Middle East

Haj 2025: Pilgrims can now activate eSIM cards digitally on arrival in Saudi Arabia

As of Saturday, May 24, a total of 961,903 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Haj 2025 via air, land, and sea ports.

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has enabled international pilgrims to activate eSIM cards directly through service provider applications, offering seamless digital connectivity upon arrival in the Kingdom.

The new service is part of a joint initiative by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and licensed telecom operators.

It allows pilgrims to request and activate eSIMs through a biometric verification process using the government’s Absher platform, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

This streamlined process ensures that pilgrims are connected upon arrival in the Kingdom, eliminating the need to visit service provider branches or wait until reaching their accommodation.

This collaborative effort is part of CST’s broader commitment to supporting pilgrims and improving the user experience through innovative technological services. It also underscores the strong integration among various government entities working to enhance the Kingdom’s image in serving pilgrims.

As of Saturday, May 24, a total of 961,903 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Haj 2025 via air, land, and sea ports.

Around 1.8 million Muslims from both within and outside the Kingdom performed Haj 2024, an obligatory Islamic duty.

This post was last modified on May 26, 2025 10:15 pm

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Sakina Fatima

Sakina Fatima, a digital journalist with Siasat.com, has a master's degree in business administration and is a graduate in mass communication and journalism. Sakina covers topics from the Middle East, with a leaning towards human interest issues.

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