In 2025, most Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets held relatively steady positions in Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, but several countries posted notable improvements in mobile and fixed broadband rankings—led by North Africa, alongside gains in Bahrain and Oman. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets continued to dominate regional performance, consistently ranking among the top global performers, while South Africa remained the leading market in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The biggest mobile ranking jumps came from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, largely tied to 5G launches during 2025. Morocco recorded the strongest movement, rising sharply after its late-year 5G introduction, while Algeria and Tunisia also advanced as 5G increased the share of higher-speed test samples. Oman improved its mobile position through network investment, refarming spectrum, and activating new carriers. On fixed broadband, Algeria saw the largest jump, with Mauritania also climbing significantly as fiber expansion progressed. Bahrain’s fixed performance improved after regulatory changes raised minimum speed requirements, prompting faster baseline packages and improved median download speeds.
Across MEA, the main levers behind improved rankings were 5G rollouts and modernization of existing networks, alongside expanded fiber deployment and migration away from legacy technologies. The analysis also notes that urbanization helps create favorable conditions for high speeds, but it does not determine outcomes on its own. Structural factors—such as investment capacity, network modernization pace, spectrum access timelines, and political stability—often have a larger impact than demographics.
The overall picture shows a region pushing forward with infrastructure upgrades and regulatory initiatives to expand coverage, improve quality, and keep services competitive. While the GCC remains the benchmark, North Africa’s 5G momentum and continued fiber buildouts contributed to the most visible shifts in 2025 performance.
