Provider of integrated mobile, fixed and broadband communications services Saudi Telecom Company (News - Alert) (STC) has launched SAWA roaming, saying that it’s the first prepaid SIM card for international roaming services across the Middle East.

This latest offering is expected to benefit those customers who take a number of trips outside Saudi Arabia. With SAWA roaming, the company officials expect to provide services that “exceed the customers’ desires and expectations.”

The company launched SAWA roaming for the prepaid SIM card for $79 US. Additionally, the latest offering comes with benefits such as $6.67 US free credit, 100 minutes for calls, 5MB Internet and BlackBerry (News - Alert) service, and 100 SMS roaming.

Touted as a service that provides a better economic alternative in comparison to competing services, STC’s SAWA roaming aims to save travel expenses of customers.Company officials said that without this service, customers have to depend on local SIM cards of the countries that they visit to make and receive calls, which often increases the travel cost.

Company officials said that SAWA roaming offers a comprehensive roaming coverage internationally and eliminates the need to choose a favorite operator. Additionally, the package also provides customers with the connect me service, which enables customers to make calls while they are roaming in case of unavailability of prepaid service calling in a destination country.

Currently, SAWA roaming will be made available to customers who use recharged local VIVA SIM cards in both Bahrain and Kuwait and without any further charges.

Last month, Kingdom Holding Co. signed an agreement with STC for a project concerning Kingdom Riyadh Land. STC is expected to provide telecom infrastructure which includes a smart fiber-optic network to provide Kingdom Riyadh Land with an integrated information technology solution for all communications and services.