Telecommunication sector in the United Arab Emirates - statistics & facts

The telecommunication market has witnessed tremendous evolution over the past decades and is expected to continue, providing more opportunities than ever. In an increasingly technology-dependent society, spending on telecommunication infrastructure is vital to meet the evolving demands of various consumer bases. In the Middle East and North Africa region, the spending on communication services was estimated to exceed 120 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The United Arab Emirates is a regional leader when it comes to telecommunication infrastructure, in addition to being a top player in the global telecommunication sector.

The state of the telecommunication sector in the UAE

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is responsible for managing every aspect of telecommunications and information technologies in the UAE. The country has taken several initiatives to implement its strategy of engaging the various segments by providing accessible and interactive services that enhance society's happiness. In 2022, the UAE ranked among the top 15 most digitally competitive countries in the world. Furthermore, the UAE was the first country in the Arab region to launch 5G technology. 5G connections in the MENA region are expected to account for more than 54 percent of total mobile connections by 2030. The UAE has two main Emirati-based telecom operators: Etisalat and Du. The UAE market accounted for the largest revenue share of Etisalat, followed by Morocco.

The future of telecommunication sector

With a rapidly growing population and more people adopting smartphones, combined with the government's strong commitment to driving innovation and digital progress, the UAE's telecom industry is set for continuous growth. The UAE has planned to provide services that meet the demands by employing emerging and advanced technologies, in addition to digital transformation programs such as Smart Dubai, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The UAE led the consumer market for Internet of Things (IoT) in the MENA region, with expectations to continue growing to exceed three billion U.S. dollars by 2030. Moreover, revenue from artificial intelligence in MENA was forecast to exceed 1.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. Furthermore, the UAE government's efforts to attract foreign investments and encourage competition within the industry will likely lead to even more improvements and better telecom services, allowing the UAE to remain a leader in telecommunications.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Salma Saleh, Jan 10, 2024

Key insights

Number of smartphone subscriptions in MENA by 2026
680.44m
Forecast of the real total consumer spending on communication in UAE by 2025
7763.77m USD
Forecast of the total consumer spending on communication in UAE by 2025
8814.99m USD
Get more insights

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Revenue of Etisalat from 2014 to 2022 (in million United Arab Emirates dirhams)

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Total number of active mobile phone subscriptions* in the United Arab Emirates from December 2011 to March 2022

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Number of active mobile phone subscriptions UAE 2011-2022

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