In a world where information is no longer considered something difficult to access, there are still countries that restrict it for their inhabitants. Saudi Arabia can rightfully be considered one of these countries. But a way out can be found even in the most difficult situations. In this article, we will discuss why VPN can be a good solution for those who find themselves on the territory of Saudi Arabia for a temporary stay or live there permanently.
Internet Сensorship in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is one of the most limited countries in the world when it comes to access to information. This is manifested not only through press censorship but also through bounded access to the Internet. All information is filtered by the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) before being seen by the user.
The government uses several techniques to detect censorship violations, including scanning IP addresses. One such technique is SmartFilter, it automatically filters all websites for specific content. With the help of this program, the state can exclude from free access on the Internet all materials that it considers unacceptable for viewing by residents.
If you don’t have time to learn all the details about VPNs in Saudi Arabia, here is our list of top VPNs that work in 2021:
Which Websites are Banned in KSA?
For now, Saudi Arabia blocked more than 5.5 million websites, and that’s an impressive number. The ban concerns not only immoral websites (including pornography materials, online gambling, etc.), but also websites that criticize the actions of the government and the royal family.
When it comes to social media, Twitter and Facebook mentioned above, work, but you need to be very careful about using them. Even one single post on Twitter or Facebook expressing disagreement with the government can lead to persecution.
The websites of the two main human rights organizations, the Saudi Civil and the Political Rights Organization, as well as the illegal opposition party Islamic Umma Party, have been banned either.
Why Do You Need VPN in Saudi Arabia?
For safety when browsing data on the Internet. VPN is a reliable assistant when it comes to security. It completely hides the user’s IP address, so it cannot be traced.
For access to the banned websites. VPN can unblock websites and social networks that are restricted in the country.
For traveling. If you are traveling for tourism to KSA or have a business trip, VPN can unblock access to your business or home network.
What VPNs are the best for the country?
We have two excellent VPN providers to answer this question. These are NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Both servers have been on the market for a long time and have already established themselves as reliable and completely secure VPN service providers.
NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs with a huge number of servers (5000+) worldwide and very reasonable pricing. They boast of servers that can bypass geo-blocking and provide extra addons in security features.
ExpressVPN allows you to connect to servers from different devices with unlimited server switches and various server locations all around the globe.
What features should content VPN for Saudi Arabia?
When you are using a VPN in KSA, you need to remember to be as careful as you can to prevent tracking from government services. Make sure that the VPN service you chose contains these necessary features:
Kill Switch. One of the most important features, which can prevent IP address leaks in situations when VPN suddenly disconnects. This feature automatically turns off the Internet connection, thereby making it impossible to track the user’s personal data.
Encryption AES-256. The best encryption method is available at the moment. You need to pay attention to whether the VPN provider uses it. If so, you can be sure that your traffic is fully protected.
DNS leaks protection. This one is valuable for users to be sure that your VPN provider doesn’t track and record the websites you are visiting. Also, it means that nobody can see your IP address either.
Multi-Hop feature. It means that VPN uses a cascade security system. It allows you to maximize the protection of data and IP addresses.