Digital Transformation Initiatives Catalyzing the Saudi Arabian Telecom Market, 2020–2024

This research service provides an analysis of the telecommunications market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The stakeholder scope includes mobile network operators (MNOs), fixed line operators and Internet Services Providers (ISPs). This study details the key telecom market indicators; telecom market developments in terms of technology, services, competition and infrastructure; and key regulatory trends and their impact on operators. A snapshot of the telecom market trends in KSA in terms of market size, revenue, subscribers, and penetration across the overall telecom as well as individual mobile, fixed line, and broadband segments is provided. In addition, this research also examines the key impact of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) on the overall KSA telecom market.

Contributions by the prepaid and postpaid segments to the overall mobile services are discussed in detail. The study also highlights key market drivers and restraints that are shaping the KSA’s telecom market, along with an in-depth analysis of the competitive environment in terms of business model evolution, product line, technology leadership, product innovation, revenue growth, profitability, competitive differentiation, and customer service for each of the 3 MNOs focused on in the study: STC, Mobily, and Zain.

The multi-SIM ownership trend, with customers looking to benefit from multiple offers from different operators, and the growing availability of cheaper smartphones are expected to drive new subscription growth in the mobile services market. Proliferation of 5G services and their growing adoption across several enterprise applications and industry verticals are expected to pave new opportunities for telecom operators. Operators are also increasingly looking to drive postpaid subscriptions growth mainly focusing on improving mobile services ARPU, while, the uptake of FTTx services is supporting growth of fixed services segment.