The Gulf region has become a popular destination for tourists, with countries like Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait offering robust mobile roaming services. Using Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence® data, this analysis highlights how inbound roamers experience varying network performance across different countries, showcasing high-speed 5G connections for visitors from within the region and slower speeds for those from Europe, Asia, or the U.S.
Key takeaways from the study include:
- Top 5G Speeds: Visitors to Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait experience impressive 5G speeds, with Qatar leading at 381.05 Mbps, followed by the UAE at 374.60 Mbps and Kuwait at 240.37 Mbps.
- Regional Advantage: In general, travelers from neighboring Gulf countries enjoy better speeds than those from outside the region due to favorable roaming agreements between local operators.
- Tourism Growth: The Gulf region’s tourism sector is booming, contributing significantly to the local economy, with mobile roaming becoming a key service for tourists.
Notable findings include specific speed improvements for certain nationalities. For example, Saudi and Russian tourists saw significant speed increases when roaming in the UAE, while visitors from countries like Austria and the U.S. faced slower speeds. The study also emphasizes how roaming agreements and speed caps can impact the user experience, with a need for more optimized contracts to support this growing market.
This analysis highlights the importance of enhancing mobile roaming experiences, optimizing network capabilities, and addressing roaming charges to encourage usage and maximize the revenue potential from inbound tourists.
