MUSCAT: The 16th edition of the prestigious Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit in the UAE saw Vodafone in Oman widely complimented for successful greenfield digital operations, sustainability ambitions and cutting-edge technology, with three expert voices from the company participating in high-level panel discussions.
Under the theme ‘Global, Regional, Digital’, this year’s summit brought together a galaxy of major players from the telecommunications world, with events predominantly focusing on operations in the Middle East and Africa.
Bader al Zidi, CEO of Vodafone in Oman, participated in the key ICT Leaders panel discussion, alongside regional and international industry experts, including executives from Netcracker Technology/BostonGene, Nokia, Orange Egypt, stc Kuwait and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The panel examined governments’ expectations from ICT leaders to enhance digital services, leaders’ role in transforming the ease of network access, keeping up with expanding technology demand and how to expand/retain a qualified workforce.
“We are just starting our journey, but we have become an example of a fully digital company – agile, lean and efficient, said Bader Al Zidi. “It’s a model that works with the expertise of local and global partners to allow us to address the market faster and more efficiently, using new emerging technologies.”
He added, “Greenfield has been our biggest advantage. We are not only a traditional telco service; we think a lot on data science and provide added value to our customers. We have set ourselves up to adopt big data – using a lot of insight from customers to build personalisation and become a data-driven organisation while from a network perspective, we have been building 5G from day one.”
Other members of the panel praised Vodafone’s model and success since its entry into the Oman market in early 2022, noting how it had allowed for greater sustainability to be built into its operations.
Commenting on the success of the 16th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, Toni Eid, founder of Telecom Review and CEO of Trace Media, said: “This year, we were back together again in Dubai for two days – with a more diverse audience and insightful panel discussions. Impressively, many notable industry leaders have joined us for the first time. This two-day hybrid event of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit has been built on the success of many years of informative gatherings, finally culminating in this 16th edition. I would like to thank every partner for their support as well as our esteemed panellists including Vodafone in Oman who added valuable perspective as a newly-launched greenfield operator in one of the region’s youngest demographic populations.”
Also joining the discussions was Stelios Savvides, Vodafone Technology Director (CTIO) in Oman who provided an authoritative voice on the Sustainability in ICT & Greentech panel, joined by Philippe Vogeleer, Vodafone’s Global Head of Development, and other experts from the likes of EY, Huawei and the Project Management Institute. The panel examined subjects including the importance of incorporating sustainability in telcos’ strategies, how 5G and sustainability are intertwined and green tech aiding sustainability. Savvides outlined the importance of sustainability to Vodafone and Oman as a whole, explaining how the company’s agenda has been digital since its launch, resulting in a favourable environmental impact.
He also explained how, thanks to partners such as Ericsson and Huawei, Vodafone has achieved a significant carbon footprint reduction in Oman, added to a continued search to further its green credentials by exploring renewable technologies such as solar power.
The Summit also saw Jan Holzberg, Vodafone Commercial Director in Oman, give his expert opinions as part of The Future of Technology panel, which looked ahead to 6G, the impact of the metaverse, digital inclusion and next-gen tech, in discussion with representatives from etisalat by e&, NEC GCC and more.
Holzberg detailed the importance of technology having a positive impact on society, as well as addressing the digital divide, and how this catalyses innovation and monetisation. He also spoke about his excitement at seeing Vodafone’s impact on pushing forward new technology at a crucial juncture for the industry, as well as how a direct relationship with its customers, and huge amount of resulting data points, is allowing the company to make significant strides in the customer experience and providing a bright future.
The Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, which is held annually in Dubai, is among the largest C-level industry gatherings, bringing together the leaders of the ICT industry and governments from around the world.
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