Best VPN for Saudi Arabia in 2026: 5 VPNs Tested for Privacy

NordVPN‘s obfuscated servers kept 167.79 Mbps of download speed in our tests, and its kill switch stayed active through a PC restart, so it comes first for Saudi Arabia. Unlike Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and PIA, it has no Saudi servers. Freedom House scores the kingdom 25/100 in its latest Freedom on the Net report.

Is It Legal to Use a VPN in Saudi Arabia?

VPNs are legal in Saudi Arabia for lawful uses such as privacy and business, but the content accessed through one falls under the same laws. Article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law sets out up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 3 million for producing, sending, or storing material that harms public order, religious values, public morals, or privacy.

Sentences for online posts are severe. Retired teacher Muhammad al-Ghamdi was sentenced to death in 2023 over his X and YouTube activity, and a Saudi court reduced the sentence to 30 years in prison in 2024. A VPN hides traffic from the ISP; it doesn’t make prohibited content legal.

Saudi Arabia VPNs Compared

Obfuscated download speeds come from our September tests on UK servers, using a Windows 11 PC whose European connection measures 190.36 Mbps without a VPN. PIA’s figure comes from a US server, the only obfuscated connection we measured for it.

1. NordVPN: Best Overall VPN for Saudi Arabia

NordVPN offers obfuscated servers and the NordWhisper protocol for networks that detect VPN traffic. On a UK obfuscated server, download speed was 167.79 Mbps, compared to 184.73 Mbps on a standard connection, and NordWhisper was slower at 161.13 Mbps. Double VPN cost only 2.9% of UK speed. The kill switch blocked all traffic when we pulled the cable, force-closed the app, and restarted the PC in its blocking mode.

NordVPN can also close specific apps automatically if the tunnel fails, a feature most VPNs lack. Connection failures on Windows were our main complaint, and each one required the diagnostics tool and a new sign-in. NordVPN’s Basic plan charges $94.23 for the first 27 months, or $3.49 a month, then $139.08 a year for 10 devices.

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2. Proton VPN: Best for Fast Obfuscation

Proton VPN, one of our most secure VPNs, has Saudi servers and a Stealth protocol that was only 1.9% slower than plain WireGuard on our UK server, the smallest obfuscation cost we’ve measured. Secure Core, on the VPN Plus plan, first passes traffic through one of Proton’s own data centers in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden, which cost 12.1% of speed in our US test. The kill switch passed our pulled-cable and killed-process tests.

Proton VPN unblocked 10 of our 14 streaming platforms but failed to unblock Hulu, Disney+, Pluto TV, and ITVX. Post-quantum encryption is still missing, a letdown for a VPN that sells itself on privacy. Two years on the VPN Plus plan total $71.76 ($2.99 a month), with renewals at $83.88 a year.

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3. ExpressVPN: Best for Hands-Off Obfuscation

ExpressVPN has Saudi servers and obfuscates every connection automatically, so there’s no stealth mode to find or enable. Lightway kept 185.74 Mbps on our UK server, the fastest obfuscated result we measured. Its kill switch blocked traffic when we unplugged the network cable and when we ended the app’s process.

For a second encrypted server, NordVPN’s Double VPN or Proton VPN’s Secure Core fits better. At $2.99 a month, ExpressVPN’s Basic plan totals $83.72 for 28 months and renews at $99.95 a year. The Basic plan connects 10 devices, and higher plans allow 14 devices.

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4. Surfshark: Best for Unlimited Devices

Surfshark has Saudi servers and no device limit, so one subscription covers a whole household. Its kill switch in Strict mode passed our PC restart test, blocking all traffic until the VPN reconnected. It also unblocked 13 of our 14 streaming platforms, including Disney+ directly in the desktop app. Camouflage Mode works through OpenVPN, and Surfshark’s OpenVPN TCP connection measured 87.51 Mbps on our UK server, compared to 186.96 Mbps on WireGuard.

NoBorders mode switches on when the app detects a restrictive network. For a faster obfuscated connection, ExpressVPN fits better, and our ExpressVPN vs Surfshark comparison sets the two side by side. Surfshark’s Starter plan costs $2.49 a month, $67.23 for 27 months, and renews at $79 a year.

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5. Private Internet Access: Best Budget VPN for Saudi Arabia

PIA costs $1.99 a month and has Saudi servers with no device limit. Its Shadowsocks proxy option adds a second server in front of the VPN, which cost 20.1% of download speed on a US server in our tests. The kill switch leaked unencrypted traffic after we restarted the PC, which we didn’t expect from a VPN that emphasizes security and privacy. We ranked PIA fifth for that restart leak, although it passed the cable and app-crash tests.

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What Saudi Arabia Blocks Online

• Calling apps: In September 2017, the regulator lifted its ban on internet calling apps that met its requirements, and WhatsApp and Viber were left off that first list. Our guide to WhatsApp calls in Saudi Arabia explains how calling works now.
• Adult sites and gambling: Saudi Arabia blocks both, and the Anti-Cyber Crime Law penalizes promoting them. Our guide to adult sites in Saudi Arabia covers the restrictions.
• Political content: Freedom House reports extensive censorship and surveillance, with long prison terms for users who criticized the government. Our guide to unblocking websites explains how site blocks work.
• Foreign streaming: US channels such as CBS geo-block viewers in the kingdom, and a VPN can change the Netflix region to another country’s library.

How to Set Up a VPN for Saudi Arabia

1. Subscribe and install before the trip. Some VPN websites are blocked in Saudi Arabia.
2. Turn on obfuscation. Choose NordVPN’s obfuscated servers, Proton VPN’s Stealth, or Surfshark’s Camouflage Mode. ExpressVPN applies it automatically.
3. Enable the kill switch in its strictest mode.
4. Connect to a nearby country such as the UAE for low ping on calls and online gaming, or to a Saudi server from abroad for local banking and streaming.

Should You Use a Free VPN in Saudi Arabia?

A free VPN is a risky choice in a country that prosecutes online speech. Proton VPN’s free plan includes Stealth but assigns one of ten countries automatically, with no Saudi option. The free VPNs we recommend cap data or servers, and apps with unclear logging practices add a bigger risk. Low-cost paid VPNs such as PIA start at $2 or so a month.

Which VPN to Use in Saudi Arabia

Residents and long-stay expats should start with NordVPN. Its obfuscated servers stayed fast in our tests, and its kill switch passed the restart test that PIA’s failed. Proton VPN has the lightest obfuscation and Saudi servers for banking from abroad. ExpressVPN requires no configuration, Surfshark covers every device in a household, and PIA costs the least, with the restart leak to keep in mind.

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FAQs About VPNs in Saudi Arabia