During LEAP 2025, Abdullah Mohammad Khorami, Chief Business Officer at Etihad Salam Telecom Company, shared valuable insights with Telecom Review about the company’s strategic vision for enhancing 5G connectivity and accelerating digital transformation in Saudi Arabia.
As a key player in the Kingdom’s evolving ICT landscape, Etihad Salam Telecom is driving innovation in next-gen connectivity, smart home solutions, and cybersecurity, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030.
What’s next for Etihad Salam Telecom Company when it comes to delivering next-gen 5G connectivity solutions and driving digitalization across sectors?
We are well positioned to continue enhancing next-gen 5G connectivity solutions and driving digitalization across various sectors. Etihad Salam Telecom Company is focused on delivering its 5G MEC Solution to establish faster and more reliable internet access throughout the Kingdom, fostering the growth of the digital economy. We play an instrumental role in advancing KSA’s ICT (information and communication technology) market, which is expected to reach USD 54.90 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.49% to reach USD 82.51 billion by 2030.
Internet penetration in KSA is projected to reach 70.99% in 2025, aligning with the development of the telecom market itself, which is expected to reach USD 19.04 billion in 2025 and grow to USD 23.07 billion by 2030.
The growth reflects Etihad Salam Telecom Company’s commitment to empowering the telecom sector through robust digital infrastructure.
Moreover, developments in the shared mobility and managed services markets are displaying additional potential. The shared mobility market in KSA is anticipated to grow by 4.71%, reaching a market volume of USD 17590.00 million by 2029. In tandem, the managed services market is projected to expand by 2.87%, culminating in a volume of USD 66.02 million in 2029. In addition to this, the AI (artificial intelligence) market in Saudi Arabia is expected to surge by a CAGR of 29% through 2030, whereas public cloud services spending could witness a CAGR of 23% through 2029.
These advances in the technological landscape underscore Etihad Salam Telecom Company's ongoing commitment to innovation and growth in delivering next-gen 5G connectivity solutions that power digital transformation across multiple sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
How is Etihad Salam Telecom Company playing a role in the creation of smart or digital homes in Saudi Arabia, and what future innovations can we expect in this area?
Etihad Salam Telecom Company is significantly impacting the digital home landscape in Saudi Arabia by offering advanced connectivity options such as high-speed broadband and fiber-optic internet services. This reliable, fast internet access is critical for enabling smart home devices to communicate effortlessly, forming the backbone of any digital residence. By integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, Etihad Salam Telecom Company provides efficient, functioning smart appliances, from thermostats to security systems. This integration is achieved through home automation systems and by implementing energy management solutions, which homeowners can control remotely, enhancing convenience and security.
Collaboration with technology providers ensures that Etihad Salam Telecom Company remains at the forefront of innovation, continuously introducing the latest smart home innovations to Saudi consumers. This strategy not only provides comprehensive technological solutions but aligns with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, underlining Etihad Salam Telecom Company's role in fostering a digitally-transformative society. To ensure these sophisticated systems work seamlessly, Etihad Salam Telecom Company provides unwavering customer support and maintenance services, addressing system issues promptly.
Moreover, Etihad Salam Telecom Company is dedicated to educating the public on the benefits of smart home technologies. Through various initiatives, including workshops and demonstrations, the company is actively increasing awareness and encouraging the adoption of these technologies.
Etihad Salam Telecom Company’s concerted efforts in bolstering connectivity and offering smart home solutions are essential in advancing the adoption of digital homes in Saudi Arabia, elevating residents' quality of life, and supporting the country’s aspirations for a digital future.
What are Etihad Salam Telecom Company's key strategies for addressing the growing cybersecurity challenges in Saudi Arabia, particularly in light of its rapid digital transformation?
Etihad Salam Telecom Company is taking proactive steps to reinforce its security infrastructure to tackle the increasing cybersecurity challenges catalyzed by rapid digital transformation in Saudi Arabia. The company's key strategies involve deploying innovative tech solutions—such as our SalamBot Solution—to shield businesses and communities from a spectrum of threats effectively. Our SalamBot boasts comprehensive surveillance, AI detection, and 360° recording capabilities, ensuring robust monitoring of the physical aspects of 5G infrastructure.
Understanding the market’s dynamics is crucial to Etihad Salam Telecom Company's approach, with the data security market projected to grow by 11.13%, reaching USD 20.33 million by 2029, and the cybersecurity market expected to expand by 8.46% to USD 687.00 million by the same year. Kaspersky’s telemetry highlights that Saudi Arabia witnessed 40 million cyberattacks in the first 11 months of 2024, marking a 44% decrease from the previous year.
With 62% of entities in Saudi Arabia prioritizing optimizing current technology and investments in cybersecurity, Etihad Salam Telecom Company places a similar emphasis on maximizing the use of its existing resources. The Saudi Arabia digital security control market, which generated USD 359.3 million in 2023, is anticipated to reach USD 780.3 million by 2030, reflecting the urgency and importance of fortified cybersecurity measures.
By focusing on harnessing advanced technology and improving existing systems, Etihad Salam Telecom Company aims to remain resilient against the evolving risks within the telecom sector and contribute to the long-term cybersecurity infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
During LEAP 2025, you will participate in a panel about designing a responsible future with AI. Can you share some insights on the impact of ensuring an ethical and beneficial AI-driven future, both regionally and globally?
As AI technology progresses, the focus on creating a beneficial AI-driven future is key, with implications that span across various spheres including social, economic, and environmental domains.
Regionally, the Middle East's investment in data center infrastructure, notably seen through Saudi Arabia's initiative to build 40 new data centers, underscores the region's ambition to become a digital services hub. This move by Saudi Arabia—with Etihad Salam Telecom Company operating key data centers in Riyadh, Al Khobar, and Jeddah—not only supports cloud services and infrastructure across the nation but also signifies a leap towards fulfilling the digital transformation goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030. The collaboration between Etihad Salam Telecom Company and TLS to expand data center capacities reflects a strategic approach to bolster the national digital landscape, catering to the computational demands of AI technologies, including machine learning (ML) and deep learning.
On a global scale, forging partnerships with international tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon introduces advanced AI capabilities to the Middle East, setting a benchmark for AI-ready data centers that can sustain the burgeoning demand. These collaborations are essential for transferring knowledge, fostering innovation, and ensuring that regional infrastructure is on par with global standards.
Ensuring an ethical, AI-driven future involves addressing several key areas:
- Data Privacy and Protection: Given that AI systems process vast quantities of data, safeguarding user privacy and ensuring the protection of data is crucial. Ethical considerations encompassing consent, data collection, and usage policies are fundamental to gain trust and encourage wider adoption of AI technologies.
- Bias and Fairness: AI systems must be designed to mitigate bias, ensuring fair and unbiased outcomes. This involves utilizing diverse training data sets and continuously monitoring AI algorithms to prevent discriminatory practices.
- Transparency and Accountability: Users should be able to understand how AI systems make decisions, and entities deploying AI should be accountable for their systems' actions and impacts.
- Sustainability: As the energy demands of AI systems and data centers increase, adopting renewable energy sources and designing energy-efficient systems will be essential to minimize the environmental impact.
A responsible approach to AI requires a collaborative effort involving government bodies, private entities, and the public to establish guidelines, ethical standards, and regulatory frameworks. By emphasizing ethical practices and sustainability, the goal of achieving a beneficial AI-driven future that aligns with social values, enhances economic growth, and minimizes environmental footprints can be realized.
This balanced progression towards integrating AI across various sectors not only supports regional aspirations like Saudi Vision 2030 but also contributes to a globally sustainable and equitable digital future.
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