SAMENA Telecommunications Council held its Rising for Industry Sustainability & Efficiencies (RISE) in Fairmont Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 11, 2023. The conference was held in 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).
As new digital applications, services, platforms, business and operating models emerge, including for terrestrial and satellite service providers, the RISE Conference focused on fostering an understanding of the complex concept of “ICT sustainability” and on rising to new challenges and making progress.
The Conference began with exploring what the future looks like for all stakeholders, including Operators, in a meshed world where economic, social and business activities require advanced, resilient and secure telecom networks. Keynotes and discussion sessions examined various aspects of a sustainable digital future, and the types of policies, strategies and measures required to ensure, for example, that ICTs are transformed to become greener, enabling a truly sustainable digital future.
Assisting proactive involvement and industry conversation within the SA-ME-NA area as well as among regional policymakers and regulatory bodies, RISE is a new flagship leaders-centric industry forum by SAMENA Council. RISE is expected to help usher in 2023 with new insights on ICT sustainability and how ecosystem participants could advance in achieving both personal and societal goals for digital transformation.
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 society at large.
At a time when Saudi Arabia’s MCIT, under the leadership of H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, is leading key digitalization efforts across the public sector and when a robust and cutting-edge digital architecture has been created in Saudi Arabia in alignment with the national Vision 2030, the RISE Conference aimed to extend knowledge support on multiple areas.
The Saudi Communication, Space & Technology Commission (CSTC, formerly CITC), led by H.E. Governor Dr Mohammed Altamimi who delivered a keynote during the opening of RISE, also has been a decisive force that has empowered the Saudi ICT ecosystem to progress and grow in the desired national policy direction. The Commission continues to emphasize the need for regional regulatory authorities to enhance strategic cooperation in developing the digital economy and is pursuing a long-term vision of digital transformation and sustainability at its heart.
ITU is a specialized ICT agency by the UN, which has been advancing the need to confront opportunities and challenges thrown by ICTs in the area of job creation, economic growth, education, governance and innovation. This requires newness via key industry decision-makers to hold dialogue on important issues.
To advance the conversation on sustainable ICT development, RISE also brought together influential private-sector leaders from a variety of industries, including those from the financial services sector, terrestrial connection providers, and important stakeholders in the space ecosystem.
Eng. Olayan AlWetaid, Group CEO of stc and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAMENA Council, who delivered a welcome message during RISE, said “As the Kingdom’s maturity shifts into a world-class digital nation driven by Vision 2030, among the many initiatives now taking place within the Kingdom, the RISE Conference is structured to address the emerging needs and challenges of the digitally transforming businesses, economic sectors, telecom industries and the society at large becoming a platform toward sustainability in investment and improved collaborations.”
Eng. Alhamedi Alanezi, CEO of ARABSAT and board member of SAMENA Council said “The future of sustainable innovation and development in the ICT field has to be anchored on complementarity between the terrestrial and satellite industries with the objective of not only empowering urban communities but to also not leave anyone behind. Alhamedi added that a robust digital economy is not resilient and sustainable enough without bridging the digital divide.”
Eng. Salman Al Badran, CEO of Mobily and board member of SAMENA Council, who was among the key partners to make RISE possible, had stated that “We support SAMENA Council’s initiative to address ICT sustainability challenges and various other issues.”
Mr Bocar BA, CEO and also a member of SAMENA Council’s board said “The RISE Conference aimed to add a new dimension to how key stakeholders from within the ICT Industry, including terrestrial and satellite segments and beyond, and now also from leading financial institutions, need to work together to overcome the challenge of building next-generation digital infrastructure, which should ensure digital inclusion and sustainability in investments and in ICT development.”
