Page 6 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY

Rising for Industry Sustainability & Efficiencies

Recent policy and regulatory developments in Saudi Arabia and the
GCC region – particularly with respect to digital transformation, the
need to enable cross-border data flows, adopting technology and
regulatory sandboxes, making beneficial use of 5G investments,
5.5G/5G-Advance development, emergence of Open RAN,
rising discussion on 6 GHz in view of WRC-23, cybersecurity
imperatives led by the likes of GCF, a metaverse-driven world of
new opportunities, the role of new verticals and economic sectors,
and the critical requirement of ICT ecosystem sustainability – are
serving as catalysts to rethink investment, sustainable operations,
sustainably developing future information-communication
technologies that are greener, end-user digital experience, and
enterprise service delivery. While accelerating progress on globally-
agreed digital development expectations, rising synergies among
ICT Industry and other Industries are giving way to new planning,
collaboration, and cooperation-building efforts.

To address the Industry’s and its adjacent sectors’ complex,
multifaceted needs, in strategic collaboration with stc Group,
Mobily, China Mobile International, the Communication, Space
& Technology Commission (CSTC) of Saudi Arabia, and the 193
Member States and private-sector driven UN premier ICT agency,
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), SAMENA
Telecommunications Council held its “Rising for Industry
Sustainability & Efficiencies (RISE)” Conference on 11th January
2023 at Fairmont Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

RISE, inspired by accelerated digital transformation in Saudi Arabia,
which has secured G5 regulatory classification with its progressive
policy-making and regulatory approaches, also brought under focus
new needs of the businesses, economic sectors and industries,
particularly ICT and Financial Services, and the society, at large.

RISE was focused on the need for ICT ecosystem sustainability, to
assist proactive engagement and industry discourse with respect

6 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023