During the month of March (2012) I was in Saudi Arabia (Makkah Moazma and Madina Munawara). There were three mobile phone companies in Saudi Arabia namely STC (Saudi Telecom Group), Mobily and Zain, SAWA is a prepaid SIM card of STC.

At the time of March, 2012 SAWA was offering 0.19 Saudi Riyal (4.75 Pakistan Rupees approximately) per minute call to Pakistan. International SMS from SAWA was charging 0.30 Saudi Riyal (7.50 Pakistan Rupees approximately).

Zain was also offering the same rate of 0.19 Saudi Riyal (4.75 Pakistan Rupees approximately) per minute call to Pakistan. But its International SMS was charging 0.25 Saudi Riyal (6.25 Pakistan Rupees approximately).

Mobily was the cheapest during March, 2012 as it was offering 0.15 Saudi Riyal (3.75 Pakistan Rupees approximately) per minute call to Pakistan. But its International SMS was charging 0.50 Saudi Riyal (12.50 Pakistan Rupees approximately).

Therefore people who have came to Pakistan for Umrah were calling their families, relatives instead off sending SMS as SMS was charging more than the one minute call.

The above tariff of SAWA (STC), Mobily and Zain were of March, 2012.