Saudi Arabia records 89% improvement in gaming latency as IoT subscriptions hit 13.85 million

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia recorded an 89 percent improvement in latency rates for its most popular electronic games, positively impacting service quality and performance, according to a report by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST). The fifth edition of CST’s “Saudi Internet” report showed that several popular games recorded low latency rates, reaching 11 milliseconds for Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends, and 12 milliseconds for Mobile Legends. In terms of gaming platforms, smart devices ranked first with 22.1 percent of usage, followed by PlayStation at 21.8 percent. As for gaming frequency, weekly gaming ranked first at 32.1 percent, followed by gaming at intermittent intervals at 31 percent and daily gaming at 29.2 percent. In the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, the report showed that the number of subscriptions reached 13.85 million. Meanwhile, population coverage in urban areas using Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology reached approximately 99 percent, supported by more than 30,000 towers.The adoption rate of IoT in homes reached 18 percent. These indicators reflect the readiness of the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure to accommodate growing internet usage, including electronic gaming and applications that rely on device-to-device connectivity. The report also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s international standing, with the Kingdom ranking first globally in the International Telecommunication Union’s 2025 Digital Readiness Index.