WhatsApp Coexistence in Saudi Arabia: availability, Meta rates and SAR billing
Saudi numbers can use Coexistence: Meta's onboarding documentation for Business app users sets no country restriction. From October 1, 2026, Meta charges US$ 0.0576 (SAR 0.2159) per marketing template delivered to a +966 number and US$ 0.0107 (SAR 0.0401) per utility or authentication template. Free-form replies inside the customer service window cost nothing.
Meta's rate for a marketing template delivered to a Saudi number, effective October 1, 2026.
Meta's SAR rate for a utility or authentication template delivered to a Saudi number.
Meta raised Saudi Arabia's marketing rate and added SAR as a billing currency.
Saudi Arabia's authentication-international rate, for eligible businesses based outside the country.
Is WhatsApp Coexistence available in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Meta's documentation for bringing WhatsApp Business app users onto Cloud API sets conditions on the app version (2.24.17 or newer) and on the partner running Embedded Signup, and it lists no country, region or calling code that is excluded. A +966 number registered and active in the WhatsApp Business app is eligible.
When a Saudi number is refused, the cause is one of the general ones: the number is on the consumer WhatsApp app, the app is older than 2.24.17, or the number is still attached to another provider. The eligibility page explains each case and the fix for it.
What does Meta charge per message in Saudi Arabia?
Meta prices each delivered template by the recipient's country calling code. Templates delivered to +966 numbers are charged at Saudi Arabia's rate no matter where the sender is based, and Saudi Arabia has its own line on the rate card.
The figures below come from Meta's USD and SAR cards effective October 1, 2026. Free-form replies inside an open 24 hour customer service window are free, utility templates sent inside that window are free, and messages sent from the WhatsApp Business app on a Coexistence number cost nothing. Marketing templates are charged on every delivery, and monthly volume tiers can lower the utility and authentication rates for large senders.
What changed for Saudi businesses in 2026?
April 1, 2026 brought two changes in Meta's pricing changelog. Saudi Arabia's marketing message rate went up, and SAR became one of eight new billing currencies, so a Saudi business can be billed in riyals and check its costs against an SAR rate card instead of converting from dollars.
Saudi Arabia is also one of the markets with an authentication-international rate. A business based abroad that sends one time passcodes to +966 numbers can be moved to US$ 0.0598 per authentication template, more than five times the domestic rate. Meta assigns that start date per business and gives 30 days of notice before it applies.
How do you connect a Saudi number and keep using the app?
With Meta's Embedded Signup, choosing the option for a number already in the WhatsApp Business app. A Tech Provider hosts the flow; the business logs in with Facebook, selects its Business Portfolio, enters the +966 number and scans the QR code the app shows. The partner then has 24 hours to begin synchronizing, or the flow has to be repeated.
From then on the phone keeps working as before, and the same number sends and receives through Cloud API at a fixed 20 messages per second. Each step is described on the connecting a number page.
Common mistakes
- Budgeting Saudi marketing sends on rates from before April 1, 2026. Meta raised the marketing rate that day.
- Reading the SAR cost off a USD card with a currency converter. Meta publishes its own SAR figures.
- Sending passcodes to +966 numbers from a business abroad at the domestic rate. The authentication-international rate is US$ 0.0598.
EasyCoexistence connects a +966 number through Meta's own Embedded Signup in about two minutes and charges a flat monthly fee per connected number, from US$ 9. Meta's message charges are billed to your own WhatsApp Business Account and never marked up.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Saudi business be billed in riyals?
Yes. Meta added SAR as a billing currency on April 1, 2026 and publishes an SAR rate card.
Is Saudi Arabia priced as Rest of Middle East?
No. It has its own line on Meta's rate card, with US$ 0.0576 for marketing and US$ 0.0107 for utility and authentication.
Are messages I type in the app charged?
No. Meta states that messages sent from the WhatsApp Business app stay free after Coexistence onboarding.
Which app version do I need?
WhatsApp Business app 2.24.17 or newer on the phone holding the +966 number.
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