[hipporanger]

Just bought a 8320 Curve for my business in the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) in the States. RIM guys couldn't get it to me in time, so I bought it from T-Mobile...long story short....now I have a BB curve in Riyadh and cant' get service for it because MOBILY, the KSA service provider that has a collaboration with RIM, doesn't service devices that are not SOLD and BOUGHT in the KSA !

Any suggestions from anyone that knows anything about it ???

[exelant]

Isn't the Middle East fun? Sounds like you need to sell it and buy one in SA.
I don't think they like to bend the rules for Westerners.

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[SLVR6]

Wow, um, best of luck to you.......is there some reason they know where to device is from? Could you not load it with there level OS and ask to activate blackberry service? I mean, you could have bought it used from someone in the country........

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[exelant]

Slvr, my wife bought a Nokia in Kuwait. She said all the phones in the store's display - including the one she bought, had English/Arabic lettering. So they'd know just by looking at the keypad - unless they actually have English only BBs - but the batteries inside have Arabic lettering.

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[hipporanger]

SLRV, exelant,

Thanks for your comments. I don't know how they could determine that the phone was actually from the States...but, since they DON'T sell the curve in the Kingdom yet...it's a no-brainer why they would decline to provide service to me. The guy at the main Mobily office, here in Riyadh, did say that in about 3 months, they would have the curve available...but I would STILL have to buy it here and couldn't use the one I bought in the States.

I see myself with two options (without having to sell the one I now have)...I can sign up for T-mobile's international plan ...DO THEY HAVE ONE ????....or, ....
I could try to get a SIM card from one of the middle east countries that currently sell the curve, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait or Pakistan, and use the service in one of those countries, as long as they have coverage- (roaming) in KSA.....hmmm, wonder how much that'll cost ?....if anyone comes across another solution let me know....I really LIKE my curve and want to start using it !

[kickinitlive247]

that really sucks, i dont see why carriers have to do this
you have a phone and you want to pay for their service
seems like a no brainer to me, they dont have to subsidize your phone so it would be a GREAT deal for them
but what do i know...

[hipporanger]

Ya...it sucks ! I'm on the phone now trying to get with Etisalat, the mobile provider in UAE, to see if they can hook me up....I know why Mobily in KSA is not allowed to provide me service....MOI (Ministry of Interior) rules !....that's what the guy at the Mobily office told me when I asked him...media-control or trade-restrictions....hmmmm

[hipporanger]

why is my PICTURE not showing in my posts ??? (Profile setting...how to change ?)

[HD123]

Etisalats price is very good... $75 a month for worldwide unlimited data. As long as your device is unlocked it will also work on etisalats network, but you have to have a residency/work visa/permit in the uae to get a BIS/BES plan.

[exelant]

We went the opposite way, my wife bought her phone unlocked in Kuwait and uses it with TMobile in the US. It really sounds like you're kind of stuck. Like you said, the Ministry of the interior rules.

You did see I said they would know right away you didn't but it there?

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[hipporanger]

dubai bb: yeah...i'm not going to establish residency in UAE just to use my BB...although it's tempting, this place is DRY (ha...ha). You in the UAE ?

exelant: so...your wife is in the middle east and has T-mobile coverage for her BB ? What plan is that, and how much does it cost ? I DO want to keep my US phone number T-mob. gave me when I signed up with their pre-paid plan. (it's printed on my business-cards that I gave out)....

[money69]

Tmobile's international BB plan is $20 a month. It can only be added on top of the BES or BIS plan. So assuming you're using BIS, it would be $20 for BIS and then additional $20 for the international part for a total of $40 a month.

[hipporanger]

money69:

thnx...i think i will sign up with T-mobile...i alredy have their prepaid plan...I'm also going to check Saudi Telcom (Aljawal)...

[exelant]

That TMo plan is the way to go. Hippo, my wife works for a defense contractor in Colorado. She goes to Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq for her employer four or five times a year. She uses her phone, but it is expensive - thank God the company pays expenses. Since she's based here, it doesn't make sense to get a M/E plan - and she goes to different countries so it could get pretty complicated.

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[Splitz]

Ok, I apologize for bringing this thread back from the dead (****, at least I searched for it!).

I'm going to be in KSA for 1 year on a contract with the Royal SAudi Air Force, and will have work permit etc etc.

Anyway...

I'll be getting the 8900 from T-Mobile when it comes out. and will be in KSA probably by the middle of March or early April.

What do I need to do to ensure that it will work in KSA?

I read about blackberry world data, but will it actually WORK in the KSA?

Please elaborate some, as the previous posts didn't really answer my questions.

Thank you!

[missing1976]

Ok, I apologize for bringing this thread back from the dead (****, at least I searched for it!).

I'm going to be in KSA for 1 year on a contract with the Royal SAudi Air Force, and will have work permit etc etc.

Anyway...

I'll be getting the 8900 from T-Mobile when it comes out. and will be in KSA probably by the middle of March or early April.

What do I need to do to ensure that it will work in KSA?

I read about blackberry world data, but will it actually WORK in the KSA?

Please elaborate some, as the previous posts didn't really answer my questions.

Thank you!

I've been using BB for more than 2 years now in KSA and all my 3 devices came from out side the kingdom. 2 of them are unlocked t-mobile and the 3rd is vodafone. The mobily representitive does not know what he's talking about, he's just upset that the device was not purchased from their company. I'm using STC and happy with the service, but I know people who are also using Mobily (who did not get the blackberry phones from the company) they got them else where and just activated the service.
The only thing that is true is that you don't have any warrenty on you device. For me if its a software issue I do it myself.

I hope this was helpfull, I will try to check this every now and then and see if I can be of any assestance.


PS: hipporanger, this might be too late, just make sure your device is fully unlocked and as for Mobily believe me the best way to deal with them is by raising your voice ( I know its not a cevilised way of life) but I've had lots of issues with them before. You have all the right just to request the service and they do not have the right to know from where you got the phone. Tell them STC gave you an unlocked BB as a gift :P

[Splitz]

I've been using BB for more than 2 years now in KSA and all my 3 devices came from out side the kingdom. 2 of them are unlocked t-mobile and the 3rd is vodafone. The mobily representitive does not know what he's talking about, he's just upset that the device was not purchased from their company. I'm using STC and happy with the service, but I know people who are also using Mobily (who did not get the blackberry phones from the company) they got them else where and just activated the service.
The only thing that is true is that you don't have any warrenty on you device. For me if its a software issue I do it myself.

I hope this was helpfull, I will try to check this every now and then and see if I can be of any assestance.


PS: hipporanger, this might be too late, just make sure your device is fully unlocked and as for Mobily believe me the best way to deal with them is by raising your voice ( I know its not a cevilised way of life) but I've had lots of issues with them before. You have all the right just to request the service and they do not have the right to know from where you got the phone. Tell them STC gave you an unlocked BB as a gift :P

Thank you so much for your response.

How much is it a month in SAR and how much is the data plan for BB? I'm going out there in 2 weeks, and have around 660SAR with me to start out with. I can't get an answer out of STC when I e-mailed them, probably because I'm a Westerner.

What is the "average" bill? I plan on using the phone mostly for data (e-mail).

[missing1976]

Thank you so much for your response.

How much is it a month in SAR and how much is the data plan for BB? I'm going out there in 2 weeks, and have around 660SAR with me to start out with. I can't get an answer out of STC when I e-mailed them, probably because I'm a Westerner.

What is the "average" bill? I plan on using the phone mostly for data (e-mail).

With STC the bills are every two months, for BB they have only 1 plan so far which is 200 SAR/month. and for the monthly line fees there are several plans the most popular are the 35 SAR/mon and the 45 SAR/mon.

so you'r looking @ 470-490 SAR minimum for your first bill for the 1st two months. if your not using much uploads or downloads with ur BB i think you wont have havey bills

[Branta]

Ok, I apologize for bringing this thread back from the dead (****, at least I searched for it!).

I'm going to be in KSA for 1 year on a contract with the Royal SAudi Air Force, and will have work permit etc etc.

Anyway...

I'll be getting the 8900 from T-Mobile when it comes out. and will be in KSA probably by the middle of March or early April.

What do I need to do to ensure that it will work in KSA?

I read about blackberry world data, but will it actually WORK in the KSA?

Please elaborate some, as the previous posts didn't really answer my questions.

Thank you!

Most of the previous was about getting service from a local provider for an imported phone. It appears Saudi service providers insist on supplying the phone as part of the package and will not allow you to connect your own phone on a local account.

You should be able to roam your phone on your US-based account but the cost will be horrific, particularly for voice. However, I've had problems in the Gulf area and roaming agreements are not always what they seem - check with your US supplier if you want to go this route, and get details of all the international options while you're at it.

Note you will probably find difficulty setting up BlackBerry data (push mail, BBM, web) on any kind of prepay account, and it is very often impossible to get a regular postpay account without permanent residence and credit rating. This might block you from using a local account.

The best solution I've seen for prolonged usage away from home service is to use 2 phones;
1. Primary voice calls. Any phone you like, on a local SIM at local rates.
2. Data and secondary voice. Your existing BB roamed on your existing account, with all the international data options turned On. Voice - available but reserved for calls back to home (probably cheaper than local SIM).

Your RSAF contacts may be able to assist you with the "local supply" problem, otherwise the only reliable way is to buy your hardware locally and use 2 phones.

[missing1976]

Most of the previous was about getting service from a local provider for an imported phone. It appears Saudi service providers insist on supplying the phone as part of the package and will not allow you to connect your own phone on a local account.

You should be able to roam your phone on your US-based account but the cost will be horrific, particularly for voice. However, I've had problems in the Gulf area and roaming agreements are not always what they seem - check with your US supplier if you want to go this route, and get details of all the international options while you're at it.

Note you will probably find difficulty setting up BlackBerry data (push mail, BBM, web) on any kind of prepay account, and it is very often impossible to get a regular postpay account without permanent residence and credit rating. This might block you from using a local account.

The best solution I've seen for prolonged usage away from home service is to use 2 phones;
1. Primary voice calls. Any phone you like, on a local SIM at local rates.
2. Data and secondary voice. Your existing BB roamed on your existing account, with all the international data options turned On. Voice - available but reserved for calls back to home (probably cheaper than local SIM).

Your RSAF contacts may be able to assist you with the "local supply" problem, otherwise the only reliable way is to buy your hardware locally and use 2 phones.

As I stated in my replay, i've been using bb in KSA for 2 years now without getting the phone from the service provider. All my 3 BBs were purchased from outside Saudi and the service provider only activated the BB plan on my SIM.

"hipporanger" I'm sure you could activate your BB if its fully unlocked.

[Branta]

Apologies... I took too long making my reply. So it looks like Splitz might be able to do something for around $70/month equivalent.

Nobody said the Gulf was cheap

[drs155]

My situation was a little different in Iraq, but during my stay in 2004-2005 I had my T-mobile phone with me. Apparently, all I had to do to use it locally there was have a local SIM card. A friend in Baghdad still has that phone and reports that it still works with every local SIM he has put in it (from Iraq, Syria, And Jordan). I remember using it for a few months on SyriaTel (not the friendliest company to westerners). Good luck.

[missing1976]

Thank you so much for your response.

How much is it a month in SAR and how much is the data plan for BB? I'm going out there in 2 weeks, and have around 660SAR with me to start out with. I can't get an answer out of STC when I e-mailed them, probably because I'm a Westerner.

What is the "average" bill? I plan on using the phone mostly for data (e-mail).

Where in KSA will you be working?

[Splitz]

Where in KSA will you be working?

Khamis Mushayt

Southwest Province. Will be working on the RSAF F-15S for about a year while the US economy recovers.

[Splitz]

I arrived in Kingdom witha few difficulties but here none the less. Previously to leaving the US I ad called T-Mobile on several occassions and got the same answer. the International EMail plan (includes data) is $20/month. Once I got in country and in good locations, I am getting a decent EDGE connection. Since internet for homesd is archaic, still trying to figure everything out.

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