Page 23 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Telcos Today Play a Key Role in Enabling a Digital Economy, Says Etisalat

Chief

Today digital proliferates the telecom vision’. Key topics were reinventing the The panel also looked into highlighting
industry with digital services deeply current telco to thrive in the future, offering best practice to avoid cable congestion;
embedded in our business models. We a multi-service player with a wide range improving connectivity between existing
are also enablers for other industries of digital services; developing the most subsea cables; and boosting capacity to
providing connectivity solutions to grow in efficient business models and strategies meet the massive growth in data, IP and
the digital economy, said Hatem Dowidar, to grow in the digital era. These discussion content demands between Asia and West
CEO International, Etisalat, in his opening topics are in line with Etisalat’s overall Africa via the Middle East. Other Etisalat
remarks at Telecoms World Middle East strategy of ‘Driving the Digital Future to senior executives who participated in
and Carriers World Middle East 2019. Empower Societies’. Dr. Kamal Shehadi, panel discussions were Omar Al Zaabi,
“Etisalat pioneered the 5G launch in the Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Vice President – Product & Capacity
MENA region through its commitment and Etisalat International, participated in a Management, Etisalat; and José L. López-
focused efforts on key strategic priorities keynote panel on ‘5G rollout: will the Gulf Villén, Director of Open Innovation & IoT
that has enabled smarter digital offerings win the race?’. Panelists deliberated on Partnerships, Etisalat. On the event’s
and transformed the ecosystem. This has a wide range of issues, including tapping second day, Gonçalo Fernandes, Senior
opened up opportunities to engage with into the 360 million mobile subscribers in Director Emerging Technologies and
business and customers in new ways.” the region; examining the need for private Design, Etisalat Digital, will take part in a
The 15th Telecoms World Middle East and sector investment to deliver 5G goals; ‘fireside chat’ on ‘Blockchain for telecoms:
Carriers World Middle East is ongoing at explaining the economic benefits and a new digital transformation tool’. Robert
Conrad Hotel in Dubai on 24-25 September. social benefits of next generation network Middlehurst, Vice President/Regulatory
The event is among the biggest and most deployment; and evaluating the necessary Affairs, Etisalat International, will share
influential telecom events in the region regulations to enable deployment and his insights into ‘Regulating AI: a matter of
focusing on the latest developments causes for concern. Ali Amiri, Group Chief urgency?’ Abid Mustafa, Director Strategy
transforming the telecoms industry, Carrier and Wholesale Officer, Etisalat, took and Customer Experience PMO, Etisalat,
such as 5G networks, AI and automation. part in a panel discussion on ‘Breaking will present a case study on ‘Documenting
Discussions covered strategy, innovation boundaries in the ME: what opportunities Etisalat’s Robotic Process Automation
and partnerships for the telecoms lie ahead?’ A multitude of topics were (RPA) journey’. He will cite the benefits of
ecosystem. Etisalat chief executives were discussed such as accessing emerging effectively automating human interaction
part of panel discussions and roundtables markets in the Middle East (ME) for global with computer software to carry out tasks
moderated by global and regional experts and regional carriers, capitalizing on autonomously; increasing responsiveness
in the region. Hatem Bamatraf, CTO, the geographical advantage of the UAE to disruption by streamlining tasks;
Etisalat International, was a key panelist in and neighboring countries, and driving and keeping the end user in mind by
the opening CEO keynote panel on ‘Driving the ME to become the subsea terminal overcoming major challenges.
digital transformation in TMT: a 2030 hub between Europe and the Far East.

23 SEPTEMBER 2019