Mobily
A Saudi telecommunications operator providing mobile, fixed-line, broadband, digital, and enterprise connectivity services.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Mobily is the consumer and commercial brand of Etihad Etisalat Company, a Saudi Arabian telecommunications operator headquartered in Riyadh. The company was created in 2004 after receiving Saudi Arabia's second GSM mobile licence, ending Saudi Telecom Company's earlier monopoly in the country's wireless market. Mobily launched commercial mobile services on 5 May 2005 and became one of the principal providers of mobile communications, internet access, broadband, and enterprise connectivity in Saudi Arabia. Etihad Etisalat was incorporated as a joint stock company under Royal Decree No. M/40 dated 18 August 2004. Its second GSM licence was granted for a 25-year term, and the company began its constituent activities in December 2004. United Arab Emirates-based Etisalat was an important strategic investor, while the General Organization for Social Insurance and public investors also held shares. The company's October 2004 initial public offering was heavily oversubscribed, reflecting strong interest in the liberalisation of Saudi Arabia's mobile market. Mobily's launch was rapid. The operator reportedly acquired one million subscribers during its first 90 days and passed 4.8 million subscribers in 2006. By January 2007, it had reached approximately six million subscribers, including around half a million 3G users. The company expanded its network capabilities through the introduction of 3.5G services in 2006 and 4G services in 2011. Over time, its scope broadened beyond mobile voice and data to include fixed-line services, fibre and other broadband connectivity, managed network services, data-centre and cloud-related capabilities, and communications solutions for business and government customers. The Mobily brand is positioned around network access, digital connectivity, and customer-facing communications services. Its consumer portfolio includes mobile voice and data plans, broadband internet, roaming and related digital services. Its enterprise activities include connectivity, information and communications technology services, managed infrastructure, and solutions intended for large organisations. Products and technologies associated with the brand include 4G and 5G mobile networks, fixed broadband, enterprise networking, and digital payment services such as Mobily Pay. Network development has remained central to the company's strategy. In 2021, Nokia extended a network-management relationship with Mobily through a three-year agreement covering radio and transport networks in Riyadh and other regions. In 2024, Mobily announced a partnership with Telecom Egypt to develop a submarine cable linking Saudi Arabia and Egypt through an Egyptian Red Sea landing station. At the LEAP 2025 technology conference in Riyadh, the company announced plans to invest more than $900 million in digital infrastructure, including data centres and submarine cable assets, in response to expected demand from artificial-intelligence applications. Mobily therefore operates not only as a mobile network brand but also as part of Saudi Arabia's broader digital-infrastructure ecosystem. The company remains listed on the Saudi Exchange under ticker 7020.SR and continues to operate in the Saudi market. Its development mirrors the evolution of Saudi telecommunications from a single mobile incumbent toward a competitive market encompassing mobile broadband, fixed connectivity, cloud and enterprise infrastructure, and emerging digital services.
History
Mobily originated in Saudi Arabia's telecommunications liberalisation process during the early 2000s. Etihad Etisalat Company was incorporated as a Saudi joint stock company under Royal Decree No. M/40 on 18 August 2004. During the summer of that year, it won the bid for the country's second GSM licence. The licence was granted for 25 years and gave the new operator the opportunity to challenge Saudi Telecom Company's established position in mobile communications. The company began its constituent activities on 14 December 2004 after its incorporation was published. Its ownership structure included a strategic stake held by UAE-based Etisalat, an interest held by the General Organization for Social Insurance, and shares held by other investors and the public. The initial public offering in October 2004 attracted extraordinary demand and was reported to have been oversubscribed approximately 30 times. Reports described disorder among prospective investors seeking application forms, with police called to manage the resulting unrest. Etihad Etisalat adopted Mobily as its commercial brand and launched mobile services on 5 May 2005. The launch ended Saudi Telecom Company's monopoly in the wireless market. Mobily had prepared for approximately six months before commercial rollout and reportedly obtained one million subscribers during its first 90 days. Its rapid early growth continued: the company exceeded 4.8 million subscribers in 2006 and had approximately six million subscribers by 20 January 2007, including about 500,000 3G users. Contemporary industry commentary described Mobily as one of the fastest-growing operators in the Middle East and North Africa. Network evolution was a major part of the company's early development. Mobily introduced 3.5G services on 27 June 2006 and later launched 4G services on 13 September 2011. These upgrades helped shift the business from traditional mobile voice toward data-driven connectivity. The operator also developed fixed-line and internet activities, broadening its portfolio beyond cellular services to include fixed broadband and enterprise communications. Mobily's later strategy increasingly connected telecommunications with national digital infrastructure. In February 2021, Nokia extended its relationship with the operator through a three-year agreement to manage and maintain radio and transport networks in Riyadh and other regions. In November 2024, Mobily and Telecom Egypt announced plans for a submarine cable connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt through Egypt's Red Sea station. The project was presented as the first Saudi-owned submarine cable of its type and reflected Mobily's interest in international and wholesale infrastructure. At the LEAP 2025 technology conference in Riyadh, Mobily announced plans to invest more than $900 million in digital infrastructure, including data centres and submarine cables. The stated rationale was to meet rising demand associated with artificial intelligence and other data-intensive services. The company was also listed at number 42 in Forbes Middle East's Top 100 Listed Companies 2025 ranking. Mobily remains an active, Saudi-listed telecommunications operator serving consumer, business, and institutional customers through mobile, fixed, broadband, enterprise, and digital-infrastructure offerings.
- 2025
Digital-infrastructure investment plan
[1]At LEAP 2025, Mobily announced plans for more than $900 million of investment in data centres and submarine cables.
- 2024
Saudi-Egypt submarine cable partnership
[1]Mobily announced a partnership with Telecom Egypt to develop a Saudi-owned submarine cable linking Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
- 2021
Nokia network-management extension
[1]Nokia extended its agreement to manage and maintain Mobily radio and transport networks in Riyadh and other areas.
- 2011
4G rollout
[1]Mobily launched 4G services on 13 September.
- 2006
3.5G rollout
[1]Mobily introduced 3.5G services on 27 June.
- 2005
Commercial mobile launch
[1]Mobily launched GSM mobile services on 5 May, becoming Saudi Arabia's second mobile operator.
- 2004
Etihad Etisalat is incorporated
[1]Etihad Etisalat Company was incorporated under Saudi Royal Decree No. M/40 and won the country's second GSM mobile licence.
- 2004
Initial public offering
[1]The company's October IPO attracted demand reported to be about 30 times the shares offered.
Products and positioning
A major Saudi connectivity and digital-infrastructure provider combining consumer mobile services with broadband, enterprise networking, and digital solutions.
Mobile telecommunications · 2005
Mobile voice and data
Mobily's core consumer business provides mobile voice, messaging, and mobile-data connectivity in Saudi Arabia. The service portfolio has evolved from the original GSM offer through 3.5G and 4G to modern high-capacity mobile broadband, including 5G-related connectivity and associated data plans.
Mobile broadband
Mobily 5G
Mobily's 5G offering represents the brand's current high-speed mobile-network proposition. It is aimed at consumers and organisations requiring higher throughput, lower latency, and capacity for data-intensive applications.
Broadband internet
Fixed broadband
Mobily provides fixed-line and broadband internet services alongside its mobile network. These services extend the brand into household, office, and institutional connectivity and complement mobile access with more persistent, higher-capacity connections.
Enterprise telecommunications
Enterprise connectivity solutions
Mobily serves businesses and institutions with enterprise connectivity, managed networks, and communications infrastructure. The segment supports organisations that need dedicated connectivity, network management, and broader information and communications technology services.
Digital financial services
Mobily Pay
Mobily Pay is a digital payment service associated with the Mobily brand. It extends the company's consumer proposition beyond network access into digital financial and payment-related services.
Controversies
2013
Allegations concerning encrypted communications interception
Reports said Mobily was exploring ways to intercept encrypted traffic from applications including Twitter, Viber, and WhatsApp and to bypass SSL and TLS protections. The reports prompted privacy and surveillance concerns, although the available reference does not establish the outcome of the reported effort.
Brand decisions
2025
Invest in AI-oriented digital infrastructureStrategyBackground
Mobily identified artificial-intelligence workloads and related data demand as drivers of future infrastructure requirements.
Action taken
At LEAP 2025, the company announced plans to invest more than $900 million in data centres, submarine cables, and related digital infrastructure.
Aftermath
The plan positioned Mobily as a participant in Saudi Arabia's expanding digital-infrastructure and AI ecosystem.
Planned digital-infrastructure investment. More than $900 million announced (Announced at LEAP 2025; implementation period not specified in the reference)
2024
Expand into submarine connectivityStrategyBackground
Regional data traffic and the strategic importance of international communications infrastructure increased the value of direct submarine-cable capacity.
Action taken
Mobily partnered with Telecom Egypt on a submarine cable linking Saudi Arabia and Egypt through Egypt's Red Sea station.
Aftermath
The announcement broadened Mobily's infrastructure role beyond domestic access networks toward cross-border connectivity.
2011
Move to 4G mobile broadbandGeneration changeBackground
Rising demand for mobile internet required greater network capacity and faster data access.
Action taken
Mobily introduced 4G services in September 2011.
Aftermath
The upgrade strengthened the operator's mobile-data proposition and continued its progression from voice services toward broadband connectivity.
2005
Launch a competing GSM mobile networkProduct launchBackground
Saudi Arabia's wireless market had previously been dominated by Saudi Telecom Company.
Action taken
Mobily launched commercial GSM services on 5 May 2005 after approximately six months of preparation.
Aftermath
The launch ended the incumbent's mobile monopoly and produced rapid early subscriber growth.
Recent events
Reported
Mobily wins CITC’s Best User Experience Award for 2021[3]
Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission awarded Mobily the Best User Experience Award for 2021.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Nokia and Mobily complete NB-IoT network deployment[4]
Nokia announced completion of an NB-IoT network deployment in Saudi Arabia as part of its strategic partnership with Mobily. The deployment connected more than 4,000 sites.
Sources4 sources
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