One of the most daunting aspects of the first few weeks in a new country is acquiring phone service and internet access. Of course we want these things ASAP in order to function well, connect with family, have a GPS to get around the city, do the daily NYtimes mini crossword puzzle – the essentials. But in order to set up any account you often need proper in-country identification, letters from your employer, an address, and an idea of the various plans they offer. Pre-paid plans are common here because they’re easier – that’s what we have for our phones and internet. We subscribe to data plans and have to pay to ‘recharge’ if we run out before the month ends.
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📱 Interestingly, many Saudis have at least two phones they carry on them. One is for communicating with family, another for friends. Or one is STC (the most popular network), while another is Mobily (the competition). I’m impressed by their ability to juggle both – I struggle to keep track of one phone…
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The most popular app here, hands down, is WhatsApp, a messaging platform. The app works on wifi so you still get texts when your data runs out. You can easily voice or video call within WhatsApp, send photos/videos/gifs, and create group chats. Plus you can pull it up on a desktop – helpful when I get tired of typing with my thumbs.
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It’s the preferred communication tool in my husband’s hospital (they really don’t use email), and many other businesses. Just today I used it to text the pediatrician’s secretary to schedule an appointment. Anytime we get a delivery (groceries, food, packages) we always get a call and they request I send them my location via WhatsApp. Even my OB would text pics of my lab results and use WhatsApp to check in as my due date neared (pic above). 😂
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Despite living 1000’s of miles away from family, we have nearly daily contact through, you guessed it, WhatsApp. Ezra connects with his grandparents by singing “Wheels on the Bus” over the phone and getting matching toys so they can “play together.”
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WhatsApp is so entwined in all aspects of life here that the society might collapse if the app ever abruptly shuts down. Joking….kinda.
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