Zain Saudi Arabia has announced commercial launch of 4G LTE network. Zain is offering LTE services in three major Saudi cities - Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, with the company planning to extend the 4G offering in stages in the coming months that will eventually cover the Kingdom’s major cities by the end of 2012.

Saudi telcos Etihad Etisalat Mobily and Saudi Telecom have also announced commercial LTE networks in the MENA region this week.

"The launch is a ‘quantum leap’ in mobile telecommunications and Internet services and that Zain is proud to be at the forefront of this revolution. With the surging use of smart devices among the Saudi population, the 4G network will further enhance the customer experience immensely,” said Ahmed Al-Faifi, Chief Operating Officer of Zain KSA.

According to the company, a LTE trial process began in February 2010 with three global technology partners: Motorola, Ericsson and Huawei. The commercial offering is launched in partnership with Huawei.