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My customer has an eight-digit Kuwaiti or Qatari number with no leading zero; how do I write it in a WhatsApp link?

Type it exactly as it is after picking the country in the country-code helper. These numbers have no local 0 at the front, so the tool removes nothing; it only puts the country code in front. The Kuwaiti number 5001 2345 becomes 96550012345 in the link.

Published · 3 min read

How this differs from a Saudi number

A Saudi mobile is written locally with ten digits starting with 0, and that 0 has to go in the link. In Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman the local number has eight digits and never starts with 0. There is nothing to drop; you only add the country code. If you are used to the rule 'remove the zero', a number without one can make you hesitate. The answer is simply: add the code and leave the rest alone.

The result for each country

We entered example numbers in the WhatsApp link generator after picking each country from the list. These are the numbers the tool produced:

  • Kuwait +965: 5001 2345 becomes 96550012345.
  • Qatar +974: 3300 1234 becomes 97433001234.
  • Bahrain +973: 3600 1234 becomes 97336001234.
  • Oman +968: 9123 4567 becomes 96891234567.

Every result has 11 digits: three for the country code and eight for the number. That is one digit shorter than a Saudi number in international form, which has 12, and it does not mean anything is missing.

How to be sure nothing was removed

When a local number starts with 0 and the tool removes it, a note appears beside the 'Number inside the link' line: '(the leading 0 of the local number was removed)'. With these eight-digit Gulf numbers you should not see that note. If it does appear, you copied the number with an extra 0 in front, so check where it came from.

Spaces in the middle do not matter; the tool strips them. Paste 5001 2345 or 50012345 and you get the same link.

Mistakes that happen with these numbers

  • Picking the wrong country: a Qatari number behind the Kuwaiti code gives a perfectly shaped link to a completely different number. The tool cannot tell the number is Qatari; it trusts your choice.
  • Pasting the number with its + and country code while the helper is on: you get a message asking you to type the local number only, or to switch to 'The number I type includes the country code'.
  • Typing the code yourself in the box as well as picking it from the list, such as 96550012345 with Kuwait selected: the tool adds the code again and you end up with 965 twice. Type only the eight digits.

The tool checks the format only and cannot know whether the number exists or has WhatsApp. Open the link once you have made it and confirm that the account that appears is your customer's.

Common questions

Does the tool handle UAE numbers too?

Yes, and the UAE works like Saudi Arabia: local mobiles start with 0, such as 050, so pick +971 from the list and the tool removes the 0 and adds the code.

Can I type 00965 at the start instead?

Yes, if you leave the helper on 'The number I type includes the country code'. The tool removes the 00 and keeps the rest.