10 Essential Apps for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia runs on apps, and having the right ones installed before you land makes everything smoother — permits, rides, food, payments and prayer times. Set up a data SIM or eSIM so they all work from arrival, and log in to the important ones in advance. Here are the essentials and what each one is for.

Pilgrimage & government

• Nusuk — the official platform for your Umrah permit and free Rawdah appointment. Essential for every pilgrim; set it up before you fly. See the Nusuk app guide.
• Tawakkalna — the general government-services and digital-ID app, useful especially for residents.
• Absher — government e-services (mainly for residents and some visa functions).

Getting around

• Careem and Uber — ride-hailing across the cities; see the Careem & Uber guide for how they behave near the Ḥaram.
• Haramain (HHR) train booking — book the Haramain high-speed train officially rather than via resellers.
• Darb — Riyadh Metro tickets and route planning; see the Riyadh Metro guide.
• Google Maps / Apple Maps — download offline maps for the Ḥaram's large concourses, where signal and orientation can be tricky.

Food, money & daily life

• Jahez / HungerStation — food delivery, handy after late-night worship when you don't want to walk out.
• mada Pay / STC Pay / Apple Pay — fast contactless payments (see money in Saudi).
• A prayer-times app (or your phone's built-in athan) — for accurate prayer and iqāmah times, which also helps you plan around shop closures.
• A currency converter — handy while you learn the riyal, though most prices are clearly marked.

Set them up before you fly

Install and log in to Nusuk especially before travel, arrange a data plan, and download offline maps and your hotel address in Arabic. Doing this at home on a stable connection saves fiddling with verification codes on arrival. With these apps you can handle permits, rides, food, payments and prayer times without friction.

A note on data

All of this depends on a working data plan, so getting a SIM or eSIM is the first practical step after landing — or before, with an eSIM. Running out of data mid-trip is the most common avoidable hassle, since Nusuk, maps and ride-hailing all need it. For the whole trip flow, see how to plan Umrah yourself.