Saudi Telecom Company, Mobily roll out eSIM services in KSA

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) will soon set up a localized platform for the provision of eSIM services in the Kingdom, after obtaining an international accreditation deemed requisite for rolling out eSIM technology, in a move that can transform the way consumers use smartphones and devices across Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) has also announced the activation and launch of the eSIM services in the Kingdom.

Mobily eSIM is available for all customers subscribed to any of its postpaid or prepaid packages and using devices that support the eSIM option. The service is being offered on Mobily’s online shop from April 13.

Mobily said all its services, including roaming, are fully compatible with eSIMs. In a bid to extend the benefits of this service to its customers, the company is offering the eSIM service for free for a limited time.

The embedded SIM or eSIM is a technology that enables users to activate postpaid and prepaid plans without the use of a physical SIM card. The device-embedded card eliminates the need for traditional plastic SIM cards, and enables subscribers to add and remove operators remotely without having to acquire a new SIM card.

eSIM is widely acclaimed as the SIM for the next generation of connected devices, as it powers frontier futuristic applications such as the Internet of things (IoT), connected mobility, artificial intelligence, and video surveillance.

The technology is expected to enable the manufacture of smaller and lighter devices and contribute to eliminating the risk of losing SIM cards or malfunctions, which will positively reflect on customer experience.

STC can now provide eSIM services to all mobile network operators and mobile virtual network operators (MNOs/MVNOs) in the Kingdom as the national eSIM platform. The service can be extended to any MNO in the Arab region or internationally interested in obtaining the eSIM service from STC.

Haithem Al-Faraj, senior VP of technology and operations at STC, said the provision of eSIM services in Saudi Arabia following the GSMA certification is a step toward achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, as the localization of the eSIM technology will enable digital transformation.

He added: “We are excited about the possibility of introducing eSIM technology in Saudi Arabia. The SAS certification process was a challenging one, but passing and obtaining the certification stands as a testimony to STC’s world-class security standards and operational excellence.”

Adopting and commercializing eSIM technology require the company hosting the eSIM platform to undergo a series of stringent technical and security audits, namely the SAS certification, sponsored by the GSM Association, an international standard-setting body.

STC has successfully passed the audits and scored the highest results worldwide following a rigorous process that asserted the company’s technical and security readiness.

Obtaining the GSMA certification marks a key milestone for localizing the technology in Saudi Arabia, while an actual timeline for deployment remains to be announced.

Meanwhile, Mobily said the move is in line with the telecom operator’s ambition of attaining a leadership position in digital transformation in the Kingdom. This, in turn, is aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and accords customers an integrated and distinctive digital experience, it said.