Etisalat Chief Technology Officer Haitham Abdulrazzak told the media, “As a true pioneer, we have always embraced the latest technologies to drive the Digital Future to empower society. Accordingly, we are building an autonomous 5G network and are very excited about how 5G can transform industrial and consumer services. The 5G services we have rolled out truly enhance lifestyles and delivers significant gains in productivity in the UAE, contributing to the national innovation strategy.”

Earlier this year, Etisalat increased the foreign ownership caps from 20 percent previously to 49 percent. Etisalat notified the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, “Etisalat Group’s Board of Directors discussed increasing the ownership limit of the Non-UAE Nationals in the Company and resolved to increase such limit from 20 percent to 49 percent of its capital.”

In December, Etisalat Group announced the appointment of a new chief executive officer (CEO). The telco appointed Hatem Dowidar as their new chief. Hatem Dowidar took over the company on December 16th and has 30 years of experience in multinational companies.

Recently, Etisalat Digital and the Central Bank of the UAE launched a new blockchain technology that is expected to prevent trade finance losses. UAE Trade Connect (UTC) states that the losses via duplicated invoices can be between Dh500 million to Dh1 billion.

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Haitham Abdulrazzak, chief technology officer at Etisalat told the media, “Etisalat continuously strives for innovative solutions to bring value to our customers. Being recognised as the world’s fastest mobile network operator by Ookla in 2020, 5G will act as an important infrastructure in realising the digital future, boosting investment in the country and driving the knowledge economy.”

He added, “We are rapidly upgrading our network to deliver the quality, capacity, and overall network performance that our enterprise and consumers demand. With a new 5G Radio and 5G Core network, we will further ensure high quality, increased capacity, and greater reliability for our customers.”

Recently, Etisalat Egypt’s chief executive Hazem Metwally announced an E£5 billion worth of investments during 2021 to continue improving its services in the country.

Etisalat reported revenues of around Dh1.07 billion during the third quarter of 2020, which is an 18 percent increase year-on-year. The telco’s subscribers increased to 26.2 million during the period when compared with 26 million users in the previous quarter. According to the company, the number of customers was however less by 300,000 than the 26.5 million subscribers registered in the third quarter of 2019.

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The frequencies allocated by the UAE’s telecom regulatory body ranges between 24.25 – 27.5 GHz.

The new frequencies will allow telcos in UAE to expand the application of 5G.

With regard to the allocation of new frequencies, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director-General told the media, “This decision comes in line with the UAE Strategy for 5G and beyond (2020-2025), as the provision of the frequency spectrum for 5G contributes to building a high-standard global communication platform and enabling the UAE to use and apply the latest ICT, to provide global standards services, achieve long-term social and economic benefits in various areas such as manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and education.”

“Moreover, this initiative comes as a result of international coordination and technical studies that have lasted more than 4 years, which highlights the importance of international coordination and harmony in providing access to this important part of the spectrum,” he added.

The band will be allocated in two phases. While the first phase has already started on September 1^st, the second phase will start in the third quarter of 2021.

The number of telecom subscribers in the UAE, which includes fix lines and data services, amounted to 23.64 million in 2019, according to local media reports.

Local media also reported that the number of phone subscribers reached 18,278,817 during the period. While prepaid-service subscribers amounted to 14,655,021, post-paid service mobile subscribers reached 3,623,796.

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The live millimeter wave 5G site by du is expected to provide ultra-high mobile broadband speeds of up to 2.1Gbps using a 26GHz frequency and at the same time improve coverage, and accelerate the pace of widespread 5G usage in the country.

du, which is owned by Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), is committed to support the UAE’s governments’ plan to digitalise the economy.

Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer at EITC told the media, “du continues to deliver pioneering solutions that enhance best-in-class infrastructure and contribute to the government’s digital transformation agenda. By actively driving the latest innovative technologies and solutions, transformation achieved as a result will boost performance and increases industry standards.”

“The mm Wave frequencies will greatly improve network capacity and allow du to deliver enhanced services to an unprecedented number of mobile users. Furthermore, they will provide cost-effective 5G coverage in high-traffic areas. 5G device sales that support the mm Wave are continually rising and we anticipate higher market availability and wider adoption in the near future.”

Earlier this month, du also announced that it has entered into a partnership with Batelco, Bahrain’s leading mobile operator. Now Batelco customers will be able to use 5G services in the UAE through du’s network.

In 2019, du introduced the fifth-generation cellular network technology in the UAE by hosting live 5G consumer experiences across its retail outlets. UAE was the first country in the Middle East and fourth globally to roll-out 5G network.

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Zain launched its 5G services in Kuwait in the month of May, whereas in Saudi Arabia, the services were launched in the month of October. To date, Zain’s 5G deployment remains the largest network deployment in the region.

Bader Al Kharafi, Vice Chairman of Zain Saudi Arabia told the local media, “This momentous stride taken on our 5G journey reinforces our global position at the forefront of the implementation of this exciting technology. It is through the vision and support of the country’s leadership in markets such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia that we can make such rapid progress in this nascent area, and in turn, expedite our 5G rollout in support of both the New Kuwait 2035 Vision and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”

He added, “We are transforming into a digital lifestyle provider and are confident that our early investment in 5G will help us consolidate this position and drive us to even greater heights.”

Zain currently provides its 5G services in 27 cities across Saudi Arabia. The telco recently added Ahad Rufaidah and Wadi Al Dawasir to the list. It also operates in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa.

Earlier this month, Zain also announced that it has decided to collaborate with Ericsson to develop its 5G network in Bahrain. The company is expected to launch 5G services in the country by the end of the year.

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Besides boosting 5G services in the Middle East, the Huawei 5G OpenLab will focus on the 2B market, AI solutions, fixed wireless access (FWA), CCTV and campus private lines.

An Jian, president of Carrier Networks Business Group, Huawei Middle East told the media that, “5G development is accelerating at speeds beyond imagination, with roll-out imminent in markets across the Middle East and the wider world.”

He added, “By introducing the Huawei 5G OpenLab concept in the Middle East, we are providing the local ICT sector with a real 5G network environment in which they can experience, innovate, and verify the latest 5G applications with operators and partners. This will contribute to the development and strengthening of the local ICT sector, enabling the introduction of next-generation technology that will contribute to building a fully connected, intelligent world.”

Recently, Huawei also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Dubai government to assist the latter with initiatives related to Smart Dubai. According to reports, Huawei will collaborate with Dubai’s government to develop innovative solutions and also establish a ‘Centre of the future’ for the people of Dubai to witness technologies such as AI.

Earlier this month, a research report by Ericsson revealed that the Middle East and Africa will have 60 million 5G mobile subscribers within the next five years. A majority of these subscribers are expected to be from the Middle East. However, this only comprises 3 percent of the region’s total population.

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Many Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and UAE are expected to be among the major contributors. The UAE was one of the first countries in the MENA region and also in the world to launch 5G network services earlier in 2019.

Around 3000 delegates from more than 190 countries are expected to meet at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC19), which is scheduled to take place in Egypt from October 28 to November 22, 2019.

Jawad Abbassi, head of MENA – GSMA told the media, “The Arab states must stand strong at WRC19 to protect their interests. WRC19 is the only opportunity for years to come for countries to identify mmWave spectrum for 5G use, enabling the delivery of innovative new services for their citizens and industries.”

He added, “The stakes are high – a new generation of 5G services will depend on the spectrum decisions taken by governments at WRC19. The MENA region stands to benefit from better healthcare and education, as well as new benchmarks in industrial productivity, entertainment services, and smart transport, but only if we can secure the needed spectrum.”

The GSMA report highlights that the deployment of 5G technologies in the MENA region could be delayed significantly if the leaders fail to garner adequate support at the World Radiocommunication Conference.

An earlier report by Ericsson revealed that 5G subscriptions in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) could reach 60 million by 2024. Ericsson expects most of the 5G subscribers to be from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Meanwhile, another report suggested that 15 percent of the UAE’s populated areas shall have 5G coverage by the end of this year.

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A majority of these subscribers are expected to be from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. According to the Ericsson Mobility Report MEA, almost 90 percent of the 60 million 5G subscriptions in the Middle East and African region are expected to be for mobile broadband.

While Saudi Arabia was the first country in the Middle East to develop 5G infrastructure, many countries in the region and also in Africa are developing infrastructure in their country to deploy 5G technology.

Wojciech Bajda, the head of Ericsson GCC believes 5G will prove to be revolutionary for sectors such as oil and gas. According to him, 5G technology will help oil and gas companies to control their pipeline network more efficiently and provide security in remote areas with the help of drones.

Ericsson Middle East and Africa President, Fadi Pharaon told the media that, “The deployment of 5G networks will allow operators to develop new use cases, applications, services and revenue streams from IoT and industrial applications, sparking an unprecedented wave of innovation.”

He added, “We offer our customers an expanded and adaptable 5G platform, making it easier for them to rollout 5G and speed up network coverage. Our end to end Radio and Core 5G platform enhance network flexibility for enabling new 5G use cases, lowering latency, and lowering total cost of ownership.”

Recently, Saudi Arabia’s Zain Group deployed Middle East’s largest 5G network with 2,000 towers across 20 cities. The telecom company will gradually expand to 2,600 towers across 26 Saudi cities by the end of 2019.

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