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Converting your phone numbers from 7 to 8 digits

Renumbering

As many of you already know starting October 17th Kuwait is shifting from 7 digit numbers to 8. Zain numbers will get a 9 added at the beginning, Wataniya a 6, landlines will get a 2 added and commercial numbers that start with eight will get a 1 added to the front. Already over this weekend Zain and Wataniya started adding the extra numbers so its basically time to start converting all your phone numbers as well.

There are now a number of ways to convert all your numbers automatically. Zain and Wataniya both are offering this service. For Zain you need to send the letter B by SMS to 99509 and for Wataniya users you need to SMS the same word BACKUP but to 1618 instead.

Now if you would like to take matters into your own hands some guys have created applications that will do the conversion automatically.

For Windows users the blogger Q8ba7th has created an application that will take all your numbers and convert them with the new digits. You can download his application from his blog [Here]

For Mac users the blogger Q8i has created an Apple script that will also convert all your numbers to the correct format. You can download his script from his blog [Here]

Finally, iPhone users, you’re in for a treat because the local blogger Bojacob has created an iPhone application that will convert the numbers for you directly on your phone. To find out how to install his app visit his blog [Here]

Update: Here is the link to the Zain Mobile Backup site [Link]

38 replies on “Converting your phone numbers from 7 to 8 digits”

Crap!!!! And I spent the whole night going through 300 contacts… Even checked your blog to see if you had anything up… Guess i was just to eager… Oh Well! =(

Thanks though.

Ciao ciao

The question is do we have to convert all our contacts in one shot? I did it manually for the most imortant contacts then the ones less, and so on. You can do this over the time untill the final cutover date on 17th Oct.

I’m one of those doing it manually! For the main numbers first then the rest.. its just one of those things! I don’t have my numbers on the PC and don’t think I will at this point in time! Cool App for the iPhone!

This is what I used:

Zain
40 X X X X X
44 X X X X X
702 X X X X
71 X X X X X
72 X X X X X
73 X X X X X
74 X X X X X
75 X X X X X
76 X X X X X
78 X X X X X
79 X X X X X
90 X X X X X
91 X X X X X
92 X X X X X
93 X X X X X
94 X X X X X
95 X X X X X
96 X X X X X
97 X X X X X
98 X X X X X
99 X X X X X

Wataniya Ranges
501 X X X X
502 X X X X
505 X X X X
506 X X X X
507 X X X X
508 X X X X
509 X X X X
51 X X X X X
58 X X X X X
59 X X X X X
6 X X X X X X
700 X X X X
701 X X X X
703 X X X X
704 X X X X
705 X X X X
706 X X X X
707 X X X X
708 X X X X
709 X X X X
770 X X X X
771 X X X X
772 X X X X
773 X X X X
774 X X X X
775 X X X X
776 X X X X
778 X X X X
779 X X X X

best thing to do them manually some aps cant see the +965 and others do duplecets i dont know what…. better be safe then sorry and dont let someone else play with ur contacts

I sent the word “backup” to 1618 (Wataniya) and got instructions to install WBackup. I backed up all my numbers, and then restored them all with the additional new digits. It worked like a charm, and I did it for a few friends phones too

As of last night, Zain hadn’t sent any instructions to anyone I know yet

Mark,
thanks for the iphone app guidance for the contacts
btw, did you try bitesms to forward sms as i told you on the another post,
very helpful for if ur on 2.0.1
thanks again

Who is planning to sue them for ruining their gold and platinum numbers worth hundreds of dinars by adding new prefixes?

Reply to Musa�d Haidar:
No one can sue the mobile companies simply because this is a decision taken by the ministry of communication, and they have imposed the renumbering on the entire Kuwait due to shortage of available numbers.
Regards

PUX: My bro tried Wataniya and it worked fine. I read two bloggers were not successful so far. Keep in mind you may get charged for the WAP session, not sure. And after 3 months, the service is not FREE so be ware.

Musa’ad Haider: Are you a good lawyer or know of one! LOL

I think Im gonna switch to my other number on wataniya as my main contact, my Zain number is totally worthless now.

Oh well, we’ll just have to wait til next year to see which number is going to be added in front of these…

joke! well maybe not going on the history of the new number plate dilemma i wouldn’t be surprised!

Musa’ad Haider if u read the contract it says that the number is owned by the operator not the end user so legally they can take ur royal number and u dont have any right for any KD u paid for it

I tried it for Zain but when I came to choose the Nokia Model, it does not list the E71 in the list – there is a model E70 however – wondering!!

manually did it in about 15 min since i got a sony ericsson which is usually more complicated when saving numbers plus with me stopping everyonce and a while to talk on msn lol

I have a detailed list of what number goes where with a table on my blog.

Also, one thing you should add is that Zain is charging 1.5KD for the service, while Wataniya are offering the backup service for FREE. Since my line is a Wataniya one, I tried the backup thing and I got back all my numbers with the new numbers added all in less than 2 mins!

it’s not working with ARABIC Contacts..

NOTE: Zain Backup software now has some problem with maintenance…

best regards,
Zain Agent

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