Saudi Arabia Maintains its Rank as the Arab World’s Most Competitive Cellular Market for the Fourth Consecutive Year

Amman, Jordan, October 2, 2014--The Arab Advisors Group released the results of its Cellular Competition Intensity Index 2014 in September 2014. The index ranks Saudi Arabia as the most competitive Arab cellular market. Jordan came in second, followed by Palestine.

The Cellular Competition Intensity Index results for 2014 revealed that Saudi Arabia tops the score –as the most competitive Arab market- with a 75.86% mark. This is followed by Jordan (73.16%), Palestine (71.28%), Iraq (66.65%), Egypt (63.80%), Bahrain (62.17%), Tunisia (60.33%), Morocco (60.13%), Oman (59.43%), Algeria (58.44%), Kuwait (56.68%), Sudan (56.49%), Yemen (56.01%), Mauritania (55.97%), Qatar (49.12%), UAE (48.76%), Lebanon (40.76%), Syria (34.45%) and Libya (31.12%).

The Cellular Competition Intensity Index is relative in nature as it compares the state of every market relative to other markets. As such, even if a market’s absolute level of competition improved, its score in this relative index will also depend on how other markets developed. The 2014 index results revealed that seven countries ranked higher than their 2013 index ranks, these are: Iraq, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Kuwait, Qatar and Lebanon. Moreover, a total of seven countries ranked lower compared to the 2013 index, namely: Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, Mauritania, UAE and Libya. The remaining five countries of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen and Syria maintained their 2013 ranks.

The Arab Advisors Group devised the Cellular Competition Intensity Index to rate and to examine the intensity level of competition in the Arab World’s cellular markets. The index takes into account the number of operators, packages, and services available in each of the 19 countries covered by the Arab Advisors Group. Each category was assigned a certain weight according to its importance as an indicator of competition. The categories include the following: Number of licensed and expected MNOs in 2014, number of working operators, market share of largest operator, number of prepaid plans, number of postpaid plans, availability of smart phone plans, availability of corporate offers, availability of 3G/4G LTE services and the availability of operational ILD (International Long Distance) competition.