JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is the most competitive Arab cellular market, the Arab Advisors Group said in its Cellular Competition Intensity Index 2011 released early this month, ahead of the 8th annual Media and Telecoms Convergence Conference to be held in Amman on June 6-7. Jordan came in second, followed by Palestine. The Cellular Competition Intensity Index results for April 2011 revealed that Saudi Arabia topped the score as the most competitive Arab market - with a 76.01 percent mark followed by Jordan (75.37 percent); Palestine (69.61 percent); Oman (69.52 percent); Egypt (68.18 percent); Morocco (64.72 percent); Iraq (64.32 percent); Tunisia (63.23 percent); Bahrain (61.25 percent); Algeria (61.17 percent); Yemen (58.61 percent); Mauritania (57.07 percent); Sudan (55.68 percent); Kuwait (54.58 percent); Qatar (48.24 percent); UAE (47.17 percent); Syria (42.18 percent); Libya (33.97 percent);and Lebanon (33.80 percent). The Cellular Competition Intensity Index is relative in nature as it compares the state of every market relative to other markets. As such, even if a market's absolute level of competition improved, its score in this relative index will also depend on how other markets developed. The 2011 index results revealed that four countries ranked higher than their May 2010 index ranks, these are: Algeria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania. "The Arab Advisors Group added the "smart phones packages availability" indicator for the 2011 index. This came in line with the increased adoption of mobile broadband and smart phone usage in the MENA region which contributes to the overall competitiveness in the country," Faten Bader, Arab Advisors Group senior research analyst said. "Saudi Arabia hosts four operational and licensed operators. Consumers have a choice of nineteen prepaid plans and 23 postpaid plans. Saudi Arabia's score benefited from the availability of smart phone plans, corporate offers, 3G services and ILD competition," Zeena Al Borgan, Arab Advisors Group senior research analyst added. Meanwhile, a total of three countries ranked lower compared to May 2010 index, namely: Jordan, Sudan and Yemen. The remaining 12 countries of Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia and UAE maintained their May 2010 ranks. The Arab Advisors Group devised the Cellular Competition Intensity Index to rate and to examine the intensity level of competition in the Arab World's cellular markets. The index takes into account the number of operators, packages, and services available in each of the 19 countries covered by the Arab Advisors Group. Each category was assigned a certain weight according to its importance as an indicator of competition. The categories include the following: • Number of licensed and expected operators in 2011 • number of working operators • market share of largest operator • number of prepaid plans • number of postpaid plans • availability of smart phone plans • availability of corporate offers • availability of 3G services • and the availability of ILD (International Long Distance) competition
