Top 5 Saudi Arabia Telecom MNO Companies
stc (Saudi Telecom Company)
Mobily (Etihad Etisalat)
Zain KSA
Source: Mordor Intelligence
Saudi Arabia Telecom MNO Companies Matrix by Mordor Intelligence
Our comprehensive proprietary performance metrics of key Saudi Arabia Telecom MNO players beyond traditional revenue and ranking measures
These MI Matrix outcomes can differ from simple size rankings because buyer impact is shaped by coverage consistency, spectrum positioning, and execution pace, not only scale. In this scope, the strongest signals tend to be in country asset intensity, recent spectrum additions, third party network experience results, and visible modernization programs that reduce outages. Opensignal's February 2025 findings show Mobily leading the award count, while stc leads several speed and coverage categories. CST's November 2024 auction awarded new 600 MHz, 700 MHz, and 3.8 GHz blocks to the three operators, expanding the national licensed spectrum pool and tightening rollout expectations. This MI Matrix by Mordor Intelligence is better for supplier and competitor evaluation than revenue tables alone, because it blends footprint, delivery proof points, and forward product readiness.
MI Competitive Matrix for Saudi Arabia Telecom MNO
The MI Matrix benchmarks top Saudi Arabia Telecom MNO Companies on dual axes of Impact and Execution Scale.
Analysis of Saudi Arabia Telecom MNO Companies and Quadrants in the MI Competitive Matrix
Comprehensive positioning breakdown
stc (Saudi Telecom Company)
Scale is the defining advantage, and stc, a leading player, can convert it into better unit economics. In 2024 stc reported USD 20.2 billion in revenue and USD 6.6 billion in net profit, which supports sustained capex while maintaining dividends. Its KSA mobile base reached 28.34 million, and it reported 54.70% 5G coverage of residential and populated areas, which helps defend high value enterprise corridors. The 2024 CST spectrum awards strengthened low band and capacity options but also raise rollout and quality obligations. Faster 5G Standalone adoption through expanded Ericsson cooperation is a realistic upside, while the main risk is execution complexity across supercore, cloud, and service reliability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which operator tends to lead on coverage and speed in Saudi Arabia?
Opensignal results from February 2025 show stc leading several speed and coverage measures. The same results show Mobily winning more awards overall, tied to experience metrics.
What does 600 MHz 5G Standalone change for users outside major cities?
Low band spectrum typically improves wide area and indoor reach with fewer sites. That can raise consistency on highways, small towns, and rural edges.
What should an enterprise ask for when selecting a private 5G solution?
Ask for on site spectrum plan, latency targets, and a clear operational responsibility split. Also require security controls, incident response times, and integration support for edge compute.
How do spectrum wins affect near term rollout decisions?
New spectrum can unlock higher capacity or better coverage, but it often comes with coverage obligations. It can also raise near term costs through license fees and accelerated build plans.
What are practical warning signs that an operator may struggle with execution?
Look for frequent service incidents, slow site acquisition progress, or repeated delays in core modernization. Weak partner governance can also slow multi vendor rollouts.
What resilience checks matter most for government and critical infrastructure buyers?
Demand audited disaster recovery processes, redundant core routing, and tested backup power at key sites. Require measurable uptime commitments and clear escalation paths for major incidents.
Methodology
Research approach and analytical framework
Evidence used public IR pages, exchange filings, company newsrooms, and Saudi regulator releases. Private firm gaps were bridged using observable deployments and signed agreements. In scope indicators were prioritized over global group disclosures. When a data point was missing, multiple sources were triangulated to reduce bias.
Nationwide radio coverage, urban density layers, and enterprise reach determine who can serve peak traffic and remote corridors.
Consumer trust and regulator perception influence churn, premium plan uptake, and enterprise bidding outcomes.
In scope service revenues and subscriber base proxies indicate pricing power and channel strength.
Spectrum depth, sites, and core modernization indicate ability to sustain 5G quality and scale private networks.
5G Standalone, slicing, Open RAN trials, and IoT bundles since 2023 show readiness for new use cases.
Mobility driven revenue growth and profit stability show capacity to fund spectrum, densification, and cyber controls.
