Saudi Arabia has digitised nearly every aspect of daily life, from hailing taxis to booking Umrah permits. If you are planning a trip to the Kingdom, the apps on your phone will matter almost as much as your passport. This guide covers every app you should download before boarding your flight, organised by function so you can set up what you need and skip what you do not. Whether you are visiting Riyadh for business, exploring AlUla’s ancient tombs, or performing Hajj, consider this page part of your wider Saudi Arabia travel planning — the digital layer that sits on top of every logistical decision you will make on the ground.

Government and Identity Apps

Saudi Arabia’s government has invested heavily in digital infrastructure under Vision 2030, and several official apps are now so integrated into daily life that visitors genuinely need them. These are not optional extras — they are functional necessities.

Absher — Ministry of Interior Services

Absher is the official app of the Ministry of Interior, serving as a one-stop portal for government services. For tourists, the most relevant features include checking visa status and validity, viewing traffic violations (useful if you are renting a car and driving), and accessing digital copies of official documents. The app supports both Arabic and English and is available on iOS and Android. Absher is not strictly mandatory for a short tourist visit, but it becomes essential the moment you need to interact with any government service — extending a visa, checking a fine, or verifying your entry status.

Tip: Download Absher before you arrive. Registration requires your passport number and visa details, which are easier to enter calmly at home than in an airport queue. If you are driving in Saudi Arabia, Absher is where traffic fines appear — and they accumulate fast on Saudi roads.

Nafath — Digital Identity Verification

Nafath is the national digital identity authentication app, managed by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). With over 17 million downloads and 380 million verification requests processed, it is the Kingdom’s biometric gatekeeper. When you log into a government portal or even certain private-sector services, Nafath sends a push notification asking you to confirm your identity via fingerprint, face recognition, or a numeric code. Think of it as Saudi Arabia’s equivalent of two-factor authentication, but built into the national infrastructure.

Visitors may encounter Nafath when using Absher or Tawakkalna for the first time. The app is available on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery.

Tawakkalna — The National Super App

Tawakkalna started during the pandemic as a health-status app but has since evolved into what SDAIA calls a “national super app,” serving more than 34 million users with over one million active daily. The September 2025 redesign (version 2.4.4) brought a completely restructured interface with services grouped more logically and key functions closer to the surface.

For travellers, Tawakkalna provides access to your digital ID, national address, prayer times, and over 1,000 government and private sector services. It supports seven languages and includes a digital wallet function. The upcoming AI-powered “Shamel” service will allow voice interaction in colloquial Arabic for checking traffic violations and travel details.

Tip: Tawakkalna is particularly useful if you need to show proof of identity or vaccination status. Some venues and government offices may ask you to present your Tawakkalna profile rather than a physical document. The app works on iOS 15.0 or later, Android, and Huawei devices.

Ride-Hailing and Transport Apps

Saudi Arabia does not have the kind of walkable public transport network most European or East Asian travellers are used to. Outside of central Riyadh (where the new metro is opening in phases), you will rely on ride-hailing apps or rental cars to get around. The good news is that the ride-hailing market is competitive, well-regulated, and reliably available in every major city. For a deeper look at how these services compare, see our dedicated guide to Uber and Careem in Saudi Arabia.

Careem — The Regional Super App

Careem is the dominant ride-hailing platform across the Gulf, operating in over 70 cities across 10 countries. In Saudi Arabia, it covers every major city from Riyadh and Jeddah to Dammam, Makkah, Madinah, and Taif. Beyond rides, Careem functions as a super app with food delivery, grocery shopping, courier services, and a digital wallet — all within a single interface.

Careem offers multiple ride categories, from economy to premium, and its “Hala Taxi” option connects you with licensed taxi drivers at metered rates. The app supports English, Arabic, and several other languages. With over 50 million users and 2.5 million registered drivers (“captains”), availability is rarely an issue in urban areas.

The main drawback: Careem is typically the most expensive ride-hailing option. Expect to pay roughly double what you would on Bolt or Jeeny for the same trip.

Uber — Reliable Global Standard

Uber operates in nine Saudi cities, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam, Taif, Al-Qassim, Al-Kharj, and Al-Ahsa. Uber sold its Middle East ride-hailing operation to Careem in 2019 but continues to operate its own app separately in Saudi Arabia. The experience is identical to Uber anywhere else in the world — same interface, same ride categories, same payment options.

Uber is generally cheaper than Careem but more expensive than Bolt. Where Uber excels is in consistency: pricing is predictable, surge markups are transparent, and the app’s GPS routing tends to be slightly more accurate in Saudi cities than some local competitors.

Bolt — The Budget Option

Bolt, the Estonian ride-hailing company, has expanded aggressively in Saudi Arabia since 2017 and now operates across every major city, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah, and Hail. Bolt consistently offers the cheapest fares in the Saudi market, making it the go-to choice for budget-conscious travellers.

The trade-off is that driver availability can be thinner in smaller cities compared to Careem or Uber. In Riyadh and Jeddah, however, you will rarely wait more than five minutes.

Jeeny — Local Affordable Alternative

Jeeny (formerly Easy Taxi) is the third-ranked ride-hailing app in the Kingdom, operating in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Al Khobar, Madinah, Jubail, and Hofuf. Many of Jeeny’s drivers are former traditional taxi operators, which means they tend to know local streets well. Pickup times are typically under five minutes. Jeeny is especially popular among students, commuters, and families who make frequent short trips.

HHR Train — Haramain High-Speed Railway

The HHR Train app is the official booking platform for the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which connects Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City along a 450-kilometre route. The Talgo 350 trains are modern, clean, and fast — making this one of the best rail experiences in the Middle East.

Through the app, you can check timetables, select seats with a coach-view layout, and pay with MADA, Visa, or MasterCard. Tickets are delivered instantly via email and SMS. The app supports Arabic and English. If you are travelling between Jeddah and Makkah or Madinah, this train is dramatically faster and more comfortable than driving, especially during Hajj and Umrah season. For more on Saudi Arabia’s public transport options, including buses and the Riyadh Metro, see our full guide.

Saudia Airlines App

The Saudia app handles flight bookings, check-in, boarding passes, seat changes, extra baggage purchases, and loyalty programme (AlFursan) management. You can check in all passengers on a booking up to 60 minutes before departure and store boarding passes offline on your phone. The app also supports hotel bookings and car rental. Payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, MADA, and SADAD. If you are flying domestically within Saudi Arabia, the Saudia app is worth having even if you booked through a third party — it makes managing your itinerary simpler.

Almatar — Saudi Flight and Hotel Comparison

Almatar is a Saudi-built travel booking app that compares prices across more than 500 airlines and thousands of hotels. It won the award for best tourist application in Saudi Arabia in 2022 and supports instalment payments for both flights and hotels. It is particularly useful for finding deals on domestic flights between cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and AlUla — routes where Saudia, flynas, and flyadeal all compete.

Navigation Apps

Saudi Arabian cities are sprawling, road signage can be inconsistent, and new construction regularly reroutes traffic. A reliable navigation app is not optional — it is essential, whether you are driving yourself or simply verifying that your Careem driver is heading in the right direction.

Google Maps

Google Maps is the most widely used navigation app in Saudi Arabia, with around 4.3 to 4.7 million weekly active users. Coverage is comprehensive across all cities and increasingly accurate for newer developments and road changes. Google Maps also provides real-time traffic data, business hours, reviews, and street-level imagery for many Saudi locations. For finding restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, and ATMs, it is the default.

Waze

Waze is popular with Saudi drivers for its community-sourced real-time alerts on accidents, speed cameras, police checks, and road hazards. With around 550,000 active users in the Kingdom, the data is thinner than in some Western markets, but on major routes between cities like Riyadh-Jeddah or Dammam-Riyadh, the community is active enough to be genuinely useful. Waze tends to offer more aggressive routing than Google Maps — taking shortcuts through side streets to save a few minutes.

Tip: Download offline maps for your destination city before you arrive. Mobile data coverage is excellent in Saudi cities but can drop on remote desert highways between cities. Having offline maps on Google Maps is a practical backup if you are doing a day trip from Riyadh or driving through less populated areas.

Pilgrimage Apps — Hajj and Umrah

If you are travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah, digital permits are now mandatory. You cannot enter the Grand Mosque precincts or book a Rawdah visit without the correct app and QR code.

Nusuk — The Official Hajj and Umrah Platform

Nusuk is the official platform of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. It has absorbed the former Eatmarna app and is now the sole digital gateway for all pilgrimage services. Through Nusuk, you can apply for an Umrah visa, book Umrah permits (including date and door entry), reserve Rawdah visits in Madinah, book accommodation near Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and purchase complete Hajj packages from authorised providers.

For Hajj 2026, packages are available with varying durations: minimum 6 days for Mashair packages, 10 days for Non-Shifting, and 14 days for Shifting packages. The platform supports pilgrims from over 60 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Turkey, and Brazil.

Nusuk is available on iOS and Android. Registration requires a valid passport, and all permits generate QR codes that are scanned at entry points. As of 2025, you must obtain a QR code via Nusuk to pray at Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah in Madinah — slots are limited and fill quickly.

Important: The Eatmarna app is no longer active. All its functions have been migrated to Nusuk. If you have old guides or advice referencing Eatmarna, update your phone to Nusuk instead.

Food Delivery Apps

Saudi Arabia has one of the most competitive food delivery markets in the Middle East, with multiple apps fighting for market share. This is good news for travellers: you will have fast, reliable food delivery available in virtually every Saudi city, often until late at night.

HungerStation

HungerStation, founded in 2012, was the first Saudi food delivery app and remains the market leader. It operates in over 102 cities with more than 55,000 restaurant partners and has fulfilled over 300 million orders. Delivery times in major cities typically fall between 25 and 45 minutes. HungerStation is owned by Delivery Hero and also offers grocery delivery.

Jahez

Jahez launched in 2016 and has become one of the most popular food delivery apps by focusing exclusively on the Saudi market. It operates in more than 70 cities and is known for understanding local food preferences — useful if you want recommendations for authentic Saudi dishes like kabsa, mandi, or saleeg. Jahez is currently testing machine-learning route optimisation that has trimmed average delivery times by 11%.

Mrsool — Deliver Anything

Mrsool is not just a food delivery app — it will deliver anything from anywhere. You can order from restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores, beauty supply shops, auto parts stores, and more. You can also use its “Send It” feature to dispatch items between locations. The unique model allows you to chat directly with your courier, negotiate delivery fees, and even place orders from stores that are not officially listed on any delivery platform. With 10 million registered users and 200,000 couriers, Mrsool fills the gaps that traditional delivery apps leave.

Keeta, Talabat and Others

Keeta, backed by ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company), launched in Saudi Arabia in late 2025 and has already captured around 10% of order volume through aggressive pricing and promotions. Talabat, also owned by Delivery Hero, is another reliable option with broad restaurant coverage. Other notable apps include ToYou, The Chefz (for premium restaurant delivery), and Daily Mealz (meal subscription service).

Tip: Install at least two food delivery apps. Restaurants often have exclusive deals on specific platforms, and delivery fees vary significantly between apps for the same order. HungerStation and Jahez together will cover 90% of what you need.

Tourism and Discovery Apps

Visit Saudi — Official Tourism App

The Visit Saudi app is the official app of the Saudi Tourism Authority. It provides attraction listings, event calendars, restaurant recommendations, accommodation options, and city-by-city activity guides. The app is available in eight languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, German, and Chinese. It is a useful starting point for discovering events like Noor Riyadh (the world’s largest light festival), Soundstorm music festival, and Winter at AlUla, with details on dates, venues, and ticket availability.

Google Translate

While English is widely understood in hotels, malls, and tourist areas, you will encounter Arabic-only signage in local restaurants, souks, government offices, and rural areas. Google Translate with its camera feature (point your phone at Arabic text for instant translation) is invaluable. Download the Arabic language pack for offline use before your trip. For commonly used Arabic phrases for Saudi Arabia travel, we have a separate guide.

Payment and Banking Apps

Saudi Arabia is rapidly moving toward a cashless economy, but cash is not dead yet. Here is what you need to know about digital payments. For detailed information on ATMs, banking fees, and currency exchange, see our dedicated guide, and for background on the Saudi Riyal and exchange rates, consult our currency page.

Apple Pay and Google Pay

Both Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely accepted at major retailers, restaurants, malls, and petrol stations across Saudi Arabia. If your home bank card is loaded into either wallet, you can tap to pay at most point-of-sale terminals in urban areas. This is the simplest payment method for tourists — no additional app registration required.

MADA

MADA is the Saudi national payment network. Every Saudi debit card runs on MADA, and the terminals are ubiquitous. International Visa and MasterCard debit/credit cards work at MADA terminals without issue. You do not need to download a MADA app as a tourist, but you will see the MADA logo everywhere — it simply confirms that card payments are accepted.

STC Pay (STC Bank)

STC Pay, now operating as STC Bank, is the largest digital wallet in the MENA region with over 12 million users and a 26% share of Saudi Arabia’s digital wallet market. It offers transfers, bill payments, and online shopping. STC Pay is primarily designed for residents with Saudi phone numbers, but if you have a local SIM card, registration is possible. More than 200,000 merchants accept STC Pay.

Communication and Connectivity Apps

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the dominant messaging platform in Saudi Arabia, used by businesses, hotels, tour operators, and individuals alike. If you need to communicate with a Saudi contact — whether it is your hotel, a local guide, a car rental company, or an Airbnb host — the conversation will almost certainly happen on WhatsApp. Voice and video calls via WhatsApp work on Saudi networks.

MySTC, MyMobily, MyZain

If you purchase a local SIM card or eSIM from one of Saudi Arabia’s three main carriers — STC, Mobily, or Zain — download the corresponding app (MySTC, MyMobily, or MyZain). These apps let you check your data balance, buy top-ups, activate roaming packages, and manage your plan. Running out of data in a Saudi city without knowing how to recharge is an easily avoidable problem. For a detailed comparison of Saudi carrier options, see our SIM card guide and eSIM guide.

Essential Apps Comparison Table

What to Download Before You Fly

Not every app on this list is needed on day one. Here is a practical priority order for the 24 hours before your departure:

Tier 1 — Download now, set up before you board:

• Google Maps — download offline maps for your destination city
• Google Translate — download the Arabic language pack for offline use
• Careem or Uber — set up your account and payment method
• WhatsApp — ensure it is installed and linked to your phone number
• Absher — register with your passport and visa details

Tier 2 — Download during your first day:

• Bolt — for cheaper ride alternatives
• HungerStation or Jahez — for food delivery
• Tawakkalna — register and set up your profile
• Carrier app (MySTC, MyMobily, or MyZain) — after purchasing a local SIM

Tier 3 — As needed:

• Nusuk — mandatory if performing Hajj or Umrah
• HHR Train — if travelling the Makkah-Madinah-Jeddah corridor
• Visit Saudi — for event listings and attraction discovery
• Saudia — if flying with the national carrier
• Mrsool — for non-food deliveries or hard-to-find items

Practical Tips and Common Mistakes

VPN and Blocked Services

Saudi Arabia blocks certain VoIP services and some websites. Standard phone calls, WhatsApp messaging, and WhatsApp voice/video calls all work. However, some lesser-known VoIP apps may not function without a VPN. Note that using a VPN is not illegal in Saudi Arabia, but using one to access content that violates Saudi law is. For most tourists, WhatsApp and FaceTime (which is now available in the Kingdom) cover all communication needs.

Data and Storage

Having six to eight apps open simultaneously in a Saudi summer, where phone temperatures can spike in 45-degree heat, will drain your battery fast. Carry a portable charger. Also ensure you have at least 2-3 GB of free storage on your phone before arrival — between offline maps, app downloads, and photo storage, space fills up quickly. Check our Saudi Arabia packing list for more practical travel preparation tips.

App Store Region

Some government apps (particularly Absher and Tawakkalna) are available globally on the App Store and Google Play, but if you encounter any issues downloading them, you may need to temporarily switch your app store region to Saudi Arabia. This is rare but worth noting.

Payment Methods

Most Saudi apps accept international Visa and MasterCard. Careem, Uber, and Bolt all allow you to add a foreign credit or debit card. MADA is a local-only payment network and will not work with foreign cards inside apps — but tap-to-pay at physical terminals using Apple Pay or Google Pay with your international card works seamlessly.

Language Settings

All major apps listed in this guide support English. However, some apps default to Arabic based on your phone’s SIM card or location. You can switch language in the app settings — look for the gear icon and language option, which is usually near the top of the settings menu.

Safety and Privacy Considerations

Saudi government apps like Absher and Tawakkalna access personal data including visa status, biometrics, and location. This is standard for government digital services and is encrypted with modern security protocols. If you have concerns about digital privacy, you can uninstall government apps after leaving the Kingdom. For a broader discussion of safety for tourists in Saudi Arabia, including digital security, see our dedicated guide.

Explore More Saudi Arabia Travel Guides

• Saudi Arabia Travel Guide 2026 — The complete guide to visiting the Kingdom
• Uber and Careem in Saudi Arabia — Ride-hailing apps compared in detail
• Best SIM Cards in Saudi Arabia — Zain, STC, and Mobily compared for tourists
• eSIM for Saudi Arabia — Best digital SIM options for travellers
• Public Transport in Saudi Arabia — Buses, metro, and train networks explained
• ATMs and Banking in Saudi Arabia — Cards, fees, and currency tips
• Saudi Riyal Currency Guide — Exchange rates and getting the best deal
• Essential Arabic Phrases — Key words and phrases for your trip
• Saudi Arabia Visa Guide — Every visa type explained