China Telecom's foray into Saudi Arabia is expected to be a boon for the growth plans of the kingdom's telecoms, which is expected to leverage the expertise and wide reach of one of the world's biggest telcos.
The Beijing-based operator, one of the big three state-run telcos that include China Unicom and China Mobile, launched its China Telecom Gulf unit in Riyadh last week, in partnership with the kingdom's biggest operator, Saudi Telecom Company, China's official Xinhua news agency had reported.
China Telecom plans to “bring its strengths” in 5G, the cloud and artificial intelligence to the kingdom, particularly to enterprises, institutions and consumers, executive director Liu Guiqing was quoted saying at the time.
China Telecom currently has about 423.43 million subscribers, according to its website, which makes it the fourth-largest globally, behind only Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and top-ranked China Mobile, which has about one billion.
With those numbers, China Telecom “has a unique perspective on future opportunities in the telecom space and has the means to test new technologies on a huge scale”, Carrington Malin, a Dubai-based independent technology consultant, told The National.
“The move bodes well for the ecosystem and promises to introduce more technology from China Telecom. Like most telecom operators, the group is investing heavily in developing AI, IoT and 5G solutions and services to drive more revenue from subscribers – this is the focus of the partnership agreement with STC,” he added.
In addition, the establishment of China Telecom Gulf also represents a significant strategic move. Hyder Aftab, research manager for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at the International Data Corporation, said the development is poised to introduce new competitive dynamics in the Saudi telecoms market, potentially driving technological innovation and infrastructure improvements, even in upcoming 6G technologies.
"The Saudi telecom market is already vibrant with infrastructure-based competition among its [local] players ... China Telecom’s entrance will further enforce the kingdom’s agile telecom wholesale ecosystem as well as significantly accelerating technological modernisation across multiple sectors," he told The National, noting that smart city development, digital government services and advanced telecoms networks would benefit most.
That would also align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 economic diversification programme, of which technology is a vital pillar, said Elie Abouatme, head of telco industry for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at California-based AI and cloud company ServiceNow.
Technology investments are crucial to the economic plans of Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's biggest economy. Riyadh also has a programme for expanding the country's information and communications technology sector by 50 per cent.
The ICT Strategy aims to establish an advanced infrastructure to accelerate the digital transformation of the Arab world's largest economy to create an “innovative future” for the kingdom, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
Tech transformation
In addition to accelerating the adoption of new innovations, the move would also drive creativity, “solidifying Saudi Arabia's position as a leader in telecom innovation and digital transformation”, Mr Abouatme told The National.
“Saudi Arabia’s telecoms industry is evolving rapidly, gaining strength and recognition. Partnerships like these reflect global trust in the kingdom’s capabilities and its potential for significant progress,” he added.
China Telecom, which is also involved in quantum technology, currently operates in 42 countries and regions, including its Dubai-based arm China Telecom Africa and the Middle East.
It is also the world's 11th-biggest telecom company by market capitalisation, with about $77 billion, data from CompaniesMarketCap shows.
In the wider Middle East, the adoption of AI and cloud services has been growing in the Middle East amid the rise of technology-savvy young consumers and an evolving digital landscape, underpinned by government efforts to develop the future economy.
The telecom industry, meanwhile, is going through a major transformation with the advent of innovations. That has prompted companies to adopt innovative technology to streamline and optimise their operations, allowing them to expand their consumer base and add new revenue lines as competition intensifies.
It is unclear if China Telecom is planning to expand further within the region. The company did not respond to a request for comment from The National.
The new partnership is not the first time China Telecom has co-operated with Saudi Arabia, and STC in particular: the companies had previously signed an agreement in May last year to, among other things, collaborate in IoT business and explore business opportunities.
That partnership particularly focused on connected car projects in the kingdom, on the back of Chinese car companies having expanded their presence in Saudi Arabia.
“The more the merrier when it comes to innovation and expertise. As networks grow in complexity and scale, the importance of adopting advanced platforms to manage telecom operations effectively becomes vital, ensuring these innovations remain impactful and sustainable,” Mr Abouatme said.
Saudi-China co-operation
In addition, the move is also seen as China stepping up its bilateral relationships in the GCC, with Beijing “keen on being a strategic technology partner” for the region, Mr Malin said, noting that more potential deals can be expected.
“Gulf telcos are likely to continue to partner with Chinese telecom companies because it's a common strategy to develop partnerships with a variety of ICT leaders … I wouldn't be surprised to hear of other big announcements from China Telecom about Saudi Arabia in the near future,” he said.
The move can also be considered a venture that "extends far beyond a simple business partnership", as it may represent a "sophisticated technological diplomacy initiative that could reshape digital collaboration in the Middle East", Mr Aftab said.
"The strategic alignment demonstrates both countries' commitment to building a comprehensive, forward-looking technological ecosystem. For Saudi Arabia, this partnership offers access to some of the world's advanced telecommunications technologies, while for China, it provides a strategic foothold in a critical regional market."
The national orchestra
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Towering concerns
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
West Indies: 154
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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World Mental Health Day
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Towering concerns
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
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Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
Ferrari
HAJJAN
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
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Comment on Coronavirus
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Our commentary on Brexit
- Alistair Burt: Despite Brexit, Britain can remain a world power
- Con Coughlin: Choice of the British people will be vindicated
Tomorrow 2021
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War on waste
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Saudi National Day
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The five pillars of Islam
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