Saudi Arabia offers one of the most progressive telecoms markets in the Middle East and is well positioned to capitalise on the potential opportunities offered by 5G. Mobile penetration is considered high in and the market is heavily saturated, with a large number of mobile broadband users.

According to a report by Cable.co.uk, Saudi Arabia ranks 20th out of 230 countries for the cheapest mobile data prices, with an average cost of $1.33 for 1GB of mobile data. In comparison, the United States ranks 182nd with an average cost of $12.37 for 1GB of mobile data, while European countries such as Finland, Lithuania, and Poland rank among the top 10 cheapest countries for mobile data.

In terms of broadband prices, the average cost of a monthly subscription for a 60 Mbps internet connection in Saudi Arabia is $34.09, which is relatively affordable compared to the United States where the same speed costs $58.28 on average. However, the price is slightly higher compared to European countries such as Germany, Spain, and France.

It is important to note that these statistics are subject to change and may vary depending on the source and methodology used for data collection and analysis.

Regulatory Agency: CST

The mobile operators are competitive and comprise of Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Mobily and Zain KSA – as well as MVNOs. The outbreak of the Covid-19 virus has resulted in more workers, students and citizens being based at home and the telecoms operators are expecting more demand for their services. The operators have demonstrated a sense of social responsibility during the Covid-19 crisis by launching various initiatives to support society in terms of education, enterprise, and healthcare.

Recently the operators have been exploring ways to monetise the thousands of mobile towers spread throughout Saudi Arabia. In 2019 STC established a subsidiary to manage its tower infrastructure, called TAWAL.

5G is firmly on the agenda for Saudi Arabia with the regulator awarding new spectrum for 4G/5G use in early 2019. STC, Zain KSA and Mobily have all developed various 5G partnerships with solution providers like Huawei, Nokia, Cisco and Ericsson and the three operators have launched preliminary services.

While Saudi Arabia’s fixed broadband penetration is considered low on a global scale; there has been significant work towards developing fibre-based networks instead of DSL, which still comprise the largest market share. saudi arabia telecoms

eSIM cards for Saudi Arabia

We do recommend eSIM cards when traveling: no more swapping of physical
SIM cards, everything is automated on your phone through easy to fill 
out codes. The downside of eSIM cards is that they are data-only sim 
cards and calls are not supported. Check out Saudi Arabia eSIM deals:

1 GB With no expiration =     €8.97
5 GB With no expiration =    €42.19
10 GB With no expiration =  €80.73
20 GB With no expiration = €157.89


Choose between daily, monthly or plans with no expiration here

SIM cards for Saudi Arabia

Prepaid Saudi Arabia SIM cards include free data roaming in the EU. 
Sometimes it is capped, so always ask when buying a sim card. Free 
EU roaming means the sim card you buy in Madrid or Barcelona can also 
be used in Paris, Prague or even Oslo. Free EU roaming don't apply 
on Middle East countries but this SIM can be used anywhere in 200+ 
countries.

Or you can get a daily, monthly or even SIM card for Saudi Arabia 
without expiration.