Haitham Al-Ohali, vice minister of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, recently inaugurated the National Center for Emerging Network Technologies at King Saud University. The center will help raise awareness of 5G technologies and its expanding set of applications, support local talent in this field, and strengthen 5G cybersecurity.
The launch ceremony took place in the presence of Prof. Badran Al-Omar, rector of King Saud University, and Eric Yang, CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia. The center is the result of a strategic partnership between King Saud University and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and is powered by Huawei.
The new center has been launched under the previous agreement between Huawei and the ministry. Under this partnership, the two parties aim to develop 5G applications, identify frameworks for developing local talent, enhance the Kingdom’s position as the leading and most innovative country in the region, and work toward serving common interests and goals.
Yang said: “We are honored and excited to kick off our cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology through the launch of the National Center for Emerging Network Technologies. This step aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s continuous efforts to advance digital transformation, develop digital skills, and spread a culture of innovation. This collaboration also reflects Huawei’s ongoing commitment to adopting the latest 5G technologies and supporting the Kingdom’s progress to become a global leader in this field.”
The new center will provide a platform to develop digital trust, enhance digital infrastructure, adopt emerging technologies, advance smart cities, foster digital capabilities and skills, and digital innovation.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has established partnerships with many relevant authorities and sectors in the recent past, ensuring the acceleration of innovation in the communications and information technology sector. This contributes to supporting technical research and digital education and advancing the digital innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to build a digital society, a digital government, and a thriving digital economy.
