By Omar Al-Qahtani · Business consultant · 2026-09-08 · 6 min read
A recurring question crosses my desk from founders, freelancers and small trading businesses across the Kingdom: how do I get a proper US number while I am based here in Saudi Arabia? The reasons are consistent. They are building a WhatsApp Business presence for buyers abroad, they are serving American clients who expect to reach a local-looking number, and they need to receive a one-time password from a US service that only sends codes to a US line. On paper this sounds simple. In practice, most people spend an afternoon discovering that the obvious free options were never built for them.
This guide sets out what does not work, why, and the straightforward path that does — without any of the workarounds that tend to fall apart later.
The two names people reach for first are Google Voice and TextNow. Both were designed for users already living in North America, and both check where you are before they let you register.
People often try to mask their location to force these apps open. Even when a number appears, it frequently fails to receive the WhatsApp verification code, or the account is flagged and removed weeks later. For anything tied to your business or your logins, that is a fragile foundation. A number you cannot rely on is worse than no number at all.
| G100 | Google Voice | TextNow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available to KSA users? | Yes — buy from anywhere | No — not offered here | No — US/Canada sign-up only |
| Price | $1.95/month, no contract | Free (not reachable here) | Free (not reachable here) |
| WhatsApp-ready? | Yes — receives the SMS/OTP code | N/A — no number available | N/A — no number available |
| Receive OTP? | Yes — SMS codes land in your inbox | N/A — no number available | N/A — no number available |
The point is plain enough: a free service you cannot open costs you time, not money. A working number under two dollars a month is the better economics.
To register WhatsApp Business, or to verify a US service, you need a number that can receive the code. Meta and the service you are signing up for handle the verification themselves — the number simply has to catch the SMS, or take the voice call, so you can read the code. A G100 US or Canada number does that from Saudi Arabia, in a browser or on your phone, without any masking of your connection.
The same inbox is where OTP codes from other US services will appear, so the number does double duty for your logins and your WhatsApp presence.
One honest note. Today G100 numbers receive SMS and OTP, which covers WhatsApp verification and US-service logins, and they take voice calls. Sending your own outbound SMS from the number is not switched on yet — that capability is still on the way. If receiving codes, taking calls and running WhatsApp Business is what you need, you are covered now. If outbound texting is essential to your plan, keep that timing in mind.
Once you are verified, complete the WhatsApp Business profile properly: business name, category, logo, working hours and a short automated greeting so a first-time enquiry gets an immediate reply. For clients in the United States, a local US number paired with a complete, professional profile does a great deal for first impressions and for the confidence of someone about to send you a payment.
If you later grow into a team answering one number, or you want to send structured broadcasts to a customer list, G100 offers the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API as a $10/month add-on. There is no need to start there — begin with the phone app and upgrade only when the volume justifies it.
Yes. Meta performs the verification and lets you register WhatsApp Business on any number that can receive the code. A G100 US or Canada number receives that SMS code, or a voice call, in your inbox, so you can complete verification from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or anywhere in the Kingdom.
Google Voice cannot be set up from Saudi Arabia — the service is not offered here, so there is no number to obtain. TextNow restricts sign-ups to the United States and Canada, which means registration is blocked from a Saudi connection. Both leave KSA users without a usable number.
A flat $1.95 per month per number, with no contract. You pay from a pay-as-you-go wallet in USD through Stripe. Calls are $0.03 per minute. An optional WhatsApp Business Cloud API add-on is $10 per month for teams that need a shared inbox and broadcasts.
Yes. G100 US, Canada and Puerto Rico numbers receive SMS, including one-time passwords, so you can verify WhatsApp and many US-based services. Note that outbound SMS sending from the number is not live yet; receiving codes, taking calls and WhatsApp all work today.
If you are based in the Kingdom and need a US number that actually opens, start at app.g100.us, and see the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Buy from Riyadh, Jeddah, anywhere. No contract, no KYC. Receives your WhatsApp code and OTP straight to your inbox.
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