Jeddah - Post Report Question and Answers
Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes. It was installed when I got there as the buildings were owned and operated by my employer. Speeds were acceptable, and one could use a VPN easily to avoid the government filter. - Oct 2022
The SDA internet is 200MBPS download speed and is fast enough for a large family to watch Netflix/Hulu or ITunes movies/TV shows. There is no Armed Forces Network (AFN) yet and the local TV provider is boring and repetitive. We watch 100% of TV and movies by online means. I pay 55 SAR (15$) a month for fiber internet and is installed upon arrival to the SDA. It is a 3-week process from Siera and Basateen. - Aug 2022
You will be restricted to the internet providers available at your housing compound. If you do not like the vendor supplied at the compound, a 4G router was very affordable for us and allowed us to do normal movie streaming and home office activities. - Nov 2020
We had high-speed internet and never had a problem. Sometimes it went out but was back in about 20 minutes. It was installed within a week of arrival. Highly recommend getting a good VPN before arriving; Saudi has some of the toughest rules on internet use and it will be impossible to even visit VPN sites once you arrive. - Oct 2019
It is available, cost is about USD 100 per month, some of the compounds have it installed already. - Mar 2019
You can have your social sponsor install it before you arrive if you want. - Jan 2019
Yes and affordable on housing compounds. - Apr 2016
The internet here is terrible! - Nov 2015
Internet service is bad here. - Oct 2015
Very poor service at $26 dollars a month. - Oct 2015
Yes, but the local company can be difficult to work with. Cost is approximately US$30-55 per month. - Aug 2015
STC is the best - some other ones have limited downloads. We had a very bad experience with Zein. - Feb 2014
They have 4G internet from a variety of providers. We pay about US$275 for six months of "unlimited" Internet. However, if you go beyond the limit of your "unlimited" monthly allotment, your internet becomes mind-numbingly slow for the rest of the month in punishment for your transgression. No one at Zain has yet been able to explain why it's called "unlimited" even though it is limited. - Dec 2013
Yes. It runs about $60/month for us. It's fast and reliable enough for our needs--telecommuting, VOIP calling, social media, etc. - May 2013
Internet is ridiculously bad.3G internet works depending on where you're sitting and compound service is v. bad and they have a monopoly so they have no reason to improve it. It's expensive and barely works. The GSO should put the hammer down on the compounds to improve it; but we all know that won't happen. - Nov 2010
