By 2023, mobile’s contribution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will reach just over $220 billion as countries increasingly benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services. In 2018, mobile technologies and services generated 4.5% of GDP – a contribution that amounted to $191 billion of economic value added.

5G services have now become a reality in the region. As of October 2019, 10 operators had launched commercial 5G services in five GCC Arab States and mobile operators in these countries are aiming to be global leaders in 5G deployments, while certain governments view the technology as a potential enabler for their digital transformation ambitions.

The MENA region also has some of the most penetrated mobile markets in the world. By the end of 2018, nearly half of the 25 countries in the region had unique subscriber penetration rates of 70% or more. For context, the global average at the end of the same period was 66%.

Key statistics and further links

Download the report:
GSMA Report: The Mobile Economy Middle East and North Africa 2019