Huawei is set to host three informative forums during the SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2025, scheduled for May 26th in Dubai. The forums will address essential industry developments, including the next evolution of 5G technology to 5G-Advanced (5G-A), telco-to-techco transformation, and sustainable ICT development – key areas fundamentally reshaping the digital economy landscape across the Middle East and Central Asia region.
The SAMENA Leaders’ Summit 2025 arrives at the peak of the region’s digital evolution. With per capita internet usage in the GCC now exceeding the global average by two hours and consumers increasingly demanding immersive, multi-modal experiences, the Summit provides a timely opportunity for global and regional ICT leaders to align on strategies that will shape the future of digital economies in the 5G-A and AI environment. Particularly significant is the region’s collective ambition, formalized in December 2024, to establish the Middle East and Central Asia as the world’s first 5G-Advanced region. This bold vision positions local carriers at the forefront of global telecommunications innovation.
Bocar A. BA, CEO of SAMENA Telecommunications Council, said, “Having entered the mobile AI era in 2025, the first year of massive adoption of agentic AI, we’re now witnessing a fundamental shift in how value is created and delivered across the digital landscape, driven by intelligence embedded at the network and service layers. We need to re-evaluate many things, including viable paths to sustainable digital transformation. The SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit provides an essential platform where industry stakeholders can collaboratively develop strategies to accelerate digital transformation, maintain momentum, and position our region as a global leader in building digital economies. This year’s discussions on experience monetization and AI integration are especially timely, as operators transition from traditional growth metrics to experience-centric value-creation.
The 5G-A Leaders’ Summit, themed “Exploring 5G-A and AI Experience Monetization, Creating New Value,” will explore how the industry transformation is driven by 5G-Advanced and how AI can create new monetization opportunities for operators. Industry leaders will unpack how these convergent technologies create unprecedented business growth opportunities, operational excellence, network enhancement, and superior user experiences.
The Summit will spotlight the changing paradigm of connectivity, where the future of individuals, homes, and businesses will be dramatically transformed by 2030. Participants will explore how AI agents will become commonplace in everyday life, providing personalized, real-time, interactive services that simplify complex tasks. For home environments, the evolution from basic connectivity to emotional interaction through AI multi-modal interfaces will be showcased, alongside how “Smart Home” and “Home Butler” services will become standard features in future households where data generation will reach petabyte levels.
As emerging services accelerate, they are placing new demands on network capabilities. With 10 Gbps downlink, 1 Gbps uplink, massive capacity, and ultra-low latency, 5G-A networks deliver a superior experience for AI-driven applications. Telecom operators, with their inherent advantage at the entry point of the AI ecosystem, are well-positioned to capitalize on the integration of 5G-A and AI. This convergence is expected to become a key engine for future revenue growth.
Secondly, the Telco to Techco Transformation Forum will delve into the three core pillars defining the techco evolution journey: business servitization, service platformization, and platform intelligentization. Building upon the groundbreaking “Techco 1.0” initiative launched by Huawei and regional carriers in November 2024, this forum provides a strategic roadmap for telecommunications companies to reduce costs, diversify services, and position carriers favorably as they advance in the digital era.
The 9th Global ICT Energy Efficiency Summit, titled “Green Sites, Building an Intelligent Future,” completes the lineup. This forward-thinking forum presents actionable frameworks for implementing greener, low-carbon energy networks that deliver environmental and economic benefits. Through a combination of technical deep dives and strategic dialogues, participants will explore how green site design contributes to carbon reduction while reducing the total ownership cost. The forum will also address evolving regulatory frameworks needed to support green digital infrastructure deployment at scale.
Phillip Gan, President of Huawei Middle East and Central Asia commented, “The Middle East and Central Asia region stands at a pivotal moment in its digital journey, with many countries releasing ambitious strategies like Saudi Arabia’s 10Gbps Society Initiative and the UAE’s Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. The convergence of 5G-Advanced and AI technologies creates unprecedented opportunities for carriers to evolve from traditional connectivity providers into full-spectrum technology companies. These three forums represent Huawei’s commitment to partnering with operators through every stage of this transformation journey—from network enhancement to business model innovation to sustainable operations.”
The SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2025 will be held on May 26th at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. It will bring together ICT policy, regulatory, and business leaders from across the ICT arena, covering the SAMENA (South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa), Central Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Under this year’s theme of “Intelligent & Sustainable Transformation of Digital Economies,” the event will reflect on the urgent need for smart and sustainable approaches to accelerating digital transformation and achieving digital growth across SAMENA Council’s markets of strategic focus.
