Opensignal has evaluated the mobile experience of users in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets, comparing it to neighboring regional markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Key Findings:
5G Download Speed:
Saudi Arabia ranks third for 5G download speed among comparable markets in the EMEA region.
Qatar leads with the fastest average 5G download speeds in its group, followed by Kuwait and Bahrain in third and fourth place, respectively.
All GCC markets, except Oman (195.8Mbps), have average 5G download speeds above 200Mbps.
Download Speed Experience:
In Group I, Saudi Arabia and Oman perform well, placing seventh (43.2Mbps) and eighth (41.9Mbps), respectively.
In Group II, Kuwait ranks sixth (67.3Mbps) and Bahrain ninth (58.2Mbps).
Year-on-Year Improvements:
Users in Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have seen overall average download speeds increase by 5-44%, with Kuwaiti users experiencing the largest improvement and Emirati users the smallest. This rise is largely due to increased 5G adoption across the GCC.
Progress in 5G download speed scores has been mixed, with notable increases in Bahrain (16%), Qatar (15%), and Oman (4%).
GCC Capitals:
Users in Kuwait City enjoy the fastest overall download speeds.
Doha, the capital of Qatar, boasts the fastest 5G download speeds.
A total of 57 markets were analyzed in this comparison, with 35 included in 5G market comparisons. For meaningful comparisons, EMEA markets were categorized by land area: Group I (greater than 200,000km²) and Group II (below 200,000km²).
Opensignal also explored year-on-year changes in average 5G and overall download speeds observed by users in GCC markets and examined download speeds in GCC capitals.