Calling in Kuwait

How to make local and international calls

Calling in Kuwait

Calling in Kuwait is a relatively straightforward matter. The first digit will tell you whether you are calling a landline or a mobile phone.

Residential landline numbers are eight digits long and begin with a “2”. Corporate numbers are seven digits long and begin with “1”.

Note that every fixed telephone line has a city code, which is always included in the numbers friends and companies give you (e.g. 2261 xxxx). If you want to find which numbers belong to which districts in Kuwait City, you should refer to Countrycode.org .

To dial a fixed telephone number outside of your city, you will have to dial “0” and then the number. For example, to call from Al Fahaiheel to a residence in Hawalli (a suburb of Kuwait City) you dial 0 + 2261 xxxx.

If you're calling a Kuwaiti landline from abroad, you'll need to dial +965 and then the number. For example, you should punch in +965 + 2261 xxxx to call a residence in Hawalli.

All incoming and outgoing landline calls are free. To counterbalance this, Kuwait charges higher fees for international calls.

Calling a mobile telephone

Mobile number begin with a different digit, depending on which mobile provider the number belongs to. The following is a list of mobile providers and their corresponding prefixes:

  • Wataniya – 6 and 7
  • Viva - 5
  • Zain – 9

If you are dialling within Kuwait to a mobile, all you will need to punch in is the number. If you're calling from abroad, you will need to dial the country code (e.g. +965 xxxx xxxx).

Directory assistance and emergency numbers

To reach Kuwait's National Directory Assistance, dial 101.

If there is an emergency, you should call 112. This number is for fire, police, and ambulances. If you have another emergency, such as a water or electricity emergency, look at Kuwait's government portal .

Further reading

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