So yesterday I needed Saudi plugs for my buddy’s new place in Riyadh. Figured it’d be simple. Man, was I wrong. Started off lazy, just typing “Saudi plug” into the search bar on my phone around lunchtime.
First crap that popped up looked kinda like the UK plug, you know, three chunky pins? Grabbed one from that big online market everybody uses. Paid maybe $4 for it thinking job done. Big mistake.
My buddy sends me a photo later: “Nope. Needs the two little metal strips on the sides.” Turns out Saudi mostly uses this BS1363 type thing, with fuse and all. Felt dumb. Had to cancel that order fast.
Alright, back to the search. Typed “Saudi Arabia BS1363 plug” this time. Whoa, different world. Found a wholesale site showing this kinda rectangle-shaped thing with those metal strips – much closer to what he needed. Price looked sweet, like $2 or $3 per plug. Got excited for a second. Then… bam. Fine print said you gotta buy at least 60 pieces. Seriously? I just need two plugs! Ain’t no reseller here. Totally useless for me.
Was kinda frustrated now. Needed to see actual places selling normal amounts. Skipped lunch, jumped in the car and drove to the biggest hardware store near me. Wandered the electrical aisle forever. Found European plugs, US plugs, UK plugs… but zero Saudi ones. Asked the guy behind the counter. He just shrugged. “Special order maybe?” Forget that.
Next stop was this tiny electronics shop tucked away downtown. Old place, packed with dusty boxes. Showed the guy a picture of the plug my buddy sent. He squinted, rummaged around in the back for like ten minutes… and boom! Pulled out a dusty bag with two plugs inside. Exact ones! Had the fuse socket and everything. Paid cash, maybe $5 each? Little more than online wholesale, but way less hassle. Double-checked the label: said “13A fuse” & “SASO” something. Got the seal of approval I guess.
Wrapped it up:
- Wholesale sites are killer price-wise ($2-$5 range) BUT you gotta buy boxes of 60+ plugs! Good for resellers only.
- Local specialized electronics shops can sometimes save your bacon if you get lucky digging. Expect $5-$6 each. Worth trying if you hate waiting.
- Big box hardware stores? Forget finding ’em there. Total waste of time.
- Don’t grab the wrong plug like I did! Needs those tiny metal clips on the sides. Must handle 220-240V, and seriously, make sure it has the fuse spot. Safety first, man.
Packed ’em in bubble wrap myself and dropped ’em at the post office same day. Lesson learned: Saudi plugs need a hunt.