National Numbering Plan in Saudi Arabia

The National Numbering Plan is an action plan to update the range of numbers used in the telecommunications and information technology sector services, prepared by the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Authority (now Communications and Information Technology Commission) in 2012, in order to provide figures for the coming years and keep abreast of the ongoing developments in the services and technology of the sector.

The National Numbering Plan is focused on stretching the range of mobile and fixed telecommunications services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as creating modern services, technologies and applications. It also meant to introduce some changes to some operators' systems, in coordination with the Communications and Information Technology Authority and telecommunications service providers. The change was implemented in phases, and the plan also enhanced the capabilities of telecommunications services to adopt innovations in the services of the sector.

The National Numbering Plan in Saudi Arabia added a single digit to the codes of interior regions in Saudi Arabia, thus changing the way fixed telephone numbers outside the local caller area are reached. This was to add the number (1) to the codes of interior regions.The symbols (01, 02, 03, 04, 06, 07) became (011, 012, 013, 013, 016, 017).

The addition of number (1) in the National Numbering Plan in Saudi Arabia contributes to the provision of more numbers, used to enhance fixed and mobile communication services, and the growing demand for special numbers in Saudi Arabia. This change is compatible with international standards in the telecommunications and information technology sector, let alone the fact that the change was limited to providing interior area codes with one digit only.

The Communications and Information Technology Authority updates the National Numbering Plan in Saudi Arabia regularly in order to keep pace with future progress, provide the ICT sector with the flexibility it needs, so as to accommodate modern technologies and services, and ensure that digital resources are secured and sufficient. The plan is updated in accordance with the Telecommunications System and its executive regulations.