May 21st, 2014 — Issue 43 April/May 2014
There is no doubt that the telecom industry is one of the few that has revolutionised the way people live. Maybe the airline or automotive industries have had a similarly profound impact, and it would be very hard to imagine life without Internet, business without emails, and such. In today’s connected world, telecommunications has become a lifeline that we simply cannot do without.
Mohamed Jamoussi, Senior Advisor, Saudi Telecom Group
March 31st, 2014 — Issue 42 February/March 2014
An eye-catching development at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year, was the announcement that a total of eight network operator groups from across the Middle East and Africa had entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate an initiative to proactively explore greater cooperation with respect to infrastructure sharing.
February 20th, 2014 — Issue 42 February/March 2014
The last year has seen the very definition of connectivity evolve as the technologies, services, and the companies behind them underwent widespread transformation. Reflecting on the many revolutionary changes taking place within the Middle East’s flourishing telecommunications sector, Mr. Shi Yaohong, President of Huawei Middle East, sheds light on how the global solutions provider has sustained business growth in an increasingly competitive market, and outlines plans for supporting partners and customers in the region during the year ahead 
January 19th, 2014 — Issue 41 December 2013/January 2014
2013 was a tricky year for mobile operators in the Middle East and Africa as they struggled to maintain margins at previous highs. It was also the first full-year in which capex spending rebounded strongly for the first time since the start of the global economic recession in 2008, with CEOs having to act particularly strategically with respect to where to invest further resources 
January 12th, 2014 — Issue 41 December 2013/January 2014
The phenomenal growth in mobile data traffic since the launch of the first 3G networks a decade ago has been well documented. This surge in usage has only accelerated as networks and connecting devices have grown in sophistication and processing power, and Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) is a firm believer that intelligent management of mobile broadband infrastructure is necessary for operators to fully maximise the opportunities 
Marko Teivas is Senior Solution Manager, Packet Core Sales Team, NSN
Batelco has successfully activated 5G coverage across Bahrain, which is available in all four governorates, covering 95% of the nation’s population. The telco’s launch of the network makes Batelco the first operator to provide national 5G coverage in Bahrain.
Omantel has renewed and expanded its managed services agreement with Ericsson for a further five years, with the renewed agreement being more outcome-based and customer-centric.
South Africa-headquartered MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter will step down from his role at the end of his fixed four-year contract in March 2021, having given no explanation why he would not seek to stay on beyond that date.
Nokia CEO and president, Rajeev Suri, is set to step down from his position later this year, to be replaced by Pekka Lundmark, currently CEO and president of energy company Fortum. The move comes as Nokia struggles to keep pace with the global shift to 5G.
Following Zain Group’s regional milestone announcement in November 2019 that its operations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia had successfully launched the first 5G roaming service across the MENA region, Bahrain telco Batelco has announced partnering with the UAE’s du to deliver 5G international roaming services in the UAE.
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