Ooredoo Group and Ericsson Discuss Trending Topics at the Qatar Economic Forum

Saudi Arabia: gulftech :

“With 5G, the upcoming sporting events of 2022 will offer fans a rich and enhanced sports experience,unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.”, said Ooredoo Group’s Managing Director, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, during a panel discussion with Ericsson’s President and CEO, Börje Ekholm.

The panel, titled Potential and Perils of a Hyper-Connected World, is part of the ongoing Qatar Economic Forum Powered by Bloomberg and was moderated by celebrity Bloomberg anchor Emily Chang. Tackled topics included connectivity, cyber-security, 5G use-cases, and technological innovations that are helping pandemic-hit businesses transform into digitally-driven industries.

During the panel, both Mr. Fakhroo and Mr. Ekholm shared, among others, insights into the COVID-19 period, cyber-security, 5G and getting ready for the upcoming major sporting events.

Mr. Fakhroo spoke about Ooredoo Group’s preparedness and swift response to the pandemic situation, as a result of years of network investments as part of its progressive strategy. He highlighted Ooredoo’s priority during this time to make it easier for customers to find, buy and use its services online and how resilient networks have helped maintain business continuity to support a faster economic recovery. Mr. Ekholm commented that close collaboration with service providers was key to fulfill this shift in consumers’ demand with focus on upgrading network capacity to cater for these changes and deliver a strong customer experience for remote working, online education, gaming or entertainment.

Mr. Fakhroo also touched upon the importance of investing further in digital technologies to bridge the digital divide, citing as an example Ooredoo’s mobile financial services that are helping unbanked communities access cost-saving digital platforms and benefit from a range of formal, reliable and secure financial services.

Both executives emphasised the vital role of cyber-security to overcome the risks that come with being connected.

They highlighted that 5G has been designed with security built-in from the start and that building a secure 5G network requires a holistic approach, a trust stack for networks is an example of that with multiple layers from standards to products and related development processes, network deployments, and network operations at the top.

Mr. Fahkroo and Mr. Ekholm then discussed preparations for the upcoming major 2022 sporting event being held in Doha, including the role of 5G and the Internet of Things, and their impact on the event experience for fans and visitors. Speaking about it, Mr. Fakhroo said that the 2022 edition of the event is going to be the best in history.

Another timely topic on the agenda was that of digital transformation, and the role the COVID-19 pandemic has played in acting as an accelerator across businesses, verticals and industries, with Mr Fakhroo focusing on the telecommunications industry in particular.

Commenting on his panel participation, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Managing Director, Ooredoo Group, said: “I was delighted to represent Ooredoo Group at such a prestigious regional event, and to join with our longstanding partner Ericsson to share our insights into the hottest topics of this era. The core of our vision is to enrich people’s digital lives by giving them access to opportunities and enable them to enjoy the great benefits of connectivity through our advanced networks. We are proud to be working with Ericsson to achieve this and to support our country’s progress towards realising the Qatar National Vision 2030. But also to facilitate an unrivalled event for Qatar and the world in 2022.” 

Ericsson President and CEO, Börje Ekholm, said: “As part of its National Vision 2030, Qatar has made substantial advancement in the digitalisation of its society. Going forward, technologies such as 5G, AI and IoT will impact even more lives and help address some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet. We are honoured to support Ooredoo’s ambition to deliver the best user experience, including powering all of the 2022 stadiums with our 5G connectivity solutions.”

Ooredoo Group’s Deputy CEO, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, will be participating in a panel discussion from 2:00 pm to 2:45pm on Wednesday 23 June 2021. Along with other panellists, he will be exploring current opportunities enabled by connectivity and the social impact of 5G.

The Qatar Economic Forum, being held under the patronage of His Highness The Amir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani – hosting Qatari and global business leaders, heads of states and policy innovators – is being held from 21-23 June 2023. It is open to the public and interested people can register via https://www.qatareconomicforum.com, where they can also check the list of speakers and the event’s agenda.