In October 2024, Dubai will host GITEX, one of the Gulf region’s largest tech events, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers from various sectors to discuss future strategies, technological advancements, and digital transformation trends. Ahead of the event, Opensignal conducted an analysis showcasing how the region's mobile networks compare to those in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) markets. Our findings show that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets have strengthened their position within the EMEA region, outpacing many of their comparable peers in terms of mobile network speeds, especially 5G download speeds.
Key Findings:
- 5G leadership across EMEA: Saudi Arabia ranks second in 5G Download Speed among large land mass countries in the EMEA region, while Qatar remains the leader among small land mass markets. Kuwait, UAE, and Bahrain also perform strongly, with all three markets reporting average speeds above 250Mbps.
- 5G Peak Speeds: Qatar and UAE dominate 5G Peak Download Speed, with Qatar reaching over 900Mbps and UAE above 750Mbps in smaller land mass markets. Saudi Arabia ranks among the top five in larger markets for 5G peak speeds. At the same time, 5G Peak Download Speeds in GCC capital cities surpass national scores, with Doha leading at nearly 1Gbps and Abu Dhabi at over 800Mbps.
- Overall, average download speeds are on the rise: All six GCC markets saw improvements in their overall download speeds from those seen in March-May 2024, with Kuwait City leading among capitals, averaging 80Mbps. Riyadh and Doha saw the largest improvements in Download Speed Experience out of the GCC capitals.
In this analysis, we have assessed the mobile experience of our users in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets, comparing it to neighboring regional markets in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, looking at average overall and 5G download speed, including 5G Peak Download Speed. We have also analyzed how average 5G and overall download speeds have changed from March-May 2024 to June-August 2024, as observed by our users in the GCC markets, including GCC capitals’ download speeds.
Opensignal analyzed 57 markets in this comparison, of which 35 are included in 5G market comparisons. To ensure more meaningful comparisons when comparing EMEA markets, we have split them into two categories — the large land mass group consisting of markets with a land area greater than 200,000km2, while the small land mass group includes markets below this threshold — the same definitions used for the Global Mobile Network Experience Awards.
Saudi Arabia stands out in the large land mass group, ranking second for 5G Download Speed, just behind France. With average speeds of over 230Mbps, Saudi Arabia replaces Finland, which saw a slight decline compared to its score in our previous analysis, falling by 4%. Among the same comparable group, Oman rises up the ranks, placing two spots higher than last time and breaking into the top five, with average speeds around 200Mbps.
Among the markets within the small land mass group in EMEA, Qatar continues to hold the crown for 5G Download Speed, with users racking up speeds exceeding 360Mbps, on average. Kuwait and UAE are also in the top five, closely followed by Bahrain, with users in all three markets reporting average download speeds above 250Mbps.
Our analysis of 5G peak download speeds also tells an impressive story, with two GCC markets — Qatar and UAE — commanding the charts within the large land mass group. Qatar ranks first, with users observing 5G peak speeds of over 900Mbps, followed by runner-up UAE with 766Mbps. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia continues to make its mark, ranking among the top five in markets within the large land mass group, behind Norway, France and Sweden.
Regarding overall average download speed, Saudi Arabia and Oman rank well against other large land mass group markets, with both placing in the top 10. Meanwhile, in the small land mass group, Kuwait secures a place in the top five leading markets with average download speeds approaching 80Mbps.
The overall Download Speed Experience across all six GCC markets has improved significantly from March-May 2024 to June-August 2024. Kuwaiti users have observed the biggest improvements, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, the findings vary for 5G Download Speed. Oman leads with the largest average 5G download speed increase, while the improvements in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are more modest. Conversely, Bahrain and Kuwait have experienced declines. This is likely due to the rapid adoption of 5G among the GCC markets, among other factors. The GSMA has also predicted that by 2030, average 5G adoption in GCC markets will hit 95% compared to the global average of 54%. Rising 5G adoption means more traffic on 5G networks, which increases congestion.
In the region’s capital cities, our users in Kuwait City continue to experience the fastest overall download speeds, averaging 80.5Mbps. Furthermore, download speeds improved across all capital regions, with the most notable enhancement observed in Riyadh and Doha, amounting to about 9% compared to March-May 2024. Users in Manama, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi also experienced enhanced download speeds. As a result, Riyadh, Doha, and Manama are approaching the 60Mbps threshold, while users in Abu Dhabi and Muscat have surpassed 50Mbps.
For 5G Peak Download Speed, Doha tops the list among GCC capitals, with speeds approaching 1Gbps, followed by Abu Dhabi at over 800Mbps. Across all GCC capital regions, 5G peak download speeds outperform national figures, with Kuwait City observing nearly 20% faster 5G peak speeds than the national score. In contrast, 5G peak speeds in Muscat are only marginally higher than the national figure.
Opensignal’s analysis highlights the GCC’s strong performance compared to many EMEA markets, particularly in 5G. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE were among the first to launch commercial 5G networks in 2019. This early adoption gave GCC operators the opportunity to optimize their networks and provide superior speeds compared to many of their EMEA counterparts. However, it’s not just the early start that sets the GCC apart. Regulatory foresight and strategic focus on digital transformation, innovation and infrastructure investment in the form of government initiatives have also played crucial roles. These initiatives include Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and Oman’s Vision 2040.
Several GCC markets are working to improve network performance by sunsetting 3G and refarming the spectrum for 4G and 5G. Kuwait has announced a complete 3G shutdown by June 2025. Oman has initiated a phased 3G switch-off, with planned completion by the end of 2024. Qatar is also preparing for a 3G shutdown by 2025 and transitioning its 2.6GHz networks to Time Division Duplex (TDD) to enhance performance.
The GCC markets are all making significant progress with 5G, with a focus on 5G Advanced technology. Each country is directing its efforts towards a diverse range of potentially transformative use cases that align with its national objectives. These include smart cities, industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, IoT, immersive AR/VR experiences, and overall industry digitalization.
Looking ahead, the GCC’s sustained commitment to 5G Advanced technologies, infrastructure investments, and strong regulatory support will enable GCC markets to maintain a competitive edge in the EMEA telecom landscape. Opensignal will continue to explore the changing mobile experience in GCC markets, so please look out for future insights on this and related topics and contact us if you are interested in learning more. Should you wish to learn more about Opensignal, we will be in attendance at GITEX 2024. Please contact us for additional information.
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