Saudi Internet Report: 89% Lower Gaming Lag, IoT Growth

The fifth edition of the Saudi Internet report for 2026 shows major gains in connection quality across the Kingdom, led by an 89% improvement in latency for the most popular electronic games. The findings point to a smoother experience for gamers in cities including الرياض and جدة, alongside rapid growth in connected devices nationwide.

several leading titles now record very low latency figures. Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends both average 11 milliseconds, while Mobile Legends records an average of 12 milliseconds. Lower latency means less lag and faster response times, which is critical for competitive online play.

Internet of Things expands

The report also highlights strong momentum in the Internet of Things (IoT), with 13.85 million IoT subscriptions recorded nationally. Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) now covers roughly 99% of the population in urban areas, supported by more than 30,000 towers. Within homes, IoT adoption stands at 18%.

These numbers matter for everyday residents. Faster, more stable connections benefit gamers, remote workers and households relying on smart devices, from home appliances to security systems. Wide NB-IoT coverage also lays the groundwork for expanded smart-city services in line with the Kingdom's digital ambitions.

The figures are descriptive performance and adoption metrics only. The 2026 report does not detail per-connection fees, tariff schedules, registration steps or validity periods for IoT or gaming-related services, so no such prices or procedures are listed here.

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