5G Deployment in Saudi Arabia: stc, Mobily, Zain, and the Race to Connect the Kingdom

Saudi Arabia launched its first commercial 5G networks in 2019, making it one of the earliest countries in the world to embrace fifth-generation wireless technology. In the years since, the Kingdom has executed one of the fastest and most comprehensive 5G rollouts globally, driven by intense competition among its three mobile operators, aggressive spectrum allocation by the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST), and a national vision that places digital connectivity at the center of economic transformation.

By early 2026, Saudi Arabia’s 5G networks cover more than 98 percent of the urban population and have expanded to serve major highways, industrial zones, and tourist destinations across the Kingdom. The country’s 5G subscriber base has surpassed 22 million, representing approximately 55 percent of total mobile subscriptions. These numbers place Saudi Arabia among the global leaders in 5G adoption, ahead of many European and Asian markets that began their deployments at roughly the same time.

The Three Operators: Strategy and Coverage

Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications market is served by three licensed mobile operators, each pursuing a distinct 5G strategy shaped by their spectrum holdings, financial resources, and competitive positioning.

stc (Saudi Telecom Company)

As the Kingdom’s largest telecommunications company and a majority state-owned enterprise, stc has led the 5G deployment from the outset. The company activated its first 5G base stations in Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Eastern Province in mid-2019 and has since built the largest 5G network in the Middle East.

By early 2026, stc operates more than 18,000 5G base stations across Saudi Arabia, providing coverage in all 13 administrative regions. The company’s 5G network reaches 99 percent of the urban population and covers more than 85 percent of the total land area where people live or work, including rural communities along major highways.

stc’s 5G strategy emphasizes both consumer and enterprise services. On the consumer side, the company has driven 5G adoption through aggressive handset subsidies, unlimited data plans, and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services that compete with traditional fiber broadband. On the enterprise side, stc has built private 5G networks for industrial clients including Saudi Aramco, SABIC, and Ma’aden, and operates edge computing infrastructure that enables low-latency applications for autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and industrial automation.

The company holds spectrum across multiple bands critical for 5G performance. Its mid-band holdings in the 3.5 GHz range provide the backbone of its 5G network, offering a balance of coverage and capacity. Millimeter wave spectrum at 26 GHz and 28 GHz supports ultra-high-capacity deployments in dense urban areas, stadiums, and the Expo 2030 site. Low-band spectrum in the 700 MHz range provides wide-area coverage for IoT applications and rural connectivity.

Mobily (Etihad Etisalat)

Mobily, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest mobile operator, launched its 5G network in late 2019 and has pursued a strategy focused on network quality and innovative services rather than simply matching stc’s coverage footprint.

The company operates approximately 11,000 5G base stations, with coverage concentrated in major cities and high-traffic corridors. Mobily has consistently led independent network quality rankings in Saudi Arabia, with benchmarking firm Ookla naming it the Kingdom’s fastest 5G network for median download speeds in multiple consecutive quarters.

Mobily’s differentiation strategy centers on partnerships and vertical-specific solutions. The company has established itself as the preferred 5G partner for the entertainment and events sector, providing network infrastructure for Riyadh Season, the Jeddah Formula One Grand Prix, and major concerts and sporting events. Its temporary network deployments at these events, which can serve hundreds of thousands of simultaneous users, have demonstrated 5G’s capacity advantages over 4G in extreme demand scenarios.

In the enterprise market, Mobily has focused on smart building solutions, deploying 5G-connected building management systems that integrate with its cloud platform. The company has also invested heavily in 5G-enabled surveillance and security solutions, leveraging the technology’s low latency for real-time video analytics.

Zain Saudi Arabia

Zain, the third operator in the Saudi market, launched 5G services in 2019 and has taken a pragmatic approach to network buildout. With a smaller spectrum portfolio than stc or Mobily, Zain has focused its 5G deployment on areas where it can achieve the greatest competitive impact.

The company operates approximately 8,500 5G base stations, with coverage in all major cities and a growing presence in secondary markets. Zain’s 5G strategy has emphasized value for money, positioning its 5G plans at slightly lower price points than competitors while still delivering competitive speeds and reliability.

Zain has distinguished itself through innovation in 5G applications for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Recognizing that most Saudi businesses lack the resources to build custom 5G solutions, Zain has developed a suite of pre-packaged 5G services including cloud-connected point-of-sale systems, 5G-enabled security cameras with cloud storage, and mobile workforce management tools. These turnkey solutions have driven 5G adoption among businesses that might otherwise have remained on 4G.

The company has also invested in network sharing arrangements with stc in rural areas, reducing deployment costs while extending 5G coverage to underserved communities. This approach aligns with the CST’s mandate to ensure that 5G benefits are available across the Kingdom, not just in wealthy urban areas.

Standalone 5G: The Technical Leap

The evolution from non-standalone (NSA) to standalone (SA) 5G architecture represents the most significant technical milestone in Saudi Arabia’s 5G journey. NSA 5G, which relies on existing 4G core networks for signaling and control, was the starting point for all three operators. SA 5G, which uses a cloud-native 5G core network independent of 4G infrastructure, unlocks the technology’s full potential.

What SA 5G Enables

Standalone 5G delivers three critical capabilities that non-standalone networks cannot fully provide. First, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) reduces round-trip latency to as low as 1 millisecond, enabling real-time applications like remote surgery, autonomous vehicle control, and industrial robotics. Second, massive machine-type communication (mMTC) supports up to one million connected devices per square kilometer, essential for the dense IoT deployments that underpin smart city applications. Third, network slicing allows operators to create virtual network segments with guaranteed performance characteristics, enabling them to offer customized connectivity for different applications on the same physical infrastructure.

Deployment Progress

stc became the first operator in the Middle East to launch a commercial SA 5G network in 2023, initially covering central Riyadh and the KAFD district. By early 2026, stc’s SA 5G coverage extends across all major Riyadh districts, central Jeddah, Dammam, and several other cities. The company has also deployed SA 5G in select industrial zones where enterprise customers require guaranteed low-latency performance.

Mobily activated its SA 5G network in 2024, with coverage focused on Riyadh and Jeddah. The company has emphasized network slicing capabilities, offering enterprise customers the ability to purchase dedicated network slices with guaranteed bandwidth, latency, and availability. Mobily’s network slicing platform has attracted interest from healthcare providers, logistics companies, and financial institutions that require predictable network performance.

Zain launched SA 5G services in early 2025, the last of the three operators to do so. The company’s SA deployment has focused on areas where the technical advantages are most marketable, including industrial zones, healthcare facilities, and university campuses.

Network Slicing in Practice

Network slicing has moved from concept to commercial reality in Saudi Arabia faster than in most markets. stc offers three standard network slice categories: an enhanced mobile broadband slice for consumer applications, a low-latency slice for enterprise applications requiring response times under 10 milliseconds, and an IoT slice optimized for massive device connectivity with minimal power consumption.

Custom slices are available for enterprise customers with specific requirements. Saudi Aramco, for example, operates on a dedicated network slice that provides isolated, secure connectivity for its industrial operations, ensuring that consumer traffic on the same network cannot affect the performance or security of its industrial applications.

Use Cases and Applications

The true value of 5G lies not in the network itself but in the applications it enables. Saudi Arabia has been particularly aggressive in identifying and deploying 5G use cases across multiple sectors.

Healthcare

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) has deployed a 5G-connected surgical robotics system that allows surgeons to perform procedures remotely with haptic feedback. The system requires the sub-5-millisecond latency that only SA 5G can provide, as any perceptible delay in the surgeon’s control inputs could compromise patient safety. While still in clinical trial phase, the system has successfully completed more than 50 remote-assisted procedures.

5G-connected ambulances equipped with high-resolution cameras, vital sign monitors, and ultrasound equipment allow emergency physicians at hospitals to assess and begin treating patients before they arrive. The high bandwidth and low latency of 5G enable real-time video streaming and medical device data transmission that 4G networks could not reliably support.

Education

Saudi universities have deployed 5G-enabled virtual reality and augmented reality learning environments that allow students to participate in immersive educational experiences. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) uses 5G-connected AR headsets to allow engineering students to visualize and interact with complex 3D models of molecular structures, geological formations, and mechanical systems.

The Ministry of Education’s online learning platform, Madrasati, has integrated 5G connectivity to support high-definition video streaming and interactive content delivery to students in areas where fixed broadband infrastructure is limited. 5G fixed wireless access provides a cost-effective alternative to fiber for connecting schools in semi-rural areas.

Manufacturing and Industry

The Saudi Industrial Development Fund has incentivized the deployment of 5G in manufacturing facilities through favorable financing terms for companies that adopt Industry 4.0 technologies. More than 200 factories across the Kingdom have deployed private or semi-private 5G networks to support applications including autonomous guided vehicles, computer vision quality inspection, predictive maintenance, and digital twin systems.

SABIC’s Jubail petrochemical complex operates one of the largest industrial 5G networks in the Middle East, connecting more than 15,000 sensors, 400 cameras, and 50 autonomous vehicles across its sprawling facility. The network has enabled the company to reduce unplanned downtime by 34 percent through AI-powered predictive maintenance that relies on real-time sensor data transmitted over 5G.

Entertainment and Events

Saudi Arabia’s booming entertainment sector has become a major 5G use case. Events like Riyadh Season, which attracts millions of visitors over several months, require network infrastructure capable of serving extreme user densities. During the 2025 Riyadh Season, stc deployed temporary 5G infrastructure that supported more than 150,000 simultaneous connections at peak events, with median download speeds exceeding 800 Mbps.

The General Entertainment Authority has worked with operators to develop 5G-enhanced event experiences including multi-angle live video streaming, augmented reality overlays at concerts and sporting events, and real-time social media integration. These applications would not be possible on 4G networks due to bandwidth and latency constraints.

Agriculture

5G is reaching even Saudi Arabia’s agricultural sector, where connected sensors monitor soil moisture, crop health, and weather conditions at farms in the Al-Jouf, Tabuk, and Hail regions. The data feeds into precision agriculture platforms that optimize irrigation, fertilization, and harvest timing, helping Saudi farmers produce more food with less water, a critical goal in one of the world’s most water-scarce countries.

Drone-based crop monitoring, which requires reliable high-bandwidth connectivity for real-time video streaming and autonomous flight control, has been deployed on more than 500 farms using 5G networks. The drones can survey large areas quickly, identifying pest infestations, nutrient deficiencies, and irrigation problems before they cause significant crop damage.

Expo 2030 Connectivity

The Riyadh Expo 2030 will be one of the most connected events in history, and 5G will be the backbone of its digital infrastructure. The Expo’s connectivity plan, developed jointly by the three operators and the CST, calls for blanket 5G coverage across the 7-square-kilometer Expo site with capacity to serve more than 500,000 simultaneous users.

Network Architecture

The Expo’s 5G network will use a dense deployment of small cells, with approximately one base station for every 200 square meters of indoor exhibition space. Outdoor areas will be served by a combination of small cells on lampposts and structures, and macro cells on dedicated towers at the site perimeter. The network will support all three 5G frequency bands, with millimeter wave providing extreme capacity in the busiest areas and mid-band and low-band ensuring consistent coverage throughout the site.

Each operator will maintain its own radio access network, but a shared core network infrastructure will enable seamless roaming for international visitors. The shared core will also support network slicing for Expo-specific applications, including a dedicated slice for autonomous shuttle operations, a high-bandwidth slice for immersive exhibition experiences, and an IoT slice for the thousands of sensors embedded in the Expo’s smart infrastructure.

Visitor Experience

5G will enable a visitor experience at Expo 2030 that goes far beyond simple internet access. Augmented reality wayfinding will allow visitors to navigate the vast site using AR overlays on their smartphones, with real-time crowd density information helping them avoid congested areas. Multi-language real-time translation, powered by AI running on edge servers connected via 5G, will break down language barriers for the millions of international visitors.

Exhibition pavilions will leverage 5G to create immersive experiences that blend physical and digital content. Visitors wearing lightweight AR glasses will see virtual exhibits overlaid on physical spaces, interact with holographic displays, and participate in collaborative virtual experiences with visitors in other pavilions. These applications require the combination of high bandwidth, low latency, and massive device density that only 5G can provide.

Spectrum Strategy and Future Bands

The CST has pursued an aggressive spectrum allocation strategy that ensures Saudi operators have the radio resources needed for comprehensive 5G deployment. The commission has allocated more than 1,000 MHz of spectrum across low, mid, and high bands for 5G use, one of the largest total allocations of any country.

Looking ahead, the CST is preparing for the allocation of additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band, which is expected to provide a middle ground between the capacity of millimeter wave and the coverage of mid-band frequencies. The commission has also initiated studies on spectrum above 40 GHz for future ultra-high-capacity applications.

The eventual transition to 6G, expected to begin in the early 2030s, is already on the CST’s radar. Saudi Arabia participates in international 6G research initiatives through KAUST and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), ensuring the Kingdom will be positioned to deploy next-generation wireless technology as early as it becomes available.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Despite the remarkable progress, Saudi Arabia’s 5G deployment faces ongoing challenges. Indoor coverage remains inconsistent in older buildings that were not designed for modern wireless penetration. The high cost of millimeter wave equipment limits its deployment to only the highest-traffic areas. And the development of compelling consumer use cases that go beyond faster smartphone browsing has been slower than operators hoped, with many subscribers unable to articulate a clear benefit of 5G over 4G for their daily activities.

The enterprise market holds the greatest promise for 5G revenue growth, but selling complex technology solutions to businesses requires a different skill set than selling consumer mobile plans. All three operators are investing in enterprise sales capabilities and technical consulting teams, but building these capabilities takes time.

Fiber backhaul infrastructure, which connects 5G base stations to the core network, also needs continued expansion. 5G base stations, particularly in dense urban deployments, require fiber connections capable of carrying multiple gigabits per second. The Saudi Broadband Company (SBC) and other infrastructure providers are racing to extend fiber networks to support the growing base station count.

Despite these challenges, the trajectory of 5G in Saudi Arabia is unmistakably upward. The technology has moved from a novelty to an essential part of the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure, enabling applications that were impossible just a few years ago. As the network matures, as SA 5G coverage expands, and as innovative use cases multiply, 5G will increasingly become invisible infrastructure, so deeply embedded in daily life and business operations that people will notice it only when it is absent. That seamless integration into the fabric of Saudi society and economy is perhaps the truest measure of 5G’s success in the Kingdom.