This document provides an overview and comparison of 3G/3.5G cellular services available across various Arab countries as of February 2010. It begins with an introduction and high-level overview of 3G availability and key services across operators. The majority of the document consists of individual country briefings on the 3G/3.5G services and rates offered in each market by local mobile operators. Countries covered include Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, and the UAE.
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3G Cellular Services in Arab World: Operators, Rates & Usage
1. 3G/3.5G Cellular Services in the
Arab World
Arab Advisors Group
Strategic Research Service
February 2010
Analyst: Danya Nusseir
Arab Advisors Group
A member of the Arab Jordan Investment Bank Group
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3. Table of Contents
Section I: Introduction..................................................................................1
Section II: Overview and Comparison ...........................................................2
Section III: Overview of Arab Advisors’ Survey Findings on 3G
Awareness and Usage .................................................................................12
Section IV: Overview of Countries with Third Generation Services .............16
Bahrain market briefing ................................................................................ 16
Egypt market briefing ................................................................................... 20
Kuwait market briefing ................................................................................. 26
Libya market briefing.................................................................................... 32
Mauritania market briefing ............................................................................ 33
Morocco marketing briefing ........................................................................... 35
Oman market briefing................................................................................... 39
Qatar market briefing ................................................................................... 47
Saudi Arabia market briefing ......................................................................... 53
Sudan market briefing .................................................................................. 64
Syria market briefing .................................................................................... 66
UAE market briefing ..................................................................................... 68
4. List of Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Operators and 3G/3.5G services availability in the Arab World 2
Exhibit 2: Operators that offer 3G/3.5G services in the Arab World by
country (April 2008, December 2009)................................................4
Exhibit 3: Operator 3G/3.5G services comparison....................................5
Exhibit 4: Number of operators that provide 3G/3.5G services by service6
Exhibit 5: Operator comparison for video calling services ........................7
Exhibit 6: Operator comparison for mobile Internet services ...................8
Exhibit 7: Operator comparison for mobile TV services ..........................10
Exhibit 8: Operator comparison of iphone specific packages ..................11
Exhibit 9: Survey details ........................................................................13
Exhibit 10: Awareness of 3G services.....................................................14
Exhibit 11: Whether respondents use 3G services..................................15
Exhibit 12: 3G and 3.5G services available in Bahrain ............................17
Exhibit 13: Zain Bahrain's video calling rates .........................................18
Exhibit 14: Batelco's local video calling rates.........................................18
Exhibit 15: Batelco's international video calling rates ............................18
Exhibit 16: Batelco’s mobile Internet USB device prices ........................19
Exhibit 17: Batelco’s mobile Internet prepaid rates ...............................19
Exhibit 18: Batelco’s mobile Internet postpaid rates..............................19
Exhibit 19: 3G and 3.5G services available in Egypt ...............................21
Exhibit 20: Etisalat Misr’s video calling rates .........................................22
Exhibit 21: Etisalat Misr’s Ro’ya package ...............................................22
Exhibit 22: Etisalat Misr’s mobile TV channels........................................22
Exhibit 23: Mobile broadband Internet for all Etisalat Misr subscribers
outside the data bundles..................................................................23
Exhibit 24: Data bundle packages for Etisalat Misr’s mobile broadband
Internet service ...............................................................................23
Exhibit 25: Vodafone Egypt’s iphone packages.......................................24
Exhibit 26: Mobinil’s video calling rates .................................................25
Exhibit 27: Mobinil’s mobile TV channels................................................25
Exhibit 28: Mobinil’s postpaid iphone packages .....................................25
Exhibit 29: 3G and 3.5G services available in Kuwait .............................27
Exhibit 30: Wataniya Telecom's Wnet service ........................................28
Exhibit 31: Wataniya Telecom's international video calling service........28
Exhibit 32: Wataniya Telecom's WCAM service fees ...............................28
Exhibit 33: Zain Kuwait's prepaid mobile Internet cards ........................29
Exhibit 34: Zain Kuwait's mobile Internet service ..................................29
5. Exhibit 35: Zain Kuwait's mobile TV channels ........................................30
Exhibit 36: Zain Kuwait's video calling services .....................................30
Exhibit 37: Viva's mobile Internet service (postpaid subscribers) .........31
Exhibit 38: Viva's mobile TV channels ....................................................31
Exhibit 39: Libyana’s 3G services and rates ...........................................32
Exhibit 40: 3G and 3.5G services available in Mauritania .......................33
Exhibit 41: Chinguitel's mobile Internet rates ........................................33
Exhibit 42: Mauritel Mobile's mobile Internet packages .........................34
Exhibit 43: 3G and 3.5G services available in Morocco ...........................35
Exhibit 44: Maroc Telecom's mobile Internet service .............................36
Exhibit 45: Maroc Telecom's prepaid mobile Internet rates ...................36
Exhibit 46: Maroc Telecom's mobile TV channels....................................37
Exhibit 47: 3G and 3.5G services available in Oman ...............................40
Exhibit 48: Oman Mobile’s mobile Internet for prepaid subscribers .......40
Exhibit 49: Oman Mobile’s mobile Internet pay as you go (postpaid) ....41
Exhibit 50: Oman Mobile’s mobile Internet packages (postpaid) ...........41
Exhibit 51: Oman Mobile’s devices used for mobile Internet ..................41
Exhibit 52: Oman Mobile’s video calling rates ........................................41
Exhibit 53: Oman Mobile’s mobile TV packages ......................................42
Exhibit 54: Oman Mobile’s mobile TV channels.......................................42
Exhibit 55: Oman Mobile’s 3G/3.5G compatible handsets ......................42
Exhibit 56: Nawras’ mobile Internet and mobile info browsing rates
(postpaid) ........................................................................................44
Exhibit 57: Nawras’ 48 hour unlimited mobile Internet (prepaid -
mousbak).........................................................................................45
Exhibit 58: Nawras’ local video calling rates ..........................................45
Exhibit 59: Nawras’ video monitoring service rates ...............................46
Exhibit 60: 3G and 3.5G services available in Qatar ...............................48
Exhibit 61: Qtel’s mobile Internet packages...........................................48
Exhibit 62: Qtel’s mobile TV packages....................................................49
Exhibit 63: Qtel’s mobile TV channels ....................................................49
Exhibit 64: Qtel’s local video calling rates ..............................................50
Exhibit 65: Qtel’s International video calling service .............................50
Exhibit 66: Qtel’s MobileCam rates and prices........................................52
Rate .......................................................................................................52
Exhibit 67: 3G and 3.5G services available in Saudi Arabia ....................54
Exhibit 68: STC's local on-net video calling service ................................55
Exhibit 69: STC's International video calling service ..............................55
6. Exhibit 70: STC's JAWALnet (mobile Internet) rates ..............................56
Exhibit 71: STC's Internet SIM card packages ........................................57
Exhibit 72: STC's mobile Internet devices ..............................................57
Exhibit 73: STC's mobile TV packages ....................................................57
Exhibit 74: STC's mobile TV channels .....................................................58
Exhibit 75: Mobily's local video calling rates ..........................................58
Exhibit 76: Mobily's international video calling rates .............................59
Exhibit 77: Mobily's motion detection games video suggested handsets 60
Exhibit 78: Mobily's mobile Internet rates..............................................60
Exhibit 79: Mobily's mobile TV services ..................................................60
Exhibit 80: Mobily's mobile TV channels.................................................61
Exhibit 81: Mobily’s prepaid iphone packages ........................................61
Exhibit 82: Mobily’s postpaid iphone packages ......................................61
Exhibit 83: Zain Saudi Arabia’s on-net and to Mobily video calling rates 62
Exhibit 84: Zain Saudi Arabia’s mobile Internet rates ............................62
Exhibit 85: Zain Saudi Arabia’s mobile TV channels ...............................63
Exhibit 86: 3G and 3.5G services available in Sudan ..............................64
Exhibit 87: MTN Sudan’s 3G/3.5G services.............................................65
Exhibit 88: Zain Sudan's mobile Internet rates ......................................65
Exhibit 89: 3G and 3.5G services available in Syria ................................66
Exhibit 90: Syriatel’s mobile Internet rates............................................66
Exhibit 91: MTN Syria’s mobile Internet rates ........................................67
Exhibit 92: 3G and 3.5G services available in the UAE............................69
Exhibit 93: Etisalat UAE’s international video calling rates.....................70
Exhibit 94: Etisalat UAE’s mobile Internet/mobile broadband devices ...71
Exhibit 95: Etisalat UAE’s rates for broadband Internet service .............72
Exhibit 96: Etisalat UAE’s mobile TV channels ........................................72
Exhibit 97: Etisalat UAE’s prepaid iphone packages ...............................73
Exhibit 98: Etisalat UAE’s postpaid iphone packages..............................73
Exhibit 99: Etisalat UAE’s data iphone packages ....................................73
Exhibit 100: du's mobile Internet data bundles......................................74
Exhibit 101: du’s mobile TV packages ....................................................75
Exhibit 102: du's mobile TV channels .....................................................75
Exhibit 103: du's elite plan benefits with the iphone..............................76