stc Group manages record Arafah Day traffic as 5G usage exceeds 51% using AI

stc group said it handled one of the world’s heaviest digital traffic peaks on Arafah Day, when millions of pilgrims gathered at the holy site in Saudi Arabia, while keeping network service stable under exceptional pressure. According to reporting from Saudi Gazette and Asharq Al-Awsat, the telecom operator said demand for digital services rose sharply during the day, but its network continued to perform across key measures including speed, latency, call completion and overall availability.

The company said 5G accounted for more than 51% of total usage on Arafah Day, with 5G adoption rising 16% year on year. That shift underscores how heavily pilgrims and visitors now depend on mobile data for communication, navigation, coordination and access to services during one of the most crowded days of the Hajj season.

stc described the operation as one of its most complex and demanding, saying it relied on a digital ecosystem powered by artificial intelligence to manage the surge. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the company framed the effort as a successful handling of a major operational challenge at the Arafat holy site, where network reliability is especially important because of the dense concentration of worshippers.

The strong performance matters because Arafah Day is one of the most critical points of the Hajj, when communication networks can face extreme strain from millions of simultaneous users. In that setting, stable connectivity supports not only personal communication but also crowd management, emergency response and the coordination of services for pilgrims.

stc said the result reflected its broader role as Saudi Arabia’s leading digital enabler and its ability to absorb historic growth in demand without major disruption. The company’s reported performance also highlights how much the Hajj now depends on advanced telecom infrastructure, with 5G and AI-driven network management becoming central to handling large-scale public events.

No immediate next steps were detailed in the reports, but the figures suggest continued investment in high-capacity networks will remain a priority ahead of future pilgrimage seasons. As reported by both outlets, the event again showed how digital infrastructure has become a core part of managing one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.