Page 90 - SAMENA Trends - August-September 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Oman’s TRA Introduces New Rules on Telecom Pricing and Promotions to

Protect Consumers and Ensure Market Stability

Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory declines by over 5%, operators may be “race to the bottom,” while Ooredoo and
Authority (TRA) has rolled out a new required to obtain prior approval before Vodafone stressed the importance of
regulatory framework governing telecom revising tariffs. The framework also allows consistent enforcement. Awaser argued
pricing and promotions, aimed at the TRA to impose a three-month “cooling- that restrictions should primarily apply to
safeguarding consumers, preventing off period” to halt potential price wars. dominant operators. Concerns were also
unsustainable competition, and ensuring Promotional offers are capped at four per raised over SME access, prompting the
continued investment in the sector. The service within six months, limited to 60 TRA to adjust the framework by removing
rules, finalized after consultations with days in duration, and restricted to active “commercial users” from restrictions while
operators including Omantel, Ooredoo, subscribers. No offer can lock customers confirming that government entities remain
Vodafone, Awaser, and Majan Telecom, into contracts exceeding 12 months, and eligible. The TRA emphasized that the
empower the TRA to monitor market trends operators may only extend discounts framework will be subject to regular reviews
and intervene if aggressive price drops to a maximum of 5% of their customer to adapt to evolving market conditions
threaten market stability. For example, if base at a time. Operators have voiced and emerging technologies, reinforcing
service prices fall more than 10% within differing views: Omantel has proposed its role in balancing fair competition with
six months or if average revenue per user a minimum price per gigabyte to avoid a consumer protection.

Kuwait MoD Outlines Cybersecurity Roadmap

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense (MoD)
has detailed a comprehensive roadmap
as part of its 2025–2030 strategic vision,
placing strong emphasis on cybersecurity
as a cornerstone of national defense.
The plan underscores Kuwait’s intent to
modernize its digital infrastructure, forge
international partnerships, and strengthen
its military’s cyber resilience. As part
of the roadmap, the MoD is engaging
with leading international defense and
technology companies across the U.S.,
Europe, and Asia to explore collaborations
in AI-driven cyber defense, secure cloud
platforms, and threat intelligence systems.
These partnerships are designed to bring
advanced expertise into Kuwait while
enabling long-term knowledge transfer
and capacity building. The roadmap
identifies key priorities, including protecting
national defense infrastructure, deploying
real-time threat detection and response
systems, expanding secure encrypted Kuwaiti cyber defense professionals. and deploying secure digital platforms. The
communications, and embedding Oversight of the cybersecurity projects initiative reflects Kuwait’s determination
cybersecurity into all military domains— rests with senior MoD leadership, including to integrate advanced technologies into
from air and land to naval and space. It the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff its defense systems while reinforcing its
also highlights workforce development as of the Armed Forces, and the Head of the position as a digitally resilient state capable
a critical objective, with specialized training MoD’s Cybersecurity Directorate, alongside of addressing modern security challenges.
programs to build a new generation of technical advisors tasked with designing

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