Roaming is a significant revenue stream for Gulf operators, especially as the region is becoming an important tourist destination. Travelers increasingly expect network experiences abroad to match or exceed what they have at home. This article uses Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence® data to assess the mobile experience of inbound roamers visiting select Gulf countries – Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. – in 2024, comparing their experience across different destinations and their respective home networks.
Key Takeaways:
- Travelers to Qatar, the U.A.E., and Kuwait enjoy top speeds over 5G. Median download speeds over 5G reached 381.05 Mbps in Qatar, 374.60 Mbps in the UAE, and 240.37 Mbps in Kuwait in 2024.
- Generally, travelers experience slower mobile speeds when roaming in the Gulf region than on their home networks. However, exceptions include Russian travelers in the U.A.E., Pakistani tourists in Saudi Arabia, and Saudis and Indonesians in Qatar who experience notable speed improvements.
- Visitors from outside the Gulf typically experience slower speeds than those from within it. This could be due to more favorable agreements between regional operators to keep fees low and encourage usage when traveling within the region. In contrast, high roaming charges and speed caps for travelers from Europe, Asia, or the United States would constrain usage and speed.
The Gulf region is rapidly becoming a popular global tourist destination, creating opportunities to increase roaming revenue
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is experiencing a tourism boom, rapidly becoming a popular global tourist destination. According to Fitch Ratings, the tourism sector contributed around USD 130 billion to GCC’s GDP in 2023, with projections to surpass USD 340 billion by 2030, equating to 10% of total GDP. This growth is fueled by the GCC’s ambitious goals to diversify their economies beyond oil and enhance their global standing.
Unlike Europe and other parts of the Middle East, the Gulf region recovered quickly from COVID-19. In 2023, passenger traffic at its airports exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 8%. The region’s appeal is not just its warm weather, beaches, and shopping; it also offers modern amenities and top-notch services for both business travelers and vacationers. The straightforward entry visa process and the introduction of a unified tourist visa further facilitate travel.
Mobile connectivity through roaming is important for the travel experience. It allows travelers to stay connected with family and friends, use mapping and navigation tools, locate attractions, read restaurants’ reviews, and share experiences on social media. With 5G, roamers can access high-speed internet, stream HD videos, and make lag-free video calls. However, 5G roaming is still in its nascent stages, and not all hosting operators provide access to its full capability.
Most inbound roamers originate from Asian countries, the Gulf region, and the U.S.A.
We used Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence® to assess the mobile network performance for inbound mobile roamers to Gulf countries during 2024, comparing it with their home network performance. Based on Speedtest samples, the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia are the top roaming destinations for international travelers, followed by Kuwait and Qatar. Bahrain and Oman saw fewer roamers.
Indonesia accounted for 14.4% of total inbound roamers in 2024, with most heading to Saudi Arabia. The latter received the second-highest number of inbound roamers, behind the U.A.E., likely linked to the Hajj and Omra pilgrimages. Saudi Arabian visitors were also prominent within the region (8.0% of total samples), with the U.A.E., Bahrain, and Qatar being favored destinations.
Outside the Gulf, the U.S.A. had the most travelers to the GCC who activated roaming services and ran speed tests (7.9%), followed by India and Austria at 5.6% and 5.3%, respectively. Other Asian regions, such as Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Pakistan, also contributed strongly to the roaming cohort. Egypt is the largest non-GCC Arab country, contributing to the visitor pool (4.2%).
Our findings also reveal that among the top 10 countries contributing to roamers in the Gulf region, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong had the highest proportion of 5G users. On the other hand, travelers from Pakistan, India, and Egypt were the least likely to use 5G while roaming.
The following sections provide additional insights into network performance for international roamers visiting the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar in 2024. For each country of origin and destination, we include the median download speed for roamers during travel and compare it with the median download speed on their home networks.
Saudi Arabian and Russian Roamers Enjoy Top 5G Speeds in the U.A.E.
Over 37% of the Speedtest sample roaming in the U.A.E. came from India, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Russia, and Hong Kong. Network experiences varied significantly between these countries. Saudi Arabian and Russian travelers experienced the fastest download speeds for all technologies and 5G. Saudi visitors had comparable roaming experiences to their home countries. At the same time, Russian tourists saw more than a threefold increase in median download speeds in the U.A.E compared to their home networks. On the other hand, travelers from Austria, India, and Hong Kong experienced comparatively lower performance.
French and American Tourists Enjoy Excellent 5G Performance in Saudi Arabia
Most travelers to Saudi Arabia are religious pilgrims, with a significant number from Indonesia and Malaysia comprising 38.7% of total inbound roamers in 2024, as captured in Speedtest data, reported the best mobile experience and 5G download speeds when visiting Saudi Arabia. Median download speeds reached 78.46 Mbps for all technologies and 153.66 Mbps for 5G among American visitors, while French tourists experienced speeds of 49.33 Mbps and 153.79 Mbps.
Saudi operators delivered a more moderate performance to travelers from Malaysia, Pakistan, and Egypt, with median download speeds below 50 Mbps across all technologies. However, there were notable improvements over 5G for users from Malaysia and Pakistan, with speeds reaching 90.97 Mbps and 112.68 Mbps, respectively. Interestingly, Indonesian operators appear to enforce a uniform speed cap of 10 Mbps across all networks in Saudi Arabia, suggesting a restriction from the home operator rather than the host network.
Generally, inbound roamers experience similar or worse network conditions in Saudi Arabia compared to their home networks, with Indonesians feeling the most restricted due to the speed cap. Pakistanis are the only exception among the top six countries in Speedtest samples, with median download speed increasing from 19.38 Mbps at home to 27.22 Mbps when roaming.
Inbound roamers from Saudi Arabia enjoy the fastest 5G network speeds in Kuwait
Saudi visitors enjoyed fast 5G speeds at 240.37 Mbps, though ‘all technologies’ speeds were around 40% lower than their 5G speeds and about 30% less than what they would have experienced back in the Kingdom. The other major tourist groups in Kuwait saw a decline in median download speeds compared to their home countries, most notably those from the United States.
Qatar offers exceptionally fast 5G speeds to its inbound roamers from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Many travelers to Qatar come from Saudi Arabia and the U.S.A., representing an aggregate of 36.2% of total roamers. There is also a huge difference in speeds experienced by roamers, with those coming from neighboring countries enjoying the best performance. Saudi and Kuwaiti visitors experience a median download speed of 381.0 Mbps and 227.1 Mbps over 5G, respectively. By contrast, those from Austria would have experienced a much more modest speed of around 36 Mbps on both ‘all technologies’ and 5G.
Comparing the network experience of visitors in Qatar to their home networks, travelers from Indonesia and Saudi Arabia saw significant improvements, with roaming-to-home download speed ratios of 1.7 and 1.5, respectively. On the other hand, those from Kuwait, the U.S.A., and Austria likely experienced a decline in network performance.
Operators generally offer good mobile roaming experience in the Gulf region, but there is room to make it more accessible
This analysis shows that Gulf operators provide excellent mobile experiences to roaming customers. Kuwait, Qatar, and the U.A.E. tend to offer top speeds for all technologies and 5G, especially for tourists coming from within the region.
Performance differences between countries and operators can stem from technical and commercial factors. Roamers’ experience can degrade if home operators impose data speed and usage limitations to manage costs, prevent bill shocks, or favor certain operators for roaming. Host operators can also restrict roamers’ full-capacity access to avoid network congestion.
To ensure optimal visitor experiences and maximize potential revenue from increased traffic, some guest and host operators should review roaming agreements, offer speed-tiered tariffs, and alleviate speed caps. Domestic operators can also address roaming charge concerns by offering local SIMs. For instance, tourists arriving in the UAE receive a free local SIM at Dubai airport. Maintaining roaming high charges and applying speed or data caps might push users towards eSIM options, where operators have less control over their experience.
Ookla provides unique insights into inbound and outbound roamers’ experiences and conducts country-level and operator-level benchmarks. If you want to learn more about Speedtest Intelligence, please contact us.
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