1. SMS and MMS rates in the Arab
World:
A Regional Comparison
Arab Advisors Group
Strategic Research Service
November 2010
Analysts: Hadeel Sakkijha
Mohammed Al Shawwa
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2. SMS and MMS Rates in the Arab World: A Regional Comparison
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3. SMS and MMS Rates in the Arab World: A Regional Comparison
© 2010 Arab Advisors Group Reproduction Prohibited
Table of Contents
Section I: Executive Summary.......................................................................1
Section II: SMS and MMS Rates.....................................................................2
Regional Comparison of SMS Tariffs ...........................................................4
SMS Rates- Operator Level Analysis........................................................ 4
Common SMS Tariffs between operators in the same countries................... 9
Ranking of Operators by SMS Rates.......................................................11
SMS Rates - Country Level Analysis .......................................................15
Ranking of Countries by SMS Rates .......................................................15
Regional Comparison of MMS Tariffs.........................................................19
Ranking of Operators by Cost of a 30KB MMS..........................................29
Section III: Appendix..................................................................................33

4. SMS and MMS Rates in the Arab World: A Regional Comparison
© 2010 Arab Advisors Group Reproduction Prohibited
List of Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Operational cellular providers in the MENA region .............................2
Exhibit 2: Operators having lowest and highest SMS rates.................................5
Exhibit 3: Prepaid and postpaid SMS rates analysis-Operator level....................5
Exhibit 4: Average SMS rates – Operator level ...................................................6
Exhibit 5: Average SMS rates per operator (September 2010) ...........................7
Exhibit 6: Regional status for SMS rates per operator ........................................8
Exhibit 7: Ranking of operators by SMS tariffs .................................................13
Exhibit 8: Positioning of countries according to regional average SMS tariffs ..16
Exhibit 9: Ranking of countries by SMS tariffs..................................................17
Exhibit 10: MMS availability by operator (September 2010) ............................20
Exhibit 11: MMS tariffs per operator (September 2010)...................................22
Exhibit 12: Price of a 30 KB MMS......................................................................25
Exhibit 13: Statistics on cost of a 30 KB MMS (US$).........................................26
Exhibit 14: Operators having lowest and highest tariffs of a 30 KB MMS..........26
Exhibit 15: Regional status of MMS cost...........................................................28
Exhibit 16: Ranking of operators according to price of 30 KB MMS...................29
Exhibit A1: Exchange rates...............................................................................33