SIM or eSIM for Hajj and Umrah from India: data for 2 to 6 weeks

Information verified on 12 Oct 2026 at the official sources listed below. This is not immigration or legal advice; check the official website before you travel. How we check information.

Count your days in Saudi Arabia, then pick the option whose validity covers all of them. A 7-day pack bought for a 40-day stay leaves 33 days without a data pack. Compare the price per GB as well as the days, then choose your Hajj SIM before you fly.

India’s Haj quota was 175,025 pilgrims in Haj 2025, with 175,025 expected in Haj 2026 and 122,518 (70%) of those through the Haj Committee of India (PIB). About 1.18 million pilgrimage departures went to Saudi Arabia in 2025, our derivation from Ministry of Tourism data (3,376,145 × 34.81%). That leaves around 1 million Umrah trips, a rough estimate. This page is re-dated every season; prices are as listed on 12 Oct 2026.

Indian packs for Saudi Arabia: Vi Haj, Jio Saudi and Airtel (table)

The eight packs below, from Vi, Jio and Airtel, cover Saudi Arabia and cost ₹1,199 to ₹4,999 as listed on 12 Oct 2026. Vi’s 40-day Haj pack and two annual packs last a 40-day stay. The ≈ ₹ per GB column is our derivation (price ÷ GB). Each pack includes minutes on your Indian number; our eSIM does not.

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice. Our editorial policy explains how we check prices.

Source: operator documents (Vi prepaid T&C · Jio IR plans · Airtel T&C), checked on 12 Oct 2026. Airtel’s T&C are dated 24 Sep 2026. Airtel’s ₹4,999 pack counts its 365 days from the date of purchase. Vi’s Haj pack includes 150 minutes out (20 days) or 300 (40 days), with no cap listed on incoming calls. Vi’s prepaid terms say “IR packs are not applicable for customers in J&K, Assam and North East”. For a shorter Saudi trip, Saudi Arabia roaming packs compared lists Jio’s 7-, 14- and 30-day packs.

A 20-day, 30-day and 40-day stay: what each option costs per GB

Our Saudi eSIM plans sit beside the operator packs for three stay lengths, each a 30-day data plan or longer. Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. How card payments work.

Airtel prepaid data is barred after the pack ends, and calls then cost ₹10 a minute. Airtel postpaid with roaming on and no pack adds a ₹698 one-day pack each day that charges pass ₹698; 40 such days come to 40 × ₹698 = ₹27,920, our arithmetic, before other charges. A Vi SIM without a pack keeps mobile data off.

Calls home and family video calls on a data-only eSIM

Our Saudi plans carry data only: no calls to Indian numbers, no SMS, and none of our plans carries your Indian number. Calling apps such as WhatsApp run on the eSIM’s mobile data. Video calls use far more data than text; our data planner sizes it by use.

Bank OTPs arrive as SMS on your Indian number, which a data-only eSIM cannot receive. Keep your Indian SIM active as a second line with its data off, and ask your operator whether incoming SMS works in Saudi Arabia. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you. The guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs shows the dual-SIM settings.

Phones for parents and group members: eSIM check and set-up in India

Check each phone for eSIM support in India, before departure, so there is time to pick an operator pack instead if a parent’s phone cannot take one. Our phone list answers by model; if a model is not listed, treat it as no. Group travel works the same way: each phone needs its own eSIM.

A younger family member can set it up from home on Wi-Fi: buy the plan, scan the QR code on the parent’s phone, and confirm the eSIM line is on for mobile data. It connects when the phone lands in Saudi Arabia. On Android, our catalogue on 12 Oct 2026 lists the Saudi APN as manual; iPhone is automatic. The install guide has the steps. Hotspot use draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule.

Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn’t work and it isn’t your phone’s fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

Umrah with a stop in Dubai or another Gulf country

A Middle East regional eSIM covers 13 countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, by our count on 12 Oct 2026, so one plan serves both legs. The regional plans are unlimited at full speed for the first 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps: 7 days cost ≈ ₹3,926 (12 Oct rate) and 30 days ≈ ₹9,481 (12 Oct rate), charged US$98.99 for 30 days.

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee.

Vi’s Haj pack also lists the UAE. Jio’s description of its Gulf pack says UAE only, while another note on the same page lists six Gulf countries; confirm in the MyJio app before you rely on it outside the UAE. Plans: Saudi Arabia, Middle East.

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