The GCC indoor location-based services market size was accounted for USD 4,6171.2 thousand in 2016. It is anticipated to grow significantly over the forecast period owing to the rising adoption of smartphones across the GCC countries. In addition, rising commercial adoption of 3D portals is projected to propel the growth of the regional indoor LBS market over the forecast period.
The GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) indoor location-based services provide information of particular locations and various offers for hotels, shops, and stores. Moreover, the presence of well-developed infrastructure in the GCC region which includes malls, parks, campuses, and skyscrapers, and the emergence of countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai as famous tourist destinations are the factors anticipated to boost the demand for indoor LBS from 2017 to 2025. It provides high convenience and accessibility to travelers and tourists at various places such as ATMs, airports, shopping malls, and lounges. For example, in 2015, Dubai emerged as the largest tourist center. Thus, it emerged as the potential platform for location-based services for promotional and marketing activities.
Indoor location-based services are majorly used for navigation and tracking of useful resources for providing security and assistance to customers. Moreover, the application of LBS in the government sector for tracking activities of the public is anticipated to propel market growth. In addition, the wide application of these services in the retail sector for conduction promotional activities is anticipated to further boost the market growth from 2017 to 2025.
The biggest challenge for the service providers in this industry in providing accurate and real-time information. However, advancements in technology have influenced leading vendors to integrate business intelligence (BI) and analytics for improving accuracy and efficiency which is projected to impel the market growth over the forecast period.
In 2016, the segment of location-based advertising services held the largest market share and is projected to attain a CAGR of 49.2% over the forecast period. These services provide data regarding various offers and deals on different products. In addition, LBS technology helps consumers to design their marketing and advertising strategies.
The segment of proximity beacons is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR owing to easy installation and cost-effectiveness. These proximity beacons deliver several hyper-local advertising services and promotional services. Moreover, these services provide convenience to users who access information through tablets and smartphones.
The UWB, Wi-Fi/WLAN, BT/BLE, A-GPS, and Beacons technology segment held the largest GCC Indoor Location-based Services (LBS) Market share in 2016 owing to the rising prominence of Wi-Fi and broadband services across the GCC region. Moreover, the provision of public Wi-Fi in various countries for providing efficient connectivity at all places is anticipated to drive the segment’s growth over the forecast period.
The segment of Near Field Communication (NFC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFI) is projected to grow at the fastest growth rate owing to rising usage and penetration of smartphones that provides various services such as voice messaging, payment services, and security clearances by integrating QR code scanners and RFID
In 2016, the tracking application segment accounted for USD 15,818.4 thousand and is projected to grow at a significant growth rate over the forecast period. Factors such as the presence of well-developed infrastructure and the need for tracking valuable assets are anticipated to propel the growth of indoor LBS in the GCC region over the forecast period.
The proximity application segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 52.8% from 2017 to 2025. This growth is associated with its feature of providing location-based information related to a particular product by geo-targeting. This helps in designing and preparing effective marketing strategies that improve customer engagement.
In 2016, the government end-user segment accounted for the largest market share of USD 10683.9 thousand. Large scale usage of LBS services by the government sector for providing security and assistance through smartphone applications is the major driving factor for the segment’s growth
The retail end-use segment is projected to attain the fastest CAGR of 52.9% from 2017 to 2025 owing to the presence of a large number of global and international brands in the GCC countries which created potential growth opportunities for promoting different products and services.
Saudi Arabia held the largest market share across the GCC indoor LBS market and is projected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period owing to the emerging trend of digitalization and high gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Moreover, the government of Saudi Arabia is investing huge amounts for providing internet connections in the majority of the areas in the country. In addition, the rising penetration of smartphones and tablets is the factor contributing to the regional market growth.
UAE is projected to attain the fastest growth due to the emergence of cities like Dubai into popular tourist centers. This enables the establishment of retail offices at a large scale. This propels the usage of indoor LBS for conducting promotional and marketing activities.
Leading players operating in this market include Cisco Systems Inc., Apple Inc., GloPos, HERE, Google Inc., inside, Micello, Inc., IndoorAtlas Ltd., Microsoft Corp., Qualcomm Technologies Inc., Navizon Inc., Ruckus Wireless, Inc., Sprooki Pte Ltd., YOOSE Pte. Ltd., and Shopkick, Inc.
Rising demand for devices such as tablets and smartphones in the region is anticipated to create potential opportunities for original equipment manufacturers (OEM). The companies in this industry are striving to acquire greater market share and the market is highly competitive. Leading players are focusing on R&D to develop new products to maintain their dominance.
Attribute |
Details |
The base year for estimation |
2016 |
Actual estimates/Historical data |
2014 - 2016 |
Forecast period |
2017 - 2025 |
Market representation |
Revenue in USD Thousand and CAGR from 2017 to 2025 |
Regional scope |
GCC |
Country scope |
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
15% free customization scope (equivalent to 5 analyst working days) |
If you need specific market information that is not currently within the scope of the report, we will provide it to you as a part of the customization |
This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For this study, Million Insights has segmented the GCC indoor location-based services market based on product, technology, application, end-use, and region:
• Product Scope (Revenue, USD Thousand; 2014 - 2025)
• Analytics and Insights
• Automotive Services
• Campaign Management
• Consumer Services
• Enterprise Services
• Location and Alerts
• Location-based Advertising Services
• Maps
• Precision Geo-targeting
• Proximity Beacons
• Secure Transactions and Redemptions
• Technology Security Scope (Revenue, USD Thousand; 2014 - 2025)
• Context-Aware Technology
• Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) and Enhanced Observed Time Difference of Arrival (E-OTDOA)
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC)
• Satellite, Microwave, and Infrared Sensing
• Wi-Fi/WLAN, UWB, BT/BLE, Beacons, and A-GPS
• Application Security Scope (Revenue, USD Thousand; 2014 - 2025)
• Monitoring
• Navigation
• Proximity
• Tracking
• Others
• End-use Scope (Revenue, USD Thousand; 2014 - 2025)
• Aerospace & Defense
• BFSI
• IT & Telecommunication
• Energy & Power
• Government
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Retail
• Transportation & Logistics
• Others
• Country Scope (Revenue, USD Thousand; 2014 - 2025)
• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
Research Support Specialist, USA