International connectivity enabler BICS has announced a new partnership with Saudi Arabia-based Mobily seeking to enhance international roaming services and providing tourists with improved mobile access and seamless connectivity when travelling in and out of Saudi Arabia.

According to the agreement, BICS will manage the development of Mobily’s new roaming services, using its tried-and-tested expertise to set up and assess roaming connections. This partnership supports Mobily’s continued growth and investment in the region as it looks to improve mobile services to its subscribers traveling out of the country and welcomes inbound roamers onto its network. The move comes on the heels of renewed tourism numbers, post-pandemic.

The partnership will also be pivotal for improving the inbound roaming experience of travellers coming into Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has taken major steps to expand its tourism industry as part of its Vision 2030 plan. With the tourism boom in Saudi Arabia, driven by initiatives like hotel construction and the development of The Line, there is a growing need for investment in the country’s telecom infrastructure and roaming capabilities. The collaboration aims to provide a seamless and enhanced experience for domestic and international in-bound travellers.

Commenting on the partnership, Abdelkader Najja, VP Middle East & Africa at BICS said: “Mobile roaming has become essential to modern life, but it’s sometimes easy to take it for granted. Improving the international roaming quality and providing a better experience for end users takes significant effort by mobile operators. It is logical for operators to entrust this to an expert partner like BICS, where our reliable global network and wealth of expertise can be leveraged for the best user quality and experience. This partnership allows Mobily to focus on strategic projects to deliver unrivalled services to its subscribers, wherever they are in the world.”

Abdullah Alghonaimi, VP of Wholesale Operations at Mobily, added: “We are thrilled to partner with BICS to enhance the international roaming experience for our customers. This partnership will enable us to offer our customers high-quality roaming services while they travel from and to Saudi Arabia, ensuring that they stay connected with their loved ones and businesses back home. This is part of Mobily’s effort to provide the best experience in the market and contribute to fulfilling vision 2030.”