Whether you’ve moved from the Middle East to the UK recently or many years ago, there is likely a need for you to stay in touch with your loved ones back home.  There are many different options open to you and while others in the Middle Eastern community may offer you friendly advice about the most cost-effective way to make calls back to your homeland, times are very much changing.  There is a more ubiquitous presence in the market now with smartphone apps really driving the competition.  Here we’ll have a look at some of the best options.

1. Calling from a BT (or similar) landline

Many people would assume that a landline is the cheapest option for calling the Middle East from the UK. Calling is relatively simple, just enter the international code of the country you are dialling, the regional number (if there is one) and then your contact’s number. Landline costs however can be expensive if you dial using BT standard rates. For example, a call to Israel using BT’s standard rate is 63p per minute, while calling Jordan costs almost double that at 125p per minute.  Check with your provider for specific packages for your required destination country as this usually helps keep costs down.

2. Using a traditional mobile phone provider

Given that landline costs can be very expensive, how do mobile service providers compare? Unfortunately, the answer is not particularly well. O2, for example, charge their customers 154p per minute for calls to the Middle East. Even if you qualify for their International Traveller Service, calls still cost 92p per minute and texts are 17p each regardless of which tariff you are on. Some mobile phone providers are beginning to offer better packages but in comparison to smartphone apps they are way behind in terms of cost saving.

3. International calling cards

Many shops and vendors sell international calling cards that give you a set number of minutes for your money when calling home. At first, these seem good value as the rates advertised are usually much cheaper than landline or mobile alternatives. Unfortunately many companies apply several hidden fees to calls made, such as high connection and termination charges, which means that your £10 call card, actually only gets you a fraction of the call-time you thought you had paid for.

4. A reputable VoIP provider

The real way to save money on calls to the Middle East is to use your smartphone or tablet to download a free app from a reputable Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider.  Leading companies like Skype, Tango, and Rebtel provide some great services with functionality that is tailored to the international caller and prices kept realistically low.

For example, looking at Rebtel’s pricing which is among the most competitive in the market; we see that a phone call to a Jordanian landline can be made for less than 4p per minute. – over 120p cheaper than using BT’s standard tariff! Calling a mobile is similarly cheap, you can check out the rates for your own required country here.

Quite simply, if you are seeking the best way to call the Middle East, VoIP companies like Rebtel offer some of the best packages, with high quality, ease of use and cheap call costs.  Check out some of the best providers, all you have to lose is your expensive phone bill!