Country code Saudi Arabia, +966 or 00966?
There are two spellings for the Saudi Arabia area code, namely +966 and 00966. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Saudi Arabia and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Saudi Arabia that starts with a “+” (i.e. +966) is the so-called international code (international spelling). It is primarily used in the mobile communications sector. Most cell phones can make an international call to Saudi Arabia using the +966 area code. This applies to almost every country in the world.
Unfortunately, there are phones (especially older models) that do not support the international spelling. The Saudi Arabia area code with leading zeros (00966) is then used on these phones. The leading zeros are also referred to as the so-called traffic elimination number. When you call, they indicate that it is an international call.
Problem: Access code and area code 00966
In fact, the 00966 variant is used for calls to Saudi Arabia, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 00966 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Saudi Arabia begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 011966.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Saudi Arabia you can always use the country code 00966. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code for Saudi Arabia (+966) works in all countries in the world. However, it is not supported in all networks and by all telephone devices.
Example of phone calls to Saudi Arabia
To illustrate the use of the international dialing codes Saudi Arabia (+966 or 00966) here is an example again:
You want to call 456789 with the area code 0123 in Saudi Arabia. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
00966 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+966 123 456789