WhatsApp Business API in Saudi Arabia: Pricing, Setup and Rules (2026)

The WhatsApp Business API (Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform) is free to access in Saudi Arabia, but Meta charges for each delivered template message. For Saudi (+966) numbers, a marketing message costs about SAR 0.22 and a utility or authentication message about SAR 0.04. Marketing also needs documented consent under Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).

This guide covers the Saudi rates, how to get access, messaging limits, the verified badge, and the consent and e-commerce rules that apply when you sell on WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia.

Checked on 4 November 2026 against Meta's developer documentation, SDAIA's official PDPL texts and the Ministry of Investment's translation of the E-Commerce Law. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.

How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in Saudi Arabia?

Meta charges per delivered template message. The price depends on the message category and the country of the customer's number, so these rates apply whenever you message a +966 number, wherever your business is.

Meta's rates for Saudi (+966) numbers, from 1 October 2026

Meta list rates. Volume tiers lower the utility and authentication rates at high volume. Taxes and your WhatsApp provider's own fees are extra.

Marketing messages to Saudi numbers cost more than five times as much as utility messages, so getting the category right matters for your bill.

Worked example: a store that sends 2,000 marketing messages and 3,000 order updates a month to Saudi customers pays about SAR 432 + SAR 120 = SAR 552 in Meta fees. Try your own numbers in the WhatsApp API pricing calculator, which covers Saudi and UAE rates in SAR, AED or USD.

Which messages are free?

• The first 1,000 service messages per business number each month.

• Replies inside a free entry point window: when a customer reaches you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, your messages in that window are free.

• Inside the 24-hour customer service window that opens when a customer messages you, you can reply with normal messages instead of templates.

For how the categories and windows work in detail, see WhatsApp Business API in the UAE; the rules are the same, only the rates differ.

How do you get the WhatsApp Business API in Saudi Arabia?

There are two routes:

1. Directly through Meta's Cloud API. You need a developer. Your Meta business portfolio holds a WhatsApp account (phone numbers and display name) and an app that connects to it.

2. Through a Meta partner. A Solution Partner or Tech Provider sets it up for you and gives you an inbox, chatbot or AI on top. No coding needed.

Either way, you'll need:

• A Meta business portfolio for your company.

• A phone number you own that can receive an SMS or voice call. A +966 number works. Landlines are allowed (use the voice-call code); short codes are not.

• A display name that customers will see. Meta reviews it, and you can appeal a rejection.

Already using the number on WhatsApp? You must delete it from the WhatsApp app first, or use a partner that supports coexistence, which lets the WhatsApp Business app and the API share one number (it needs app version 2.24.17 or later). Meta doesn't list which countries coexistence covers, so ask your partner whether it's available for your Saudi number.

Do you need business verification?

It's optional, but you'll want it. Verification raises your messaging limit and is required for the verified badge. Meta asks for your legal business name, address, phone number and a working website, and they must match your official records exactly. If Meta can't match them automatically, it asks for official documents that carry a seal or signature; documents you filled in yourself are rejected.

A new business portfolio can register 2 phone numbers. That rises to 20 after verification or once you reach the 2,000 messaging limit.

What are the messaging limits?

Messaging limits cap how many unique customers you can start conversations with in a rolling 24 hours. They're set for your whole business portfolio and shared by all your numbers.

To reach 2,000, do one of these: verify your business, have your partner verify it, or deliver 2,000 template messages to unique customers outside service windows within 30 days, with good-quality templates.

Above 2,000, Meta raises the limit automatically, one level at a time, when your message quality is high and you've used at least half your current limit within 7 days.

How do you get the green tick (Official Business Account)?

The verified badge is called an Official Business Account. Meta's criteria:

• You follow the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy.

• The number has been on the platform for at least 30 days.

• Your business has passed business verification.

• Two-step verification is on for the number.

• Your display name is approved.

Numbers on the WhatsApp Business app and test accounts can't get it. If you're turned down, wait 30 days before applying again.

What does Saudi law say about WhatsApp marketing?

Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), issued by Royal Decree M/19 and amended by M/148, applies to marketing messages, including those on WhatsApp. It's enforced by SDAIA.

• Consent before advertising. Article 25 bans sending advertising to a person's personal means of communication without their prior consent. You must give a clear way to stop receiving it.

• Marketing data must come from the customer. Article 26 allows personal data (except sensitive data) to be used for marketing only if you collected it from the person directly, with their consent.

• How consent must work. The Implementing Regulation (Articles 28–29) says consent must be freely given and documented so you can prove it later. You must name yourself as the sender. Opting out must be free, at least as easy as opting in, and take effect immediately.

• Data sent abroad. If customer data leaves Saudi Arabia, the PDPL's transfer rules apply. Only the minimum needed may be transferred, and the destination must offer adequate protection, or you must use safeguards such as SDAIA's standard contractual clauses.

• Penalties. Administrative fines go up to SAR 5 million, and can be doubled for repeat violations.

In practice: collect a clear WhatsApp opt-in with your business name (at checkout or in your first reply), store when and how each customer agreed, put opt-out instructions in marketing templates, and stop messaging anyone who asks. These steps also meet Meta's own policy, which requires opt-in and says every opt-out request must be honoured.

What the E-Commerce Law adds

If you sell online in Saudi Arabia, the E-Commerce Law (Royal Decree M/126) also applies to what you say in chats and ads:

• Your store must show your name, contact details and, if you have one, your commercial registration name and number (Article 6).

• Before the sale, tell the customer the total price including taxes and delivery, plus the payment, delivery and warranty terms (Article 7), and give an itemised invoice (Article 8).

• Electronic ads are binding and must not mislead (Articles 10–11).

• Customers can cancel within 7 days of receiving an unused product, with some exceptions such as custom-made items (Article 13).

• Fines go up to SAR 1 million (Article 18).

The Ministry of Commerce has also moved e-store verification from Maroof to the Saudi Business Center's Business Platform.

Why do WhatsApp templates get rejected?

Meta reviews every template, usually within 24 hours. Common reasons for rejection:

• Variable problems: mismatched {{ }} braces, special characters such as # or %, variables out of order, or a variable at the very start or end of the message.

• Policy problems: asking for a full card number, account number or national ID, or threatening language.

• Duplicates of an existing template.

• Wrong category: a promotional message submitted as utility. Meta can recategorise it, which changes what you pay.

For Arabic templates, use the language code ar. Meta has no Saudi-specific Arabic variant.

If your quality drops because customers block or report you, Meta lowers your limits and can pause your marketing messages.

Selling on WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia with Nodi

Nodi is an official WhatsApp partner whose AI employee answers customers on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook in English or Arabic, takes the order in the chat and sends a payment link. Behind it are one stock count, an online store (including Arabic right-to-left stores) and a POS. Plans start at AED 59 a month, with a 30-day trial of the full Scale plan for AED 3. WhatsApp messages are charged at Meta's rates.

Estimate your Saudi message costs with the WhatsApp API pricing calculator, or see how the AI sales agent works.

Related guides: WhatsApp Business API in the UAE · WhatsApp Business app vs API · Best WATI alternatives

Frequently asked questions

How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in Saudi Arabia?

Meta charges per delivered template message to +966 numbers: about SAR 0.2159 for marketing and SAR 0.0401 for utility and authentication (from 1 October 2026). The first 1,000 service messages per number each month are free. Provider fees and taxes are extra.

Is WhatsApp marketing legal in Saudi Arabia?

Yes, with consent. The PDPL requires prior, documented consent for advertising sent to personal contact details, the sender's name, and an opt-out that is free, easy and immediate.

Can I use a Saudi +966 number for the WhatsApp Business API?

Yes. Meta lists no country restrictions on numbers. The number must be one you own and must be able to receive an SMS or voice call to verify it.

How long does it take to get the WhatsApp Business API?

Setting up the account itself is quick. Template reviews and display name reviews usually take up to 24 hours each. The verified badge needs at least 30 days on the platform.

How do I get the green tick on WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia?

Apply for an Official Business Account after 30 days on the platform, with business verification done, two-step verification on and an approved display name.

What are the WhatsApp messaging limits for new businesses?

250 unique customers per 24 hours to start. Business verification or a good sending history raises it to 2,000, then to 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited.

Sources

• Meta for Developers, About the WhatsApp Business Platform, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Pricing, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Phone numbers, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Messaging limits, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Official Business Accounts, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Onboarding WhatsApp Business app users (coexistence), checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Template review, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta for Developers, Supported template languages, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta, Getting opt-in and WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, checked 4 November 2026

• Meta Business Help Center, Business verification, checked 4 November 2026

• SDAIA, Personal Data Protection Law (English) and Implementing Regulation, checked 4 November 2026

• Ministry of Investment, E-Commerce Law (English translation), checked 4 November 2026