Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have shifted their focus to digital transformation to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to stimulate domestic growth.
Adoption of the fifth-generation mobile communications network (5G) has already begun in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
Mid-2010 marked the beginning of the transition from 4G to 5G in the Arab world, particularly in the GCC. In 2018, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE announced that they had begun deploying 5G networks in the region.
According to Ericsson Mobility research, the MENA region will have 80 million 5G subscriptions, representing about 10% of total mobile subscriptions by 2025.
Not only that, the deployment of 5G technology in the Gulf is expected to increase local growth, especially in the oil and gas sector, which is supposed to increase its contribution to GDP by 4.9%, according to a report published by STL Partners.
5G deployment in the GCC
The Arab Spectrum Management Group, a 22-country international network, has begun allocating parts of the 3.8-3.3 GHz band for mobile broadband.
The GCC region is positioning itself to be a global leader in 5G networks and the number of 5G users has exceeded two million in just 19 months.
According to Ericsson’s Report, the GCC will have 62 million 5G multi-use subscriptions by the end of 2026.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s 5G network development is part of the country’s Vision 2030.
According to the Kingdom’s Communications and Information Technology Commission, the percentage of people using 5G services increased in Q1 2021, bringing the total of governorates covered by 5G coverage to 53 across the country, a rise from 51 governorates in the Q4 2020.
STC and Zain topped the list of the spread of 5G services in the country, according to the Commission’s report on indicators of internet speed. The two companies deployed 5G services in 43 governorates, while Mobily deployed 5G services in 21 governorates.
The Kingdom’s 5G mobile download speeds averaged 322.42 megabits per second, as per a report published by the Commission at the end of Q1 2021, with Zain company recording the highest average download speed of the mobile Internet for the 5G at a speed of up to 350.47 Mbps.
UAE
The UAE has joined the group of countries with 5G network technology.
According to an analysis released by “Opensignal,” the UAE ranked third internationally among countries with the fastest data download speeds in 5G networks, with an average speed of 269 Mbps.
By the end of Q1 2021, the country’s 5G network coverage rate had exceeded 40 percent in major cities, and the number of stations had exceeded 4,200.
Another 800 stations are expected to be added by the end of this year, with experiments ongoing for various use cases, including smart buildings, connected cars, remote learning through virtual reality, and innovative monitoring operations.
According to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the number of active 5G users in the country reached 550,000 by the end of March 2021 and they will increase as more devices that support 5G technology become accessible.
Bahrain
Zain Bahrain is working with Ericsson to expand the 4G and 5G network’s coverage and introduce low-band (sub-6GHz TDD) 5G and mid-band carrier aggregation (sub-6GHz TDD), in line with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the Communications Regulatory Authority’s objectives.
Last year, Batelco Telecom said that the 5G network had been enabled in all governorates covering 95 percent of the population.
Oman
The Oman Telecommunications Company “Omantel” is the country’s first operator to launch a 5G network.
The company recently announced the launch of the 5G technology for mobile phones. These steps were taken by Omantel after the commercial launch of the first 5G network at the end of 2019, which provided home internet service and contributed to the delivery of broadband service to tens of thousands of users across the country.
According to the company, around 550 5G stations are fully active and plans are underway to have another 100 by the end of 2021.
Qatar
Qatar is making huge efforts to strengthen its infrastructure, which has seen strong growth in recent years; the country is among the leading nations in the deployment of 5G technology.
Last year, Qatar was ranked fifth out of 10 countries in a report released by the research center “Omdia,” after covering 426 cities with the 5G network, accounting for 80 percent of the country’s total area, and promising to provide service to 109 more areas by 2021.
Benefits of the 5G
Entertainment, television, media, manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, and infrastructure will all be impacted by 5G technology. Sensors implanted in roads, railways, airports, and vehicles will communicate with each other through the 5G network, providing 5G consumers super-fast upload and download speeds.
5G technology provides high reliability and low latency for operating essential services and industrial infrastructure and the ability to control heavy machinery remotely. From connected farms and agriculture to smart cities and buildings, 5G will enhance business opportunities by enabling large-scale monitoring, tracking, and automation capabilities.
The Arab region could be among the best 5G players as the region’s 5G network progress is primarily driven by mobile operators and governments seeking to compete in the global scene.