Saudi Arabia has recorded an 89% improvement in latency rates for some of its most popular electronic games, while Internet of Things subscriptions have reached 13.85 million, according to the latest Saudi Internet report from the Communications, Space and Technology Commission.
The fifth edition of the report points to continued improvements in network performance across gaming and connected-device services, supported by broad mobile and IoT infrastructure coverage.
Several popular games recorded particularly low latency levels, including 11 milliseconds for Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends, and 12 milliseconds for Mobile Legends.
Gaming performance improves as latency falls
Latency is one of the most important performance measures for online gaming because it reflects how quickly data travels between a user’s device and the game server.
Lower latency can reduce lag and improve responsiveness, particularly in competitive multiplayer games where even small delays can affect the experience.
CST said Saudi Arabia recorded an 89% improvement in latency rates for popular electronic games, indicating stronger network performance for users across the Kingdom.
Smart devices accounted for the largest share of gaming platform usage at 22.1%, followed closely by PlayStation at 21.8%.
Weekly gaming is the most common usage pattern
The report also examined how frequently users play electronic games.
Weekly gaming was the most common pattern, accounting for 32.1% of users, followed by intermittent gaming at 31%.
Daily gaming represented 29.2%.
The relatively even distribution across these categories suggests gaming has become a regular digital activity for a large share of users rather than a niche form of entertainment.
That matters for telecom operators because gaming places growing demands on network responsiveness, capacity and service consistency.
IoT subscriptions reach 13.85 million
Saudi Arabia’s IoT market is also expanding, with subscriptions reaching 13.85 million.
The report said population coverage in urban areas using Narrowband Internet of Things technology has reached around 99%, supported by more than 30,000 towers.
NB-IoT is designed for connected devices that transmit relatively small amounts of data while requiring wide coverage and low power consumption.
Typical applications can include smart meters, sensors, logistics tracking and other machine-to-machine services.
Smart home adoption reaches 18%
The report also found that IoT adoption in homes has reached 18%.
That suggests connected-device usage is expanding beyond industrial and enterprise applications into consumer environments.
As more households adopt smart devices, demand increases for reliable connectivity capable of supporting large numbers of always-connected endpoints.
The growth of both consumer and enterprise IoT also places greater importance on network security, device management and scalable connectivity platforms.
Saudi Arabia highlights wider digital readiness
CST linked the gaming and IoT indicators to the wider readiness of Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure.
The report also highlighted the Kingdom’s international standing, stating that Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the International Telecommunication Union’s 2025 Digital Readiness Index.
Taken together, the figures show a telecom environment increasingly supporting applications that depend not only on basic coverage, but also on low latency, device density and consistent network performance.
