The latest Mobile Economy Report for MENA launches at Mobile 360 Riyadh to show 5G momentum across the region
17 May 2022, Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is a regional leader in the rollout of 5G, according to the GSMA's Mobile Economy Report for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) 2022, launching today at Mobile 360 Riyadh. The two-day conference hosted by the GSMA is the first in-person gathering of the telecoms industry in the MENA region since before the pandemic.
Mobile 360 Riyadh is being hosted at the Hilton Riyadh Hotel in partnership with stc, a Saudi digital enabler in the region, bringing together policymakers, regulatory authorities and leaders from the connectivity industry to discuss the future of the region's digital transformation.
A varied agenda and speaker line-up explores the rapid digital investment plans in Saudi Arabia under the guidance of Vision 2030, the kingdom's strategic framework designed to diversify its economy and develop sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.
With the MENA region set to unleash the power of digital connectivity and become a leading centre for business, innovation, and entertainment - Mobile 360 Riyadh has arrived at the perfect time. The event will explore how technology will shape the future, create a sustainable industry, and examine what is next for mobile connectivity.
Saudi Arabia becomes the region's digital hub
The Mobile Economy Report for MENA sits at the heart of this year's event, encapsulating how mobile networks have been critical in supporting recovery from the pandemic; how mobile technologies continue to make a significant contribution to MENA's economy; and how sustainability and security are priorities for network transformation.
The report also explores how Saudi Arabia has evolved into a digital hub and a leader in the regional transition to 5G, a position enabled by positive regulation, government funding and projects such as stc's MENA HUB - a $1 billion investment in regional connectivity and infrastructure that will support Saudi Arabia's rapidly expanding digital and cloud sector.
The report's findings show:
4G dominates but is expected to peak in 2023 as consumers transition to 5G.
There are now more than 15 million 5G connections in the MENA region across eight countries.
By 2025, 5G will account for nearly a fifth of total mobile connections in MENA.
The number of mobile internet users in MENA exceeded 300 million in 2021.
In Saudi Arabia, 60 of the 136 governates were covered by 5G services as of mid-2021, up from 30 just one year earlier.
In addition, stc and Zain have deployed commercial 5G Stand Alone (SA) networks in Saudi Arabia - stc has also launched 5G SA in Kuwait - giving the ability to address demanding enterprise use cases and scale solutions more effectively.
Since the emergence of Covid-19, mobile networks have been instrumental in providing the connectivity needed to sustain social and economic activity. Now, a priority for governments in MENA is to drive economic recovery and promote sustainable development, said Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA. The attendees of Mobile 360 Riyadh will gain first-hand insights into the rapid digital investment and plans taking place in Saudi Arabia, under the guidance of Vision 2030. They will also see how digital services and technologies will be crucial to realising this vision, by stimulating economic growth, mobilising the workforce, and enabling industrial efficiencies.
Attendees will hear how innovation and vision will ensure the power of 5G is fully exploited and how the growth of use cases and services across a range of industries needs to be supported by robust connectivity. These topics will be explored across the conference's key themes: Expanding the Boundaries of Technology; Urban Innovation in Action; and Digital Policies for a Digital Future. Additional debates include a discussion on What Next for the Mobile Sector and dedicated sessions on FinTech, Smart Cities, Spectrum and Sustainability.
Mobile 360 Riyadh is supported by a valued network of partners and sponsors including host sponsor stc; platinum sponsor Neom; gold sponsors Cisco and Ericsson; silver sponsors Evina and Huawei; and bronze sponsors Digis Squared, Ookla, Protei, PXS, SES, Syniverse, Technotree and Viavi.
For more information visit www.mobile360series.com/riyadh. You can also follow developments on Twitter @GSMA using the hashtag #Mobile360 or www.facebook.com/Mobile360Series.
-ENDS-
About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today's biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at gsma.com
Media Contacts
GSMA Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com
Like what you read? Share.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture -Zac Fields, Fox Sports, SVP of Graphic Technology and Integration...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/07/2026
BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...
02/07/2026
Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...
02/07/2026
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...
02/07/2026
Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...
02/07/2026
TwelveLabs, a video intelligence company, has announced $100 million in Series B funding co-led by NEA and NAVER Ventures, with participation from Amazon, Radic...
02/07/2026
The Pro Padel League (PPL) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports that will air five PPL championship matches on CNBC during the 2026 season, the...
02/07/2026
LiveLike, a digital fan engagement platform, has announced eight confirmed FIFA ...
02/07/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Future's Best of Show Award, presented by AV Technology at InfoComm 2026, for its blueCORE family of standalone signal processor...
02/07/2026
Synamedia has announced the appointment of Dr. Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transition...
02/07/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) and Sony Group Corporation have announced an expanded collaboration for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), taking place in Paris, Fra...
02/07/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ( Z') has announced exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the Bundesliga in India for five years, beginning with the...
02/07/2026
An effort uniting News, Sports, Local, and Telemundo, the 50+-camera live produc...
02/07/2026
Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Ben Wang appe...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
The latest Mobile Economy Report for MENA launches at Mobile 360 Riyadh to show 5G momentum across the region
