How to Make WhatsApp Call in Saudi Arabia in 2026

Does WhatsApp work in Saudi Arabia? Yes, it does, but you can only chat. To actually make a WhatsApp call in Saudi Arabia, you need a VPN, and it’s been like that ever since the ban in 2019. Using a VPN unblocks WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia, unlocking its full potential. This guide explains which VPN to use and how to use it to regain access to VoIP calling. Here’s a quick guide if you’re short on time.

How to Make WhatsApp Calls in Saudi Arabia: Detailed Guide

This Saudi Arabia WhatsApp tutorial applies to all devices. You can use the VPN on Android, macOS, iOS, or Windows, all WhatsApp-friendly platforms. Start by subscribing to NordVPN and installing it on your device. We’ll demonstrate using an Android phone (Galaxy S25). We first subscribed to NordVPN and went to Google Play to download and install NordVPN. From there, I opened the VPN app and logged in to my account within seconds.

When you’re subscribing, NordVPN lets you make a new password and provide an email, so that’s what you’ll use to sign in later on. From there, I connected to a VPN location outside Saudi Arabia. I picked a nearby one, like Israel, by tapping All Locations and then selecting it on the server list. NordVPN will ask you to confirm your connection the first time. Just click Yes, and the VPN will connect. Now, if you haven’t already, download WhatsApp.

Sign in with your number, and that’s it. I demonstrated a WhatsApp call in Saudi Arabia with a friend, and as you see, it works without issues.

Why You Can’t Make WhatsApp Calls in Saudi Arabia

In 2019, Saudi Arabia banned WhatsApp’s voice and video call services. So even though you can still send and receive messages, you can’t use WhatsApp for voice and video calls. Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) said WhatsApp failed to meet regulatory requirements.

However, Freedom House notes that regulators in Saudi Arabia have historically been aggressive against free or low-cost Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. The Kingdom also presents many obstacles to internet access, scoring only 25 out of 100 points on the 2023 Freedom of the Net Index.

Best VPN for Saudi Arabia WhatsApp Calling

To make WhatsApp calls in Saudi Arabia, you need a fast and secure VPN that actually works in censored countries. We tested 15 VPNs directly on WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia on a Galaxy S25 this June, and these 3 stood out:

1. NordVPN: Best WhatsApp VPN in Saudi Arabia

NordVPN is our #1 VPN for WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia because it has everything you need to make calls securely. Not only does it have fast servers in nearby countries, but it also offers fast speeds and a strict privacy policy. It’s no coincidence that we consider it the most reliable VPN for Saudi Arabia. The Panama-based VPN has 9,400 servers in 137 countries. Among these are servers in Israel and Turkey, which are near enough to Saudi Arabia that your calls will be stable.

NordVPN is a no-logs VPN, and it’s been proven by the sixth-in-a-row audit by Deloitte in February 2026. The VPN has plenty of smart features for WhatsApp Saudi Arabia users, like scam call protection, phishing protection, and NordWhisper, a protocol designed to bypass network filtering. There are even obfuscated servers, which you can use to hide your VPN use and more easily sidestep censorship. NordVPN is also the fastest VPN, in our tests, so calls are smooth and hassle-free.

One subscription protects 10 devices, and as the best overall VPN, it’s a cut above others in security, compatibility, and performance in all countries. You can get its 73% discount with 3 free months below, and test it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

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2. ExpressVPN: Fast VPN for Smooth VoIP Calling

Want a great alternative to NordVPN? ExpressVPN is our top pick, with its 3,000+ servers in 105 countries. You can use it to connect to servers in Morocco and Turkey, which are near enough to Saudi Arabia that you won’t suffer much from speed reductions. We recommend it for people in countries with strict governments since it has obfuscation technology. This means it can circumvent censorship easily, in pretty much any country worldwide.

Pair this with the VPN’s strict no-logs policy (audited by KPMG in 2025), quantum-safe 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and tracker protection, and you get all you need to stay safe and use WhatsApp calling in Saudi Arabia fuss-free. On top of its long list of features, it’s also fast and user-friendly, and it can protect up to 14 devices on a single subscription. Below is a 73% discount and 4 free months for the 2-year Basic plan, starting at only $2.49 a month.

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3. Private Internet Access: Cheap VPN for VoIP Calling

Private Internet Access is tough to beat for the price. At just over $2 per month, you get a fast VPN that protects an unlimited number of devices, perfect for sharing with family and friends. PIA has servers in Israel, Georgia, and Morocco, making it good for WhatsApp voice and video calls from Saudi Arabia. Like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, PIA has obfuscation, which hides your VPN use, helping you circumvent censorship in places that regulate VPNs. Want even more privacy?

PIA offers dedicated IP addresses, which are IPs that only you can use. Dedicated IPs are yet another tool that helps fight against censorship (and it can even unblock streaming sites). And if that’s insufficient, you can use Shadowsocks, a proxy designed to hide your VPN use and also bypass censorship in the most strict regions. PIA is ultimately a more privacy-first VPN, but it’s also no slouch speed-wise. That’s an ideal combo for WhatsApp calling in SA.

Take advantage of PIA’s 30-day money-back guarantee and its at least 83% discount on your purchase when you click on the link below. That link also includes 2 to 4 free months to help you get the best value for money.

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Will Free VPN for WhatsApp Calling in Saudi Arabia Work?

It will work, and if you use Proton VPN or Hide.me, you can make a WhatsApp call in Saudi Arabia without issues; at first, at least. We tested those two personally, but we couldn’t help but notice a few drawbacks:

• Slower speeds because of congested servers
• Limited server network (a few locations or no server selection)
• No simultaneous connections
• Limited online activities (blocked streaming/torrenting, for example)

Keep in mind, we tested these VPNs on Android in Saudi Arabia, and they’re actually some of the best free VPNS for Android devices. But they still have major drawbacks. Proton VPN, for example, doesn’t let you choose the server you want. It connects you to the fastest one for your location. Hide.me lets you choose the server, but it’s slow, and buffers when using WhatsApp calling functions in Saudi Arabia. Free VPNs also block torrenting and severely limit streaming.

That means you can’t, say, watch Netflix or BBC iPlayer. That’s also because they lack servers in major regions, in most cases. However, there are worse cases of free VPNs, like Hola VPN or Urban VPN, which store connection logs. They even lack proper security features and very often leak your IP address. We recently reviewed Hola VPN, and while it was good and safe on paper, in practice, it turned out to be one of the worst VPNs we ever tested, and it was free; no coincidence.

Conclusion

Don’t let government restrictions stop you from connecting with family and friends. A VPN lets you use voice and video calling on WhatsApp even when you’re in Saudi Arabia (where these features are blocked). All you need to do is install a VPN on your phone and connect to a server outside of the Kingdom. From there, you can use WhatsApp as you usually do – except now, you get to make calls for free, too. Our top VPN for WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia is NordVPN.

It has the fastest speeds on the market and the largest number of servers in the Middle East. ExpressVPN is a good choice too, especially if you’re concerned about privacy and security. But if you’re looking for the most affordable VPN, then PIA is your best bet. Ready to dial in? Take your pick among our best VPNs and start calling on WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia.

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