Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Saudi Arabia’s telecom providers are shifting their focus from infrastructure and pricing to customer experience. A New Metrics survey shows service quality, reliability, and trust as key loyalty drivers, while poor coverage and pricing trigger churn. Seamless integration of digital and physical channels will define future market leadership.
Mobily’s significant capex increase in early 2025 supports major infrastructure projects including 5G expansion and a new Saudi-Egypt submarine cable, contributing to rising profits and revenue growth.
Zain KSA has named Eng. Saad bin Abdulrahman AlSadhan as its CEO, following his tenure as Acting CEO. With over two decades in telecom and IT, AlSadhan has been instrumental in expanding Zain’s B2B sector, launching cloud solutions, and supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital goals. His appointment underscores Zain’s commitment to innovation and growth.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications, Abdullah Al-Swaha, reviewed telecom readiness for Hajj, highlighting 10,500 Wi-Fi access points and near-total 5G/4G coverage at holy sites. He also praised 200+ tech volunteers supported by Awon Tech Society, underscoring efforts to ensure seamless connectivity for pilgrims.
Salam has partnered with CDNetworks to improve internet services in Saudi Arabia, providing low-latency, high-speed International IP Transit services. The collaboration aims to meet the growing demand for digital services, including gaming and video streaming, ensuring a robust digital ecosystem and supporting the Kingdom’s expanding content delivery network market.
Zain Saudi Arabia reported record revenue of SAR10.4 billion for FY 2024, reflecting a 5% growth. The company achieved a 354% increase in normalized net profit and a 12% growth in EBITDA. The Board recommended a 5% dividend, driven by strong demand for 5G and digital services.
Ericsson and Mobily have partnered to explore the development of AI-powered autonomous networks in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration aims to leverage emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and orchestration solutions to improve 5G networks’ efficiency, service quality, and scalability, driving digital transformation in the country.
Salam, a Saudi telecommunications and IT company, has partnered with Publicis Groupe Middle East to enhance customer experience through advanced digital services. The collaboration will integrate services from Publicis’ Digitas agency to strengthen Salam’s digital presence and transformation efforts in the kingdom.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia completed the sale of 100 million shares in Saudi Telecom Company (stc), raising $1.03 billion. The oversubscribed offering marks the largest accelerated bookbuild in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. PIF retains 62% of stc’s shares as part of its strategic capital recycling plan.