VPN not working in Saudi Arabia: 11 ways to FIX it

With a reliable VPN, you can access region-restricted services while in Saudi Arabia. Different countries have access to different streaming sites and a VPN lets you unlock them. But what if your VPN stops working? Our guide can help.

Our researchers have done the work for you, putting VPNs to the test to see which ones work well in Saudi Arabia. And we’ve also listed ways you can troubleshoot your existing software.

Which VPNs work in Saudi Arabia?

Why you can trust GadgetMouse: Our content is written by a team of humans and we refuse to use AI. Plus, we own (and use) every VPN that we write about. For more details, see our editorial policy.

Why is my VPN not working in Saudi Arabia?

If a website or app sees that you’re trying to access content from outside of a supported country, your connection could be blocked. For example, perhaps you’re trying to use a service that is usually limited in Saudi Arabia – like BBC iPlayer or ITVX. However, trusted VPNs can still help you unlock content from anywhere in the world.

How does my VPN get detected?

Your current VPN isn’t working in Saudi Arabia and that’s probably because it’s not hiding your location. The VPN servers you have available to you through your current VPN may be blacklisted by the website you’re trying to stream from.

In summary:

• Your VPN servers might have been blacklisted.
• Cookies stored in your browser are telling services about your real location and not your spoofed location
• A flawed VPN is leaking your IP address.

How to fix a VPN that doesn’t work in Saudi Arabia

1. Update your VPN

To start, make sure you’re using the latest version of your VPN – the developers might have identified an issue and patched it with an update. You need to take a trip to your VPN settings.

On a computer, open your VPN and then the Settings or Options menu. Some VPNs will display a message on the start screen telling you about updates. ExpressVPN, for example, shows this:

If you’re using an Android phone, you need to open the Google Play store, tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen and then Manage apps and device. Choose Update or Update all.

On an iPhone, open the Apple App Store and tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen.

2. Use a different VPN server while in Saudi Arabia

In some cases, VPN servers can become temporarily unavailable. If your VPN isn’t unlocking websites and apps while you’re based in Saudi Arabia, this could be the problem. Try disconnecting from the current server that you’re using.

The best VPNs offer multiple servers per country. Cycle between them and see which one works best for you. For example, if you are based in Saudi Arabia and want to stream from BBC iPlayer, you need to connect to a UK server.

3. Contact your VPN support team

Our recommended VPN providers further down the page all manage support teams that can deal with specific problems you’re dealing with.

From a computer, head to your VPN provider’s website and find the Support or Contact us pages. Some VPNs offer a live chat service for members.

4. Reset your VPN

Restart your device and open your VPN again. If that doesn’t work, delete and reinstall your VPN. Load up your VPN and a geo-restricted website or app and see if performance has improved.

5. Check your internet

The problem might actually lie with your own internet connection rather than your VPN.

Disconnect from your wi-fi network and then reconnect. Try and run your VPN once again. You can also go a step further and restart your internet router. Speeds of 5-10Mbps should be enough, but you might prefer over 20Mbps if you’re streaming or gaming.

Run a free download speed tool and compare the results alongside your ISP’s ‘minimum guaranteed speed’ promise. Contact your ISP if your connection is unstable outside of VPN use.

More VPN fixes for users in Saudi Arabia:

Are your details public due to a DNS leak? An ineffective VPN fails to mask your IP address and location while in Saudi Arabia. To assess its performance, deactivate the VPN and visit the IP Address Lookup tool to record your IP address. Then, activate your VPN and rerun the test – if your IP and location remain unchanged, you need to swap to a better VPN.

Clear cache and cookies from your internet browser. On Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. On Safari, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data.

Have you entered your VPN username and password correctly? Double-check your credentials. If you can’t remember them, select the ‘Forgot’ option on your VPN provider’s website.

Are the VPN servers active? If you can’t connect to a server, your provider might be experiencing an outage. We’ve noticed that the best providers are transparent and actively update their server status online.

Is your firewall blocking your VPN? If you’re dealing with errors on desktop, make sure your VPN is mentioned in the ‘Allow’ list. On Windows, head to open Windows Security > Allow an app through the firewall. On Mac, try System Settings > Network > Firewall.

Does your web browser need updating? Your current web browser version might be incompatible with your browser-based VPN. Assuming you’ve updated your VPN, make sure you update your browser as well. On Chrome, for example, you would go to Settings > About Chrome.

Are you overworking your VPN? If you’re streaming, gaming and using social media at the same time, your VPN might struggle to keep up. We suggest you close a couple of apps to test if doing so has a noticeable impact.

Best VPNs for Saudi Arabia

ExpressVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.53 per month
• 6-month subscription: £8.12 per month
• 1-year subscription + 3 months free: £5.42 per month (49% off)

🌎 Number of servers	160
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	5
⏱️ Our speed test results	-8.7% download, -5.5% upload (London)

If you want to enjoy streaming video from any on-demand service while you’re in Saudi Arabia, create a membership with ExpressVPN. To watch TV anywhere, all you need to do is open up ExpressVPN, connect to a server in a supported region and go from there. This VPN keeps your real IP address hidden at all times, so websites won’t know you’re accessing content from outside of a supported country.

Pros: Smartphone app lets you connect in seconds, 'favourite' most-used VPN servers for quick access, performed remarkably well in our chat support speed test

Cons: Rival VPNs are cheaper, can't use many devices at once

Try ExpressVPN today

Ivacy

• 1-month subscription: £8.62 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3 per month (65% off)
• 5-year subscription + FREE password manager: 80p per month (90% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,700
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

Ivacy works well if you’re currently based in Saudi Arabia and it’s a reliable option if you don’t want to spend lots of money on a VPN to watch TV. The company maintains a very strict no-logs policy, which prevents your valuable personal data from being sold to sinister third parties. If you try it for yourself today, you’ll get instant access to over 3,000 VPN servers around the world.

Pros: Connection is steady when using multiple devices, notifications mention if Ivacy is disabled, server locations split by country and city

Cons: We think the ExpressVPN mobile app is faster, below-average results in our chat support speed test

Try Ivacy today

NordVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.49 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3.99 per month (40% off)
• 2-year subscription: £2.79 per month (58% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,200+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	6
⏱️ Our speed test results	-14% download, -7% upload (London)

Here’s another VPN that lets you watch region-locked content while you’re sat somewhere in Saudi Arabia. The servers are secure and you can connect without handing over personal data. This VPN doesn’t watch how you’re using the service, so privacy is guaranteed.

Pros: Built-in internet kill switch works well, profile page on app includes 'Security score' with privacy tips, takes less than a minute to reach a live chat agent (based on our tests)

Cons: Other VPNs tested are cheaper, some streaming services require multiple resets to work

Try NordVPN today

PureVPN

• 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month (12% off)
• 1-year subscription: $3.74 per month (70% off)
• 2-year subscription + 4 extra months: $1.96 per month (84% off)

🌎 Number of servers	6,500+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

PureVPN is still one of our favourite services to recommend for VPN newbies that are based in Saudi Arabia. It’s a breeze to use and doesn’t limit bandwidth per user. PureVPN is a great VPN that allows you to bypass geo-locked websites so you can enjoy TV without a fuss, even if you’re not currently based in a supported country.

Pros: Surprisingly affordable considering features, lots of UK and US-based servers, generous with simultaneous devices

Cons: Takes a couple of minutes to reach live chat agents (based on our tests), performs better on iOS compared to Android (in our experience)

Try PureVPN today

How to use a VPN in Saudi Arabia

Before you start using a VPN while you’re in Saudi Arabia, you need to pick a geo-restricted website or service that you’re aiming to unlock.

As an example, let’s say you’re based in Saudi Arabia and you want to enjoy shows streaming on BBC iPlayer – that service is usually only available to viewers based in the UK. So, to unlock iPlayer while you’re in Saudi Arabia, you would need to run through these steps:

1. Pick one of our suggested VPNs – we’ll use ExpressVPN for this example.
2. Once you’ve created your ExpressVPN account, sign in.
3. From Windows or Mac, open ExpressVPN and select a server in a supported country. In this example, you’d need to choose a server based in the UK that’s compatible with BBC iPlayer.
4. Once you’re connected, head to the BBC iPlayer website.
5. Log in to your BBC iPlayer account.

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