Arab States Profile 2009

Mobile

• Mobile cellular: tremendous growth across the region, averaging 44% CAGR over the last 5 years.

• The UAE is the first country in the world where mobile penetration has exceeded 200%.

• By early 2009, the Arab States have on average 62 mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, putting the region ahead of Asia Pacific and Africa. Mobile penetration rates vary greatly within the region, from below 10 % in Djibouti, Comoros and Somalia, to over 100 % in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

• Lebanon, which has two mobile cellular operators (MTC Touch, managed by Kuwait-based Zain Group, and Alfa, managed by Egypt’s Orascom Telecom), has a relatively low mobile cellular penetration rate of 34% at the end of 2008. This is well below the Arab States’ average of 62% and below Jordan’s 87%. Lebanon’s mobile penetration rate is just above that in Syria (33%).

• In Lebanon, mobile cellular subscriptions have grown at a relatively modest rate (12% annually over the period 2003-2008, compared to 44% in the Arab Region as a whole). Indeed, Lebanon had the lowest five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate of all Arab States.

3G

• 3G networks are providing mobile broadband Internet access in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Oman and Egypt. A number of Arab States, including Algeria, Djibouti, and Jordan, have yet to develop mobile broadband services.

• Lebanon has not yet launched high speed mobile broadband services, but there are plans to launch a trial 3G network by end 2009.

Internet

• At the end of 2008, the Arab States had reached an Internet penetration of just over 15%, compared to 24% globally. This places the region ahead of Africa (4.2 %) and just behind Asia&Pacific, where Internet penetration stood at 17%.

• In Lebanon, Internet user penetration stood at 23%, close to the world average, and above the Arab Region’s average of 15%.

• While the Arab States' Internet user penetration lies below the word average, the Arab States is the region with the highest annual growth rate in terms of Internet usage. Between 2003 and 2008, its Internet user penetration increased by an average of 34% annually, compared to 27% in Africa, 20% in Asia & Pacific, and 8% in the Americas. During the same period 2003-2008, Internet user penetration in Lebanon grew by 14% annually.

• There are major differences within the Arab States, with Internet penetration varying from below 5% in Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia, and Yemen to over 30% in Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In the United Arab Emirates, over 65% of the population was using the Internet by end 2008, a level comparable to many European countries.

Broadband

• By the end of 2008, fixed broadband penetration had reached only 1.3 % in the Arab States, compared to 4% in Asia & Pacific, 13% in the Americas and 20% in Europe. Fixed broadband penetration is below the world average of 6%; only the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have reached fixed broadband penetration levels above 10%. This compares to over 30% penetration in some of the most advanced broadband economies of the world.

• Within the Arab States, Lebanon stands out for its relatively high level of fixed broadband penetration, which stood at over 5% by end 2008. Indeed, the country has the fourth highest fixed broadband penetration, after Bahrain (16%), UAE (12%), and Qatar (8%). While Lebanon does well compared to its regional counterparts, its fixed broadband penetration still lies below the world’s average of 6%.

For info: There are a total of 22 countries in the Arab States: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

All data above should be sourced to ITU.

ITU's Market Information and Statistics (STAT) Unit is one of the world’s most respected and authoritative sources of comprehensive, impartial global data on the ICT sector. Data are sourced directly from governments through an annual questionnaire. The indicators/statistics published by ITU are used in a wide range of UN and inter-governmental publications, such as the UNDP Human Development Report, the World Bank World Development Indicators, and the United Nations Statistical Yearbook.

More ITU statistics can be found at: www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/index.html