Saudi Arabia current situation

Status regular

Last update: 30.03.2026 - older versions

On 7 August 2023, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority officially launched DAB+ broadcasts in Riyadh, Damman and Jeddah, with six stations on air. In 2024, five more cities Neom, Hail, Al Madinah, Al Ahsa, and Al Qassim were activated. Transmitters from Syes were used for these sites. Each city has separate reception and encoding systems compatible with DAB+.

In early 2026, First Gulf Company (FGC) handed over a major Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) project across multiple cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The deployment covered key locations including Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Abha, Al-Baha, Tabuk, Arar, Sakaka, Najran, Duba and Al-Ula. The project scope included the installation and commissioning of advanced DAB transmission systems to enable high-quality digital audio broadcasting services. The implementation was supported by satellite-based backhauling via Arabsat, ensuring reliable nationwide distribution. In addition, a state-of-the-art multiplexing and encoding platform was established in Riyadh to support centralized content aggregation and distribution.

In December 2025, FGC also completed the deployment of DAB infrastructure across key locations along the Riyadh–Abha road corridor. The scope of work for this project mirrors the multi-city deployment, including full installation, testing, and commissioning of DAB transmitters, along with satellite backhauling and centralized multiplexing and encoding integration. The system was designed with 1+1 redundancy to ensure uninterrupted broadcasting using DAB+ technology, providing seamless digital audio coverage across the route.

Saudi Arabia has legislation requiring radio receivers to be equipped with terrestrial DAB+ capabilities. According to Saudi legislation, starting from 1 January 2021, home receivers, portable receivers and vehicle receivers are required to be equipped with DAB+.