United Arab Emirates - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses
UAE’s focus on 5G and fibre helping transition to a knowledge economy The UAE has one of the fastest median download speeds on 5G networks in the world, and also among the highest fixed broadband speedsates. This is the result of focussed investment in infrastructure in recent years, with an emphasis on fibre as opposed to upgraded copper networks, as well as on 5G. Indeed, the UAE has the second highest 5G take-up globally, behind only China. This progress is part of a long-term strategy to wean the UAE’s economy away from its dependence on oil, and to be supported more by digital services. To this end, the government has encouraged foreign investment by several means, including the ongoing development of the futuristic Masdar City, and by enabling higher foreign ownership of the two principal telcos Etisalat and du. The rapprochement seen in the October 2020 Abraham Accords Agreement signed between the UAE and Israel will also encourage cross border commerce and telecom traffic, and encourage investment in technology firms and digital services.
- Executive Summary
- Key statistics
- Table Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – United Arab Emirates – 2021 (e)
- Regional Middle East Market Comparison
- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS
- MARKET LEADERS
- MARKET CHALLENGERS
- MARKET EMERGENTS
- TMI VERSUS GDP
- MOBILE AND MOBILE BROADBAND PENETRATION
- FIXED AND MOBILE BROADBAND PENETRATION
- Country overview
- Table GDP and inflation in the UAE – 2012 – 2022
- Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS AND RESPONSES
- SUBSCRIBERS
- INFRASTRUCTURE
- Telecommunications market
- HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
- MARKET ANALYSIS
- Table Change in UAE's telecom revenue by service (AED billion) –2012 – 2019
- ABRAHAM ACCORDS PEACE AGREEMENT
- Regulatory environment
- HISTORIC OVERVIEW
- REGULATORY AUTHORITY
- ROYALTY PAYMENTS
- CENSORSHIP
- VOIP
- FIXED LINE DEVELOPMENTS
- Telecom sector liberalisation
- Interconnect and access
- Fibre access
- MOBILE MARKET DEVELOPMENTS
- Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
- Table Growth in the number of mobile number portings – 2014 – 2019
- Roaming tariff reduction
- SIM card registration
- Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
- Mobile market
- MARKET ANALYSIS
- MOBILE STATISTICS
- Table Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
- Table Change in the number and proportion of prepaid mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
- MOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE
- 5G
- LTE
- GSM, 3G
- MOBILE BROADBAND
- Table Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
- MAJOR MOBILE OPERATORS
- Table Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
- Etisalat
- Table Etisalat (UAE) mobile revenue and blended ARPU – 2016 – 2021
- Table Change in the number of Etisalat's domestic mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
- Table Change in the number of Etisalat's domestic mobile subscribers by type (million) –2012 – 2021
- du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company)
- Table Development of du's mobile revenue – 2012 – 2021
- Table Change in the number of du's mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
- Table du mobile subscribers by type (million) –2020 – 2021
- Table Development of du's mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
- MVNOs
- MOBILE CONTENT AND APPLICATIONS
- M-commerce
- M-payments
- Fixed broadband market
- INTRODUCTION AND STATISTICAL OVERVIEW
- Market analysis
- Broadband statistics
- Table Internet penetration in the UAE – 2012 – 2020
- Table Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
- Table Growth in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2020
- FIBRE-TO-THE-PREMISES (FTTP) NETWORKS
- Table Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
- Table UAE - Fibre broadband market share by operator – 2015 – 2018
- DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE (DSL) NETWORKS
- Table Decline in the number of DSL subscriptions – 2012 – 2021
- Table Increase in the number of Etisalat's fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
- Table Change in the number of Etisalat's bundle subscribers by type – 2016 – 2021
- OTHER FIXED BROADBAND SERVICES
- Fixed wireless (Wi-Fi, WiMAX)
- INTRODUCTION AND STATISTICAL OVERVIEW
- Fixed network operators
- EMIRATES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (ETISALAT)
- Table Etisalat group revenue and net profit (AED billion) –2012 – 2021
- Table Development of Etisalat's domestic financial data (AED billion) –2012 – 2021
- Table Decline in the number of Etisalat's fixed line subscribers – 2018 – 2021
- EMIRATES INTEGRATED TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY/DU
- Table Development of du's revenue by sector (AED billion) –2012 – 2021
- Table Development of du's financial data (AED billion) –2012 – 2021
- YAHSAT
- EMIRATES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (ETISALAT)
- Telecommunications infrastructure
- OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL TELECOM NETWORK
- Table Growth in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
- INTERNATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
- Submarine cable networks
- Terrestrial cable networks
- Satellites
- SMART INFRASTRUCTURE
- Smart cities
- Connected homes
- Data centres, cloud computing
- Smart grids
- OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL TELECOM NETWORK
- Appendix – Historic Data
- Table Historic - UAE - fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 – 2011
- Table Historic - UAE - internet users and penetration – 1998 – 2011
- Table Historic - UAE - fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2001 – 2011
- Table Historic - UAE - domestic and international voice revenue (AED billion) –2008 – 2015
- Table Historic - UAE - international telephone revenues (AED million) –2008 – 2015
- Table Historic - UAE - monthly fixed-line ARPU and MOU – 2007 – 2015
- Table Historic - UAE - mobile revenue and ARPU – 2008 – 2015
- Table Historic - UAE - mobile subscribers and penetration rate - 1995 - 2011
- Table Historic - UAE - prepaid vs postpaid revenue (AED billion) –2008 – 2015
- Table Historic - UAE - prepaid subscribers – 2005 – 2011
- Table Historic - UAE - SMS and MMS sent (million messages) –2007 – 2015
- Table Historic - Etisalat group revenue and net profit (AED billion) –2005 – 2011
- Table Historic - du mobile minutes of use (MOU) –2010 – 2014
- Table Historic - du mobile revenue – 2008 – 2011
- Table Historic - Decline in the number of DSL subscriptions – 2008 – 2011
- Table Historic - Development of du's revenue by sector (AED billion) –2008 – 2011
- Table Historic - Etisalat group revenue and net profit (AED billion) –2009 – 2011
- Table Historic - Change in UAE's telecom revenue by service (AED billion) –2008 – 2011
- Glossary of abbreviations
- Related reports
Research Assistance
Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.
Download eBook