SAMENA Council, during the Arab Virtual Week for Sustainability and Environment, conjointly organized by the Environmental Center for Arab Towns and the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC), highlighted the role of Telecom Operators and ICT-enabled solutions in driving impact across various sectors, where smart manufacturing, digital agriculture, smart buildings and mobility could contribute significantly in reducing carbon potential. ICTs and other technologies such as modern sensors, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and Operators’ strategic collaborative steps to accelerate cooperation for the protection of the environment, addressing climate change challenges as well as reducing the carbon footprint through their operations, can contribute in aiding the region's burgeoning digital economies to transition to greener digital economies.
Bocar BA, CEO & Board Member, representing the voice of SAMENA Council, described how the Telecom/ICT Private Sector, even as it itself undergoes evolution, is dramatically improving the human experience (for example, the level of happiness, motivation, and productivity attained in the UAE), providing new data and voice benefits, promoting digital channels and e-commerce, bringing cloud and AI-based capabilities that benefit citizens and enable smart-city planning, and transforming core and emerging economic sectors of the region. The Arab region is digitally transforming and economic diversification visions are gradually coming to life. However, the region has to mitigate challenges associated with population growth, economic activity, high consumption rates, and high adoption rate of digital services and applications. Unless acted upon in a smart sustainable way, such challenges can place unforeseeable pressures on the sustainability and on the overall business and societal life.”
BA stated that "With Telecom Operators' enabling role in tackling Arab region's environmental, socio-economic, and urban development requirements, as well as in providing meaningful connectivity throughout the region, and that too with a sustainability mindset, it is critical that we adopt and sustain implementable policy-making and enabling regulatory approaches. Green initiatives in the region should be powered by digital development approaches and visions of digitalization and service delivery enabled by Telecom Operators."
As the Industry speedily reaches the year 2030 and evolution of network technologies, including of Wi-Fi network bandwidth and capacity, dynamic routing, and premium digital experiences become the norm; as industrial internet shapes up; as 5G moves into its next phase; and as "green" development brings energy consumption and environmental impact to the forefront of business strategies, initiatives such as the MoU signed earlier this year by stc Group, Zain, Etisalat by e&, Omantel, among others and the Saudi & Middle East Green Initiative, focusing on shaping the sustainable future through environmental protection, energy transition, and sustainability-driven programs would prove to be foundational toward meeting sustainability needs of the region.
Source: SAMENA Council Press release