Telecoms & IT

Access to the internet, especially via mobile devices, has accelerated rapidly in Kuwait since the government liberalised the telecoms and IT sector in the early 2000s. The nation now has one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in the region, at 69% of the population in 2014 after seeing 40% growth on the previous year. As one of the first GCC nations to embrace competition by allowing private sector participation in the provision of telecoms services, Kuwait has lately moved to extend oversight of private operations, approving a bill in April 2014 to create an independent telecoms regulator, a move expected to yield fresh momentum for the industry going forward. Meanwhile, despite new challenges in cybersecurity, there is optimism in the industry surrounding the opportunities for new businesses to help protect against cyberthreats.