 0.100₹2.5436SAR 0.100₹2.5436SAR 0.100₹2.5436
RussiaSAR 0.278₹7.0520SAR 0.139₹3.5173SAR 0.139₹3.5173SAR 0.139₹3.5173
Saudi ArabiaSAR 0.199₹5.0537SAR 0.0371₹0.9401SAR 0.0371₹0.9401SAR 0.0371₹0.9401
SingaporeSAR 0.254₹6.4397SAR 0.0555₹1.4072SAR 0.0555₹1.4072SAR 0.0555₹1.4072
South AfricaSAR 0.132₹3.3385SAR 0.0330₹0.8369SAR 0.0330₹0.8369SAR 0.0330₹0.8369
SpainSAR 0.245₹6.2161SAR 0.0693₹1.7578SAR 0.0693₹1.7578SAR 0.0693₹1.7578
Sri LankaSAR 0.254₹6.4397SAR 0.0069₹0.1759SAR 0.0069₹0.1759SAR 0.0069₹0.1759
TurkeySAR 0.0378₹0.9587SAR 0.0031₹0.0792SAR 0.0031₹0.0792SAR 0.0031₹0.0792
UkraineSAR 0.298₹7.5596SAR 0.103₹2.6138SAR 0.103₹2.6138SAR 0.103₹2.6138
United Arab EmiratesSAR 0.199₹5.0537SAR 0.0545₹1.3811SAR 0.0545₹1.3811SAR 0.0545₹1.3811
United KingdomSAR 0.220₹5.5795SAR 0.0763₹1.9346SAR 0.0763₹1.9346SAR 0.0763₹1.9346
North AmericaSAR 0.0867₹2.1976SAR 0.0118₹0.2989SAR 0.0118₹0.2989SAR 0.0118₹0.2989
Rest of AfricaSAR 0.0781₹1.9796SAR 0.0139₹0.3516SAR 0.0139₹0.3516SAR 0.0139₹0.3516
Rest of Asia PacificSAR 0.292₹7.4057SAR 0.0392₹0.9938SAR 0.0392₹0.9938SAR 0.0392₹0.9938
Rest of Central & Eastern EuropeSAR 0.298₹7.5596SAR 0.0734₹1.8595SAR 0.0734₹1.8595SAR 0.0734₹1.8595
Rest of Latin AmericaSAR 0.257₹6.5048SAR 0.0392₹0.9934SAR 0.0392₹0.9934SAR 0.0392₹0.9934
Rest of Middle EastSAR 0.136₹3.4490SAR 0.0316₹0.7998SAR 0.0316₹0.7998SAR 0.0316₹0.7998
Rest of Western EuropeSAR 0.205₹5.2054SAR 0.0592₹1.5019SAR 0.0592₹1.5019SAR 0.0592₹1.5019
OtherSAR 0.209₹5.3098SAR 0.0267₹0.6769SAR 0.0267₹0.6769SAR 0.0267₹0.6769
Currency converter

SAR 39.41 SAR

Indicative conversion at reference rates (ExchangeRate-API snapshot). InfiQ sets and invoices prices in Indian rupees, excluding GST; your bank’s rate on the day you pay will differ. Rates By Exchange Rate API.

Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. Ramadan and Eid offers are marketing messages, so budget them at the marketing rate, not the utility one. The riyal column is an indicative conversion; InfiQ invoices in rupees.

Rates for every Meta market, plus plans and add-ons, are on one page.

See all plans and rates

On InfiQ

What you run on InfiQ for Saudi customers

The pieces that map onto the checklist above, with the status of each.

  1. Consent records and opt-out enforcement

    The checklist's first three items in one place: where and when each contact opted in, an exportable trail, and STOP enforced even against later imports.

  2. Template manager and library

    Draft the Arabic and English versions of each template and track Meta's approval of each language separately.

  3. Broadcast campaigns

    Schedule campaigns to land after 9 am Riyadh time, to opted-in segments of up to 2,00,000 contacts per broadcast.

  4. Green tick application support

    InfiQ prepares and submits the Official Business Account request; Meta decides who receives it and when.

  5. Max price for marketing messagesBeta

    In beta: set a ceiling on what Meta charges per delivered marketing message before a seasonal campaign goes out.

  6. Customer data hosted in India

    Customer data is processed in India, which is the fact a Saudi controller needs to weigh against SDAIA's draft.

Getting started

How to start

Four steps for an Indian business, then the route for a company registered in the Kingdom.

  1. From India

    Start the trial

    A 7-day Lite trial, no card needed. After it, plans start at ₹999 a month.

  2. From India

    Verify with Meta, go live

    Go-live takes about two hours once Meta business verification is complete for your Indian business.

  3. From India

    Build the opt-in before the campaign

    Add a consent line to checkout or booking forms in Arabic and English, and record the wording each contact agreed to.

  4. From India

    Send on Riyadh time

    Riyadh is two and a half hours behind India. A promotion scheduled for 12:00 IST lands at 09:30 in the Kingdom.

  5. Based in Saudi Arabia

    Talk to sales first

    InfiQ serves India-based businesses. For a company registered in Saudi Arabia, availability outside India goes through sales.

  6. Based in Saudi Arabia

    Bring your PDPL questions

    Data location and the draft rules are the first conversation, before any plan or price.

City guides in Saudi Arabia

Questions businesses ask about WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia

  1. Q1

    Do we have to register with SDAIA's National Register of Controllers before messaging Saudi customers?

    It depends on your case today, and the change that would widen the requirement is still a draft. SDAIA's October 2026 draft amendments would make registration in the National Register of Controllers mandatory in more cases than now; the consultation runs until 5 November 2026. Check the requirement for your organisation on SDAIA's Personal Data Protection portal, or with counsel, once the final text is published.

  2. Q2

    Would SDAIA's proposed localisation rule rule out a provider that processes data in India?

    It might, if it is adopted as drafted and applies to your business. InfiQ processes customer data in India. The October 2026 draft would add express data localisation, but it is out for consultation until 5 November 2026, so the final scope is not known yet. A Saudi-based controller should settle this with counsel before signing.

  3. Q3

    Do CST's quiet hours for promotional SMS also bind WhatsApp broadcasts?

    Not as far as the text we could check goes. The CST spam regulations, as quoted by the licensed SMS provider Taqnyat, bar promotional SMS from 10 pm to 9 am and set different hours in Ramadan; they are written for SMS sender names. Keeping WhatsApp promotions inside the same hours is a cautious choice rather than a requirement we can point to.

  4. Q4

    How should Ramadan and Eid campaigns to Saudi customers be planned?

    Get the templates approved early and schedule them for daytime Riyadh hours. Each Arabic and English version needs its own Meta approval, so submit them well before the season. The CST sets different promotional hours for SMS during Ramadan; treat them as a guide for WhatsApp, and remember every campaign message is charged at the marketing rate, ₹5.05.

  5. Q5

    Can customers pay with mada or by sarie from a WhatsApp chat?

    Not inside the chat on InfiQ; you send a payment link instead. InfiQ does not offer in-chat payments, so teams put a link from their payment gateway in a template or a reply. mada is SAMA's national network linking point-of-sale, ATMs and e-commerce sites, and sarie moves up to SAR 20,000 instantly using a mobile number, so whether a link accepts them depends on your gateway.

  6. Q6

    What does a WhatsApp marketing message to a Saudi number cost on InfiQ?

    ₹5.05 per delivered marketing message, at InfiQ's Saudi Arabia rate in rupees, excluding GST. Utility messages cost ₹0.9401, authentication ₹0.9401 and a service reply ₹0.9401. Plans start at ₹999 a month on top of message charges.

  7. Q7

    Can our templates and replies run entirely in Arabic?

    Yes. Arabic is on Meta's list of template languages, so every template can have an Arabic version, approved separately from the English one. Replies inside the 24-hour service window need no template and can be in Arabic. InfiQ's own support team works in English and Hindi.

  8. Q8

    Can a company registered in Saudi Arabia buy InfiQ directly?

    Talk to sales first. InfiQ serves India-based businesses, invoices in rupees, processes customer data in India and supports customers in English and Hindi on India time; it has no presence in the Kingdom. A Saudi-registered company can ask sales whether availability outside India covers it, ideally after reading the data-location note above.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. InfiQ's rates come from its published rate card. Page updated 2026-10-20.

  1. [1]Basic Law of Governance, Article 1 (English text) · WIPO Lex · read 2026-10-20
  2. [2]Zone Asia/Riyadh, 'asia' source file · IANA Time Zone Database (tzdb) · read 2026-10-20
  3. [3]Data Protection Laws of the World: Saudi Arabia (last modified 11 Feb 2026) · DLA Piper · read 2026-10-20
  4. [4]Personal Data Protection portal · Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) · read 2026-10-20
  5. [5]Saudi Arabia's data protection law enters into force (Dec 2023) · Latham & Watkins · read 2026-10-20
  6. [6]SDAIA publishes draft amendments to the PDPL (Oct 2026) · Clyde & Co · read 2026-10-20
  7. [7]Regulations for Curbing SPAM Messages and Calls (Decision No. 493/1444) · Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) · read 2026-10-20
  8. [8]Spam reduction mechanisms · Taqnyat (licensed SMS provider), quoting CST regulations · read 2026-10-20
  9. [9]E-Commerce Law, Royal Decree No. M/126 (English translation) · Ministry of Investment (MISA) · read 2026-10-20
  10. [10]Saudi economy grows 4.5% in 2025, flash estimate (1 Feb 2026) · Arab News, reporting GASTAT · read 2026-10-20
  11. [11]IMF cuts 2026 growth forecasts for Gulf economies due to prolonged Hormuz closure (13 Oct 2026) · The National, reporting the IMF World Economic Outlook · read 2026-10-20
  12. [12]Middle East and Central Asia Department press briefing, transcript (15 Oct 2026) · International Monetary Fund · read 2026-10-20
  13. [13]Tourism statistics for 2025 (18 Jun 2026) · Arab News, reporting the Ministry of Tourism · read 2026-10-20
  14. [14]Regional headquarters licences, second quarter of 2025 · Arab News, reporting the MISA Economic and Investment Monitor · read 2026-10-20
  15. [15]About us · Aramco · read 2026-10-20
  16. [16]Digital 2026: five behavioural shifts in the UAE and Saudi Arabia (23 Jan 2026) · Campaign Middle East, reporting We Are Social and Meltwater · read 2026-10-20
  17. [17]sarie instant payment system · Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) · read 2026-10-20
  18. [18]mada national payment network · Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) · read 2026-10-20
  19. [19]WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (updated 23 September 2026) · WhatsApp (Meta) · read 2026-10-20

Send to +966 with the checklist done

Indian businesses can start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed. Registered in Saudi Arabia? Talk to sales first about data location and availability.

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Route

IN → SA

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