If you live in Saudi Arabia, it’s only natural that you use online services that are available in the country. You must be using certain apps and websites that are otherwise unavailable outside Saudi Arabia. It includes banking apps, streaming apps, government apps, social media apps, etc.
There’s no issue using most of these websites, apps, and services in the country, the challenge is, how you would use it once you leave Saudi Arabia for business, leisure, vacation, or other reasons. For the unversed, some apps and services are restricted to Saudi Arabia that means you can’t use it once you go outside the country.
It becomes a problem if you haven’t made the required arrangements when traveling abroad since no matter how hard you try, change WiFi networks, or call ISPs for help, there’s a strong chance you won’t get access to these apps/websites whatsoever unless you use a VPN.
Let’s take a deep dive into what’s a VPN, how you can use VPN to get access to Saudi Arabia content, and more. We will also answer your queries on how you get a Saudi Arabian IP address in XYZ country (for instance, the US or Australia).
What is VPN in Saudi Arabia?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a protected network that protects the user’s identity and online activities by tunneling the data packets and traffic through a secure channel. It routes the data through a remote VPN server that masks and changes the user’s IP address using protocols and encryption to make it hard for any party to locate the user and track their activities once they are connected to the internet.
A VPN essentially changes the user’s location and IP address to virtually any part of the world. Some VPNs even use a multi-hop feature that tosses your connection to two or more servers, skewing the ability of any surveilling authorities or attackers to locate you and what you do online.
In the context of our blog on ‘How to get a Saudi Arabian IP address in 2023’, a VPN can help change your current location. For instance, if you are in the US and want to browse Saudi Arabian content on the web, you can switch your location from the US to Saudi Arabia by obtaining a Saudi Arabian IP address using a VPN. We will explore more about why and how you can change your IP address to a Saudi Arabian one in a bit.
Saudi Arabia and Internet Censorship
Usually, your ISP provides the internet infrastructure needed to get you online. You could be watching movies, TV shows, online chat rooms, blogs, games, doing your usual office work, etc. However, Saudi Arabia has one of the strictest censorship laws that prevents users from accessing the internet freely.
The ISPs are bound to collect user data and flag activities that are controversial or go against the internet policies leading to hefty fines and even worse. Above all, Saudi Arabia bans and blocks certain parts of the internet for general use which includes voice calls on apps like WhatsApp.
That’s where VPN comes into play as an intermediary. It opens the floodgates of the internet unblocking the banned portion of the internet giving an untapped user experience.
Why Should You Use a VPN to Get a Saudi Arabian IP?
Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why you should use a VPN to get a Saudi Arabian IP.
Access Local Websites/Apps
Financial services and streaming apps are often among the ones that detect a user’s location before providing access to the content. They use IP addresses to track the location. Using these services when in Saudi Arabia isn’t a problem. However, if you are traveling to other countries, these services may not run as you expect.
In fact, banking apps may not work at all due to their fraud protection mechanism. On the other hand, streaming apps impose geo-restriction because they might not have licensing agreements or there are copyright issues, and so on. In these cases, you might get limited content or no content at all.
All you need to bypass such instances is a Saudi Arabian IP address. That’s where a VPN will come to your assistance. You can connect to a VPN, change your IP to a Saudi Arabian one, and use apps and websites that are geo-restricted to the home country.
Maintains Anonymity
Every time you connect to the internet, you are assigned an IP address that links all your internet activities. As these are recorded, ISPs, government authorities, or cybercriminals can keep an eye on what you do and when. It is a huge privacy and security snarl given the fact that there are countless scams and attempts being made every day to lure innocent users into paying millions of rupees.
Thus, VPN is a sureshot layer that protects your identity from the ISP and everyone else involved directly or indirectly. The activities you do online are not traceable since you connect to an IP address that is foreign and may be several hundred miles away from your actual location.
Then, there are security and privacy features that keep you secure from intruders and cybercriminals that are always on the lookout to find a loophole and exploit you. All in all, VPN allows you to stay anonymous on the internet at a minimal cost without compromising your security whatsoever.
Avoid ISP Throttling
Gone are the days when you would stick for a few minutes for a web page to load. Today, it’s all about lightning-fast speeds and people tend to shun away from anything that doesn’t open or load in a matter of seconds. Even after that, your internet might be throttled as the ISP involved can do so when you are streaming videos or video calling someone, or gaming online.
Of course, it’s a complicated subject but all you need to understand is, that your ISP is involved in reducing the bandwidth or data speeds leading to slower internet speeds on certain websites or apps. Other reasons why ISPs would do it are the fact that you have exhausted your internet plan or the ISP has reached its data bandwidth, etc.
If that’s happening, VPN can fix ISP throttling by changing your IP address. It disguises your identity which means ISPs can’t apply throttling when they see you coming.
VPN Protects You From Public Wi-Fi
Mobile data is accessible and convenient but it is expensive. On the other hand, Wi-Fi is cost-effective, widely available and you can download huge files and more with ease. The problem comes when you connect to a Public Wi-Fi, it puts you on the radar for cybercriminals to break into. You might be opening gates for Wi-Fi-based attacks including identity theft without you even knowing it.
That’s where VPN comes into play. You can secure your device with VPN and access public Wi-Fi with ease. For all you know, your identity and activities online are hidden from cybercriminals since the VPN will change your IP address to a whole different location, tossing the intruders.
Also, VPN encrypts data that prevents intruders from intercepting data packets. These powerful VPNs will give you the ease of accessing public Wi-Fi and more without falling into cyber traps.
VPN for Smart Deals
Airlines use cookies to keep track of visitors and if you are actively looking for tickets, you might get a pricing higher than others. Since airlines use dynamic pricing, the pricing you get might be manifold of what others will get. A VPN changes your IP address preventing these websites from tracking and you can end up saving a tonne on the purchase.
Saudi Arabia VPN Statistics
Saudi Arabia is home to over 27 million people where 22 million are internet users. It has more than 46 million smartphone devices. It isn’t a part of 14 Eyes although it has censorship laws that block or ban certain apps, websites, and services for public access.
Tips on Choosing the Best VPN for a Saudi Arabian IP Address
We understand that it could be overwhelming to comprehend everything mentioned in this blog. You might still have questions on how to choose the best VPN for a Saudi Arabian IP address since there are simply too many VPNs out there. Turns out this particular section is dedicated to answering that same question so that you get to know everything about choosing a VPN right here.
Get a VPN that has servers in Saudi Arabia
It is the primary pointer out there. Since we are talking about getting a Saudi Arabian IP address outside the country, the VPN you choose must have servers set up in Saudi Arabia. It can be physically based in the country or virtually located where both will give you access to Saudi content with ease. The VPN must have at least one server location based on the condition that should give you enough server coverage for a crowd-free internet experience.
Server Coverage Network
Private Internet Access (aka PIA) has over 25K servers spread across the world while Planet VPN has 1260+ servers. Although it is actually subjective to tell you about the best of these two, the server coverage that PIA exhibits is phenomenal. You will find its servers across the globe including the African and South American continents.
The more servers you have closer to your location (Saudi Arabia, in this case), the better the chances of you using those servers for good. Some VPN apps will have multiple servers set up in Saudi Arabia physically or virtually which ensures you always get servers that have lower use load. If you end up pairing to a crowded server, you will notice that it is slow and you might not be able to access streaming or gaming sites whatsoever.
Device and Platform Compatibility
If you are trying out VPN just for a single task, you might not consider paying a premium or checking for supported platforms and simultaneous connections. The situation takes a 180° turn if you are going for long-term VPN use. Thus, knowing which platforms the VPN is supported is crucial. It is because you might start out with a VPN on your Android phone and then go for a PC or a Mac or a Chromebook or a PlayStation.
The chosen VPN must support these platforms in order to perform or else, the money spent is worthless. Choose a VPN that has multi-platform support. On top of that, it is imperative to verify if that particular VPN lets simultaneous connections or not.
There are VPNs that won’t allow more than one device per subscription while others have two, three, seven, ten, and even unlimited devices that can be paired to a single account subscribed to it and reap the benefits. For instance, if you have a family and each wants to secure their online traffic with a VPN, you must choose an app that supports at least four devices.
VPNs with Fast Speeds
Another crucial factor that tells apart best VPNs from others is the server speeds. Every premium VPN offers multiple protocols where the speeds might differ and minimal speed loss. You should always look out for VPNs that have impeccable speeds over streaming, browsing, torrenting, and gaming among other activities.
Some premium VPNs have dedicated streaming and gaming servers where you will find impeccable speeds. Additionally, most of the VPNs have settings to change protocols that ensure you can use the protocol apt for speedy streaming or gaming, or torrenting among others.
Choose the VPN for P2P and Streaming
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu among others serve different content to their users based on what country they are in. For instance, you could be watching a TV series aired on Netflix in Saudi Arabia but geo-restricted elsewhere. Since you are out of Saudi, you can’t access Netflix Saudi since your IP address has changed to some other location.
That’s where VPN comes into play. However, not all servers are optimized for streaming which is a more strenuous task than browsing the web. SurfShark and NordVPN, among others, have dedicated streaming and P2P (torrenting) servers available at the user’s disposal that you can engage with. These servers are speedy, and allow you to stream content without ending up in buffers and extended loading time. It is what makes these specialized servers a must-have if your activities are mostly streaming and P2P torrenting.
Prioritize Security and Privacy on VPN
For the unversed, you will be entrusting a VPN to control all your data and traffic when you are connected to it. Thus, it becomes imperative to choose a VPN that has a reputation and security measures including a kill switch, 256-bit AES encryption, multi-hop, and other features.
Of course, note all the premium VPNs out there will have all the security features you are looking for. The ideals behind this pointer are, a premium VPN that you choose must protect you as a user from the ISP, government authorities, and intruders lurking to get access to your data which can be ill-used. It’s better to check VPNs that have DNS and WebRTC leaks in order to safeguard your information. No-logs policy is another feature where the VPN ensures it doesn’t store any user data that can be used against them for XYZ reasons.
Ease of Use
There’s a popular quote that says “Customer is king” and that’s true. If the user interface of a chosen VPN is bad, people will shun it away even if it has more features than the competition. Thus, the user-friendliness of a user interface is at the epitome. It is also because VPNs might have features that you won’t understand such as a multi-hop or Tor connection. This is where the user interface comes in, making things easier to understand. Ads are another annoying aspect of using a free VPN which is why we always recommend a good quality and trusted premium VPN that makes the overall user experience a delight.
Choose a VPN that is value for the money
Imagine a premium VPN with no customer support at all. What would you do if you are stuck somewhere and needed a customer rep to help? What if the VPN doesn’t have simultaneous connections? Or What if the VPN isn’t loaded with the features it promised? And you might have hundreds of questions like this, right?
A VPN that offers multiple simultaneous connections, extra features (both free and add-ons), and access to more servers is always better than one that is a bare VPN. Of course, it also depends upon your use case such as whether you just want a VPN for VoIP or you will be using it for streaming on Saudi Netflix or gaming on PUBG, COD, etc.
The VPN of your choice must have affordable pricing so as not to burn a hole in your pockets. Plus, it must have customer services whether it’s ticket-based on live chat and a money-back guarantee. I would say a VPN with all these features will be a go-to choice for me. Overall, the VPN should be worth the money spent and justify your use case, or else, it will be just another online spend with no intrinsic value.
How To Get a Saudi Arabian IP Address in 2023?
Albeit slightly different in UIs, you basically have to follow some general instructions to get a Saudi Arabian IP address using VPN. Here’s how.
- Download any of the recommended VPNs from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS) that have servers in Saudi Arabia (physical/virtual). You can follow the list below that we have gone through so far.
- You need to log in if you are an existing user (or were one) or sign up if you are a new user.
- You will be greeted on the home screen of the app with a ‘Not Connected’ or ‘Disconnect’ status by default.
- It is better to get access to the trial period of a premium VPN or pay with a 30-day money-back guarantee since Saudi Arabian servers are usually locked behind a paywall. You can still access a few locations such as the US or the UK.
- Once you have access to all servers (assuming that you have subscribed), search for Saudi Arabia. You can search by country or region ‘Middle East and Africa’ or similar.
- Tap on the server location (such as ‘Riyadh’ in the case of Surf Shark’) and it will automatically connect to an available server. Note that some apps may offer access to check for availability where you can connect to servers with the least traffic for better user experience and speed.
- Revert to the app home screen to check for status if you have connected or not.
- Tap on the giant ‘Connected’ or ‘Power On’ button to disconnect.
Best VPN to get Saudi IP Arabia in 2023
CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost is one of the best VPN service providers out there with 9100+ servers spread across 91 countries. It has one server location in Riyadh with 14 servers enough to give you ample space to get a Saudi Arabian IP address.
With up to 7 simultaneous connections and military-grade AES encryption, CyberGhost is equipped with servers that are optimized for streaming and P2P breaking into the geo-restricted sphere such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime to name a few. CyberGhost is also versatile, letting you use VPN on multiple platforms at one go.
Surfshark VPN
With 3,200+ servers spread across 100 countries, SurfShark is another best-quality VPN that you can check out. It has a rather impressive hold in the MEA region. We did go through SurfShark’s Saudi Arabian servers based in Riyadh although the total number of servers available remains unavailable.
SurfShark unleashes functionalities ranging from 256-bit AES military-grade encryption to unlimited simultaneous devices among others. SurfShark follows a no-logs policy which is another privacy feature that works in your favor. There are optimized and dedicated servers, MultiHop, CleanWeb, Camouflage Mode, active ads, and tracker blocker among others available as well.
Private Internet Access
With a massive network of 35,000+ servers in 84 countries, Private Internet Access gives you a whole lot of avenues when it comes to getting a Saudi Arabian IP address. The app offers unlimited connections, 256-bit AES encryption, multi-platform support, malware and ads blockers, and a no-logs policy to name a few.
Planet VPN
Next is Planet VPN with 1,260+ servers and 60+ countries, the VPN gives uninterrupted access to the internet, streaming websites, social media, and more keeping you anonymous. You can try it out with 5 free locations and then upgrade to servers in Saudi Arabia. There are a whole lot of features available including a no-logs policy, DNS and IP Leak Protection, Kill Switch, 256-bit encryption, 10 simultaneous connections, and more.
Supported on varied platforms ranging from mobile to desktop to browsers, PlanetVPN is an amazing tool to use for high-speed internet with the hassle of censorship or surveillance.
VyprVPN
Break away from the restriction put forth by service providers, ISPs, streaming platforms, and even government authorities with VyprVPN. The VPN lets you access Saudi Arabian IP addresses from outside the country allowing you to do VoIP calls, stream content, and use apps that are strictly geo-restricted to Saudi Arabia. It can be a lifesaver if you are traveling outside Saudi Arabia and still want to enjoy the same benefits on the web that you would while in the country.
VyprVPN is a no-logs VPN so storing data is out of the question. The 256-bit AES encryption offers unparallel security along with DNS and IP Leak Protection. The VPN provider currently has a network of 78 countries including Saudi Arabia and the number is raising rapidly. It is cheaper to activate the subscriptions along with a 30-day money-back guarantee should you decide not to continue with the services.
FAQs
Can I get a Saudi Arabian IP address with a free VPN?
The answer is no and we at VPNQuery never recommend users to go for free VPNs anyways. It is because these apps may not have the required encryption, protocols, and security features to keep the users protected. Adding onto that, you won’t get any free Saudi Arabia servers available on any free VPN whatsoever. Of course, this is unless you are venturing into some unknown VPNs developed in GCC that might have Saudi Arabian servers although we don’t take any responsibility for any adverse aftermath so beware.
Can I Stream Netflix with a Saudi Arabian IP address?
Yes, you can use your Saudi Arabia Netflix account when traveling overseas as well. Do note that you will need a Saudi Arabian IP address and for that, you will need a trusted VPN that lets you stream content over Netflix with ease. The streaming platform is notoriously known for blocking VPN IP addresses and thus, with a premium VPN in use, you should be able to switch between IP addresses should there be an auto-detection from Netflix.
Can I Torrent with a Saudi Arabian IP address?
The answer is again, yes. It is because you can use VPN to get a Saudi Arabian IP address and torrent on your device. All you’d need is a good-quality torrent-friendly VPN to enable P2P torrenting on Deluge or uTorrent among other clients.
Can I get an IP Address specific to a city in Saudi Arabia?
The answer is yes but it depends. Some VPN providers will have a single server located somewhere in Riyadh or Jeddah or other cities while some might have more locations. You can actually check out their respective website to find server locations in Saudi Arabia and choose the VPN that works the best for you.
Is it legal to use VPN in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia does impose censorship, and geo-restriction as well as block access to certain content, websites, apps, and services while you are in Saudi Arabia. Even though the government may block access to certain apps and websites using VPNs, it is completely legal to use VPNs in Saudi Arabia.
Since the context of this blog is how you can access Saudi Arabian content when in a foreign country, you must put that foreign country in the equation. Depending upon which country you are visiting, check if that particular country has made VPN legal or allowed its users to a certain degree or not.
For instance, if you are in India trying to connect to a Saudi Arabian server, you may not be able to get access to VPN at all. There’s a workaround though i.e. using virtual servers to access VPN without any hassle. We would recommend using trusted and premium VPNs for all your internet requirements.
How do I check if my IP address has been changed to Saudi Arabia?
There are a few ways you can tell if your IP address has been changed to Saudi Arabia or not. For instance, you can check your IP address on Google by typing “What’s my IP address”. For instance, if you are using SurfShark or any other major premium VPN, you must see the original and the changed (Saudi Arabia) IP address on the screen.
ipleak.net is another tool that will come in handy when checking out your changed IP address.
What are other ways to get a Saudi Arabian IP address?
You can change your IP address in a few other clever ways. For instance, you can change to a Saudi IP using a proxy which works similarly to a VPN but it is a less security-centric feature.
Can I use a VPN to view any website from Saudi Arabia?
Once you have a Saudi Arabian IP address VPN, you should be able to access any website or apps whatsoever available in Saudi. However, Saudi Arabia has certain rules and regulations regarding censorship on internet infringing which, there may be repercussions based on the severity of your activities online.
