Pandemic Raises Prevalence of Mobile Telecom Services in Saudi Arabia to 135%

Pandemic Raises Prevalence of Mobile Telecom Services in Saudi Arabia to 135%

Statistics revealed at the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Indicators Forum in Riyadh show a doubling of data and Internet use in Saudi Arabia last year. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A significant hike in Saudi Arabia's communication-related industries last year can be traced back to the coronavirus pandemic raising the need for distance communication. Mobile telecommunication services in the Kingdom witnessed an astonishing 135.5% increase in 2020.

Saudi Arabia's telecommunications, information technology (IT) and postal markets were valued at SR246 billion ($65.6 billion) in 2020, according to data from the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC).

The Kingdom's telecommunications market reached SR70 billion in the same period, with Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, CITC's governor, describing it as the most developed in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Commenting on the 2020 statistics at the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Indicators Forum in Riyadh, Al-Tamimi said the information technology market was valued at SR64 billion, while the postal market stood at SR6.4 billion.

More so, the estimated market value of telecom companies reached SR246 billion.

Al-Tamimi said the Kingdom's IT and postal sectors account for 5.5% of its GDP.

Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in its digital infrastructure as it seeks to diversify its income sources,