Article

Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the 2025 ICT Development Index (IDI) and second in the Digital Regulatory Maturity Index, maintaining its top tier classification. The Kingdom also secured second place among G20 countries in the ICT Regulatory Tracker.

In the space sector, the CST, in partnership with the Saudi Space Agency, launched the SpaceUp Competition, attracting over 690 submissions from 50 countries and offering $28 million in contracting opportunities. Additionally, the CST launched the Earth Observation platform, the first national marketplace for space-based observation data.

The Kingdom completed the first 7 GHz spectrum trial in the MENA region for 6G technologies, in collaboration with stc Group and Nokia. The national ICT market is projected to reach SAR190 billion by the end of 2025, with a growth rate of 5%. The CST also released the Spectrum Outlook for Commercial and Innovative Use (2025-2027) to enhance spectrum utilization and economic growth.