Reader with big selection of ebooks for Middle east users!!

[mob81]

Dear All,
I want to ask if the Kindle or Nook will allow me to download and buy books while I'm in Saudi Arabia!!!

I'm so interested but afraid If I buy one, I can't use it where I live .

Can someone suggest one that support buying ebooks from Saudi? I can get Amazon or B&N gift cards and fill my account, but will I be able to download or buy the ebook and use my device while I'm in Saudi?


Any Recommendation is appreciated

Regards,
Mohammed

[ProfCrash]

Unless you live in the US and have a US Credit Card and Address, the Nook is not going to allow you to buy books in Saudi Arabia. You can buy books from other stores and sideload them onto the Nook but the Nook is not an international reader.

The Kindle is. I have no idea if it works in Saudi Arabia though.

[mob81]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Unless you live in the US and have a US Credit Card and Address, the Nook is not going to allow you to buy books in Saudi Arabia. You can buy books from other stores and sideload them onto the Nook but the Nook is not an international reader.

The Kindle is. I have no idea if it works in Saudi Arabia though.

Thanks,
Is there any stores (with great selection of ebooks) that would allow me to buy with Saudi Credit Card?

I have no problem side load ebooks as long as it works with any reader (Sony, Kindle, Nook, Kobo...etc.) as I have no preference on the brand of the ebook readers (but it has to have E-ink and not iPad type.

Regards,
Mohammed

[ATDrake]

Kobo offers e-book sales internationally, although I don't know if the selection will be good in Saudi Arabia, if available at all. They do geo-locate by IP address, which means that what you see in the Kobo store when browsing will be what you are able to buy, to avoid disappointments from looking at a title and finding out it is not available in your country when you login to purchase.

I think they charge in Canadian dollars internationally, so it may work out better for you to buy Kobo gift cards every so often to minimize currency exchange fees if you are able to shop from them.

Amazon officially says on their international Kindle model page that they do not ship Kindles to or offer Kindle content to Saudi Arabia, unfortunately.

What international people tend to do is buy gift cards for the store they want to shop at and lie about their address (sometimes using a VPN IP proxy so the store's webserver thinks they are coming from the correct region).

Depending on what sorts of books you like to read, you may be able to find a fairly good selection offered by niche e-book stores which sell internationally or direct from the publisher. Generally, this works out best if you like romance, science fiction/fantasy, computer/technical books, and occasionally mysteries by either newer authors from specialty small press imprints or by older established authors now reprinting their rights-reverted backlist titles originally out from the big publishing houses themselves.

Hope this helps, and welcome to MobileRead!

[ProfCrash]

Amazon and Kobo have international sales. None of the big ebook stores bookstore will sell books that can be read on a Kindle and a Sony/Nook/Kobo. Amazon uses a different format.

If you are in Saudi Arabia you are going to want to look into how to get around geo restrictions by using a VPN blocker so that you have access to more e-books no matter what e-reader you buy.

[lovelygirl]

Originally Posted by mob81

Dear All,
I want to ask if the Kindle or Nook will allow me to download and buy books while I'm in Saudi Arabia!!!

I'm so interested but afraid If I buy one, I can't use it where I live .

Can someone suggest one that support buying ebooks from Saudi? I can get Amazon or B&N gift cards and fill my account, but will I be able to download or buy the ebook and use my device while I'm in Saudi?


Any Recommendation is appreciated

Regards,
Mohammed

Maybe you can but it from the online shops, there are many online shops which are open to all the countries...i also just want to buy an E-Book Reader, and compared the price of it at amazon and another shop ( obestdeal or something like that), the later has price advantage, but i don't know if it can ensure the quality... may be you can have a try!

[Billi]

In which language(s) do you want to read? If it is Arabic you should check beforehand if any recommended reader is able to display Arabic texts at all.

[HarryT]

Mobipocket format (which the Kindle uses) does not support right-to-left languages such as Arabic.

ePub format does support it, but the particular ePub implementation that pretty much all current reading devices use (Adobe Reader Mobile) doesn't.

PDF is therefore the only real solution for RTL languages at present.

[mob81]

Thanks a lot all for the informative replays.

I want to read in English not in Arabic (Arabic books here are plenty!)

I forgot to mention that I have an Amazon account with US address (Freight Forwarding Company) would I be able to buy books through the Computer using Amazon Gift cards and put them on the Kindle through USB...etc. (HOPING)


If Yes (do I have to purchase specific Kindle "Unlocked" or from Amazon the american version would work too) I'm only going to use my computer but Wi-Fi is good if available to buy book using my account.

Thanks again

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by mob81

I forgot to mention that I have an Amazon account with US address (Freight Forwarding Company) would I be able to buy books through the Computer using Amazon Gift cards and put them on the Kindle through USB...etc. (HOPING)

Yes, you would, but you would probably need to use a VPN IP Proxy to give you a US-based IP when buying books from your computer, because Amazon has been known to ask people whose IP addresses do not match up with their stated country to provide proof of residence (or a passport showing that you are a citizen living overseas) and block their accounts until then.

Originally Posted by mob81

If Yes (do I have to purchase specific Kindle "Unlocked" or from Amazon the american version would work too) I'm only going to use my computer but Wi-Fi is good if available to buy book using my account.

The US version should work, but you should probably ask in the Amazon Kindle forum here to see if anyone else in your area has had experience, just to be sure.

[mob81]

Thanks. Man I think we (Middle East) will be far behind on the convenience on e-books plus the Book Selections here are not that good either (Except in Dubai on my experience)........

I hate to Use Proxy because Simply I don't know how to use them!


anyway, I'll see what can I do

[mob81]

Dear All,
I signed up to VPN service and bought one book to be sure from Amazon Kindle Store (and it went through )

I just ordered the kindle keyboard and I can't wait.....


Thanks all

[ATDrake]

Congratulations! Glad to hear that you've managed to find a reader/store to suit your needs.