LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 MENA: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) added half a million mobile internet subscribers in the two years to the end of 2016, bringing the proportion of the population using the technology to 78 per cent.

In new statistics published in the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index, the country increased its score in all four enablers of mobile internet adoption – infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness and content.

In the Index, countries are awarded a score in each of the four areas which is combined to give an overall rating.

The UAE’s new score of 72, up from 67, means it remains well ahead of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) average of 58 and global average of 59. By the end of last year, the country was responsible for 7.5 million of the global total of 3.5 billion mobile internet subscribers.

“Almost 80 per cent of the country’s population is now using mobile devices to access the internet, underlining the UAE’s position as one of the most advanced markets in the world in terms of mobile internet adoption,” said Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA region at the GSMA.

“This improvement was driven particularly by increasing mobile network quality and the availability of more locally relevant mobile apps and social media content.”