Telecoms World Middle East

Connected World KSA was an event circled on Mobilise’s calendar very early on in the year. The level of investment in truly innovative programmes, digital transformation and technology is unparalleled elsewhere in the world.

Telecom giants are being pressured to diversify and become technologically and digitally focused to keep up with tech giants such as Google and Apple. The days of telecom companies being Telco only are fading fast. This is no more apparent than in the Middle East with the likes of e& and Du repositioning themselves.

We started off the conference hearing about exactly that, from senior leaders within e&, Du, and Zain. It was fascinating to listen to their perspectives on the development and role of 5G, digital-first initiatives and AI.

Our new branding was looking spectacular as ever at our stand as we had fantastic conversations with MNOs, BSS vendors, MVNOs, ISPs and more talking about our digital solution. Throughout these conversations, one theme was constant… eSIM.

Almost every discussion we had was centred around eSIM and the clunky user experience that’s currently the norm in the Middle East - QR codes. Once we demonstrated the functionality of our HERO platform, and the seamless in-app provisioning, interest quickly grew.

One prime example was upon landing in Dubai airport, going through passport control, we were given a local plastic SIM card from Du that was pre-authenticated through our passports with free 1GB data. Immediately the first thought was, fantastic proposition, but why not eSIM?

Overall, TWME was a fantastic event for Mobilise. With plenty of opportunities to push forward over the coming weeks and months. Without a doubt, the Middle Eastern market is one to watch…