GCEO’s message

I am pleased to present a summary of the year’s most important achievements, which represent the strong progress made by stc group in its financial and operational performance. This reinforces its leading position as a key enabler of digital transformation and a key supporter of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The year 2025 witnessed remarkable growth across various sectors, driven by the expansion of digital infrastructure, the development of services and platforms, the broadening of strategic partnerships, and continued investment in future technologies that enhance the Kingdom’s digital readiness and its regional and international competitiveness.

During 2025, stc group achieved strong financial performance, achieving growth in revenues and net profit. This growth was supported by the efficiency program and stc group’s focus on elevating service quality and maximizing value from existing investments. Initiatives to optimize spending and develop the business framework contributed to strengthening stc group’s financial sustainability and enhancing its operational efficiency, aligning with the shareholders’ and investors’ expectations.

stc group also continued to invest in the national digital infrastructure, expanding its 5G network to more than 10,800 sites across the Kingdom. This included activating 5G services using the 600 MHz band for the first time in the region, and launching standalone 5G technologies to serve vital sectors. This was done in parallel with expanding 5G coverage and developing data centers to support the growing demand for digital services. As a result of stc group’s efforts to develop its digital infrastructure, stc group was awarded as the fastest mobile network and best coverage in the Kingdom by the global platform Ookla. This achievement reflects stc group’s leadership in the telecommunications sector and its unwavering commitment in providing the highest standards of quality and reliability to its customers.

Furthermore, stc group expanded its fiber optic network by activating more than 152,000 new access points and connecting government entities, national institutions and strategic projects to the fiber optic network. These efforts contributed to enhancing digital readiness during national and religious events, with the network achieving its highest performance indicators during the Hajj season, the day of Arafah and the peak of Eid al-Adha, supported by artificial intelligence solutions and self-optimizing network technologies.

In the area of digital financial services, STC Bank strengthened its presence in 2025, exceeding eight million customers since its launch at the beginning of the year. This rapid growth reflects the increasing user confidence in digital banking solutions and their growing adoption. This achievement also aligns with stc group’s focus on developing the financial services ecosystem and fostering innovation through smarter and more flexible models.

On the national infrastructure front, stc group reinforced its role as a pivotal partner in major projects by signing a contract with a government entity, the largest of its kind, valued at & 32.64 billion, to build, operate, and provide telecommunications infrastructure services. This reflects confidence in its operational capabilities and its ability to execute large-scale projects according to international standards. stc group also signed a strategic agreement with AST SpaceMobile to provide direct-to-device satellite connectivity services, expanding access to digital services, particularly in remote areas, and supporting the future readiness of the connectivity infrastructure.

During the year, a new “sccc by stc” brand identity was launched to enhance the Kingdom’s capabilities in the cloud computing sector by providing more than 100 local cloud services that support various sectors and contribute to accelerating digital transformation. stc group also expanded its advanced strategic partnerships with AWS and PayPal to accelerate the adoption of advanced cloud solutions, improve the efficiency of cross-border digital payments and empower individuals and enterprises with modern technologies with global readiness.

In line with efforts to enhance artificial intelligence infrastructure readiness, stc group, through its subsidiary center3, announced its strategic partnership with HUMAIN to build advanced AI data centers in the Kingdom, with an operational capacity of up to 1 GW and a storage capacity starting from 250 MW. This partnership aims to establish a high-capacity, low-latency digital infrastructure capable of hosting the high loads required for advanced AI applications. This will enhance the localization of digital assets, support the development of a sovereign AI ecosystem, and contribute to solidifying the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for advanced digital infrastructure.

In parallel, stc group diversified its investment portfolio through its investment arm, tali ventures, which led and invested in a number of promising companies in the fields of artificial intelligence, fintech, and advanced communication solutions. This supports the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and reinforces the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for technology investment, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 goals.

stc group’s regional impact extended through its subsidiaries outside the Kingdom. stc Bahrain achieved a significant national milestone with the successful landing of the world’s longest submarine cable, 2Africa Pearls, further solidifying Bahrain’s position as a regional hub for international connectivity. At stc Kuwait, the advanced 5G network was launched to provide an exceptional digital experience based on higher speeds and greater reliability, in line with stc Kuwait’s commitment to supporting Kuwait Vision 2035 and enabling a connectivity infrastructure that fosters innovation and economic growth.

stc group also achieved remarkable progress in global sustainability indicators, rising to an AA rating in the MSCI ESG Index, supported by its excellence in privacy, cybersecurity and governance. It also received the EFQM 2025 Global Institutional Excellence Award at the 5-star level, becoming the first Saudi private sector company and the first global telecommunications company to achieve this level, confirming its leadership in performance and innovation. Furthermore, stc group reinforced its global corporate presence, maintaining its position as the world’s third-strongest telecommunications brand and ranking among the top 10 most valuable brands globally, according to the Brand Finance report.

Throughout the year, stc group supported high-quality national projects, including the King Salman Park project and Red Sea Global initiatives, in addition to developing advanced communications infrastructure for major international events such as Formula 1 and the Esports World Cup, reflecting the Kingdom’s readiness to host world-class events that meet the highest technical standards.

In conclusion, stc group’s achievements in 2025 were the result of a clear strategic vision, generous support from the wise leadership, continuous cooperation from the Board of Directors and shareholders, and the dedicated efforts of stc group’s employees. As we prepare for 2026, we reaffirm our commitment to developing the national digital infrastructure, leading innovation, promoting sustainability and contributing to building an advanced digital economy that solidifies the Kingdom’s position as a global leader in the telecommunications and information technology sector.