Due to the revolution in the world of communication due to smartphones all over the world, distances have narrowed and the world has become a truly global village.
Before the advent of smartphones and the Internet, it was difficult for people living in the country to talk to their loved ones on the telephone.
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Periods of communication in the country
In Saudi Arabia, international calling was considered expensive and difficult in the 70's and 80's. In different cities, the telephone company Etisalat had a number of telephone cabins through which telephone calls could be made abroad.
In order to make a telephone call from the cabin, one had to go in advance of the scheduled time and register through accommodation, after which a trunk call was possible when the number came. At that time the call for Pakistan was about 12 riyals per minute.
Telephone booths
The field of communication developed further in the 80's and 90's and telephone call cabins were replaced by telephone booths which were operated by coins. Payment was made at the rate of 8 riyals per minute but these booths made it possible to make calls whenever you wanted but getting coins was a difficult task.
Prepaid Cards
The second phase after the coin booth was the introduction of prepaid cards from 1996 to 1999, which ended the difficult process of acquiring coins and was replaced by prepaid cards. At the same time, coin booths became part of history.
Home prepaid cards
After the year 2000, the era of rapid development in the field of communication proved to be and mobile phone technology was introduced along with the facility of home prepaid cards was also made available to the public. Home prepaid cards were also available everywhere at stores and grocery stores through which national and international calls could be made through any landline.
Mobile phone system
Getting a mobile connection was a difficult step in the early days of mobile phones in Saudi Arabia. In order to get the international line, foreigners had to deposit ten thousand riyals, after which the SIM was issued several days later.
As time progressed, the involvement of private companies in the mobile industry made it easier to acquire stages and SIMs.
Smartphone apps
Smartphones revolutionized the world of communication, after which not only voice but also video calling through telephone became available to everyone.
Popular apps for immigrants
Smartphone calling apps have proved to be very helpful for foreigners residing in Saudi Arabia. Especially those who live far away from their families have been greatly facilitated in communicating with their loved ones.
Calling facility through this app is closed in Gulf countries including the country but chatting and transfer of video and photos is possible. For calling through WhatsApp, special software 'VPN' has to be installed after which a call can be made on WhatsApp.
IMO
The most successful calling app in the country right now is 'IMO' which is used by almost all the people living here. Not only audio but also video calling is facilitated through this app.
VChat
This app also works in Saudi Arabia, but the users of this app are very limited. This app is more popular in China and Central Asian states.
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