SCWS Lands in the Middle East 

On the 18 and 19 November, SCF hosted SCWS Saudi Arabia as part of the Connected World conference, the first time SCWS has been in the Middle East. 

In keeping with Small Cells World Summit’s unique approach, the two-day conference featured a vibrant and thought-provoking exploration of the cross-section between technology and policy, focused specifically on the Middle East region. 

The MENA ecosystem is pursuing ambitious smart city, industrial, and connectivity projects – indeed while other regions and markets are focused on brown-field opportunities, the Middle East is a region still experiencing significant growth with newly-built cities, residential and leisure complexes that require connectivity. Saudi for instance has just opened a new metro system complete with full 5G connectivity. 

Indeed, the demand for scalable, robust small cell infrastructure has never been greater and so there were some robust discussions covering the technology roadmap to 2030, venue connectivity, Open RAN and pathways to densification. 

Many of the topics of discussions, specifically around challenges, are global in nature. However, we left Riyadh with some key highlights and observations that were specific to the region: 

  • The scale of the ambition really sets the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia particularly, apart. The government’s Vision 2030 was mentioned frequently across the two days and as it takes shape it is putting sectors like telecoms firmly at the center of its mission to ensure the digital transformation of its industries and communities. 
  • The neutral host market is still relatively nascent compared to other regions. However, innovators are already emerging as became clear from the presentations from local players and SCF members, and the previously mentioned growth of metropolises is providing a backdrop to drive forward indoor connectivity across the region 
  • Connectivity for stadiums and venues is big news: our stadium connectivity session was the best attended of the conference with standing room only. With the football World Cup coming to Saudi in 2034, consideration is already being given to how connectivity can be a key part of the visitor experience, meaning outdoor connectivity in densified environments is a priority 
  • There are some interesting and innovative approaches to spectrum allocation which give insight into the scale of ambition at government level to achieve pervasive, good quality connectivity. Most significantly, Saudi has allocated spectrum to a large industrial player, rather than just telcos, who plan to build platform-as-a-service solutions for enterprises. 

Not able to join us in Riyadh but want to learn more? You can find all the presentations from the conference here

And don’t forget, our next SCWS will be in the UK, taking place at the Pullman St Pancras in London on the 3 and 4 June.