Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait are among the top 10 countries globally in terms of average 5G download speed, according to a new study on 5G readiness.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) research has shown that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have some of the fastest 5G speeds in the world and that Gulf countries offer significant market opportunities for providers of next-generation technologies.
Both Saudi and the UAE were rated ‘high’ for network speed, progress on 5G trials, and robustness of 5G policy.
The report said: “The [GCC] region’s governments have integrated 5G development into their economic-diversification plans, as they seek to build business, technology and manufacturing hubs.”
However, 5G network coverage remains limited to 50 percent for most GCC member states, it said.
By contrast, in the wider MENA region, few countries are 5G-ready, and in Israel, operators continue to focus on increasing 4G network coverage from 75 percent in 2020 to 95 percent by 2022.
The EIU said all six GCC members completed 5G spectrum auctions by 2018 and launched their first networks in mid-2019.