Saudi mobile internet usage triples global average, expert says

Technology expert Khaled Abu Ibrahim has stated that per capita mobile internet usage in Saudi Arabia is three times the global average.

Speaking to Al Ekhbariya channel, Abu Ibrahim added that fifth-generation (5G) network coverage has reached around 70% of populated areas, highlighting the importance of significant investments made by specialized companies in infrastructure.

He noted that these indicators confirm the high internet speeds in the Kingdom, and that elevated per capita mobile data consumption far exceeds the global level. Abu Ibrahim pointed out that such high speeds enable the use of artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, and emerging technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The "Saudi Internet 2025" report, issued by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, revealed that the median mobile internet download speed rose to 216 Mbps, up from 203 Mbps the previous year, placing Saudi Arabia among the top five G20 countries in this metric.

The report explained that the average monthly per capita mobile data consumption reached 53 GB, nearly three times the global average. This reflects the ongoing growth in the use of digital services and applications. The median 5G network download speed was 320 Mbps, while the median mobile internet latency was recorded at 24 milliseconds.

In the fixed internet sector, the median download speed increased to 151 Mbps compared to 120.4 Mbps the previous year. The median upload speed reached 73 Mbps, and the median latency was 8 milliseconds.

The report indicated that total internet data traffic in the Kingdom reached 69 million terabytes, with 56% attributed to local data and 44% to international data. Mobile and fixed networks each accounted for 50% of total data traffic.

Riyadh region led in internet data traffic with 30.6%, followed by Makkah region at 20.5%, and the Eastern Province at 16.8%. The report also noted that IPv6 adoption among users reached 67%, and the number of Saudi internet networks (ASN) stood at around 200, reflecting the development of the Kingdom's digital infrastructure and its ability to keep pace with rapid growth in digital services.

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