The evolution of 5G: the Gulf’s path to an ultra-connected future

This article is part of the MWC Doha Tech Trends series, which introduces essential technology topics ahead of our 2025 event in Qatar. Here, we explore the prospects that network futures bring to economies in the GCC and what the region is doing to prepare for the next pinnacle of connectivity. 

Find out more about the focused 5G Futures Summit at MWC25 Doha.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) launched some of the world’s earliest and most sophisticated 5G networks. The Arabian Gulf region is now experiencing a transformative shift with the rapid deployment of 5G technology, driven by strong government support, ambitious digital transformation roadmaps and significant investments in telecoms infrastructure. 

Since 5G took off around six years ago, the focus has been on capability building. Qatar proved its readiness with large-scale activity and the handling of record-breaking data traffic management when it hosted the first 5G-enabled FIFA World Cup in 2022. In the meantime, other GCC countries have also been reinforcing networks, talent and research, with ambitious timelines to reach the next milestones of 5G-Advanced and 6G. 

GCC 5G big-name partnership highlights  

Technology alliances provide the collective strength propelling the GCC forward. Long-term agreements with global giants are advancing AI-driven hardware, multi-antenna technology and multi-cloud modernisation.  

• Ericsson and Ooredoo (AI-driven radio access networks (RAN), microwave backhaul, massive MIMO, cloud enhancement, charging platform upgrade))
• Nokia and Vodafone Qatar (multi-cloud core, AI assurance, converged charging, analytics, automated slicing)
• Nokia and Batelco / Huawei and stc (Bahrain’s first industrial 5G private network / 5G-Advanced and AI services)
• Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson and e& (5G coverage upgrades and service innovation)
• Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia and du (5G-A, carrier aggregation, network slicing, RedCAP, RAN and edge computing)
• Juniper Networks and stc (more than 75 cities in Saudi Arabia now served by 5G)
• Omantel and Airgain (smart 5G repeaters for coverage expansion, with R&D tailored to the MENA market) 
   

In the GCC alone, 5G subscriptions could reach 62m by the end of 2026 – around 75% of the mobile market. 

5G-Advanced – the Gulf’s connectivity stepping stone 

With strong foundations in place, there is plenty of space for operators to spread out fully into 5G markets. In parallel, regional leaders are already thinking ahead to the possibilities of the next network generation. In anticipation of data societies that will continue to grow, along with the benefits of regional knowledge-share and export potential, a cohort of Gulf countries are tapping into the relatively new field of 5G-Advanced (5G-A or 5.5G). 

From network source to user experience, the list of 5G-A advantages is extensive and includes: 

• More intelligent systems
• Greater adaptability
• Energy savings
• Better reliability
• Faster data
• Smarter network management 

These halfway-house enhancements to traditional 5G are necessary steps to a 6G world, helping telcos to ease the high-pressure demands of data traffic on communications networks. 5G-Advanced is a critical enabler of the mobile AI that forward-planning countries are designing into almost every aspect of day-to-day living. Up-to-the-minute technology such as beamforming, edge computing and massive MIMO are the keys to creating ultra-responsive 5G-A environments across industry and entertainment.  

The GCC’s next leap forward with 5G-Advanced 

Kuwait launched 5G-A technology this summer, in support of its National Vision 2035. This rollout placed the GCC nation among the first countries in the world to offer commercial 5G-A to individuals and businesses. Efforts were nationwide, with collaborations between Huawei, Knetco and CITRA, along with the country's three major operators - Ooredoo, Zain, and stc. Also this summer in the UAE, operator du and vendor Huawei announced the activation of groundbreaking dual band active antenna 5G-A technology on du’s live network. 

Similar plans are fast-tracking wider availability across the region, quickening potential to transform economies with solutions that add breadth and depth to industrial capability and online engagement. 

5G-A use case examples 

• Extended reality and ultra-responsive entertainment
• Indoor positioning and asset tracking
• Satellite and drone-assisted network coverage
• AR-guided surgery
• Advanced diagnostics and next-gen digital twins
• Highly accurate, real-time sport event systems
• Better HD streaming (low-latency uplink and downlink)
• Precision drone labour  
• Real-time fraud detection

MWC Doha – engage with tomorrow 

MWC25 Doha brings together tech creators, government officials and network capability businesses, creating opportunities for collaborations across the globe. We host action-focused conversations and showcase the very latest in 5G, 5G-A and 6G intelligence. This November, the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center becomes the must-attend meeting point for anyone invested in the future of connected systems in MENA and beyond. 

Register your place or find out more about sponsoring and exhibiting.

RedCap and Industry 4.0 in the GCC 

5G RedCap software marks a defining moment in the global network evolution, allowing the expansion of services including industrial IoT, smart wearables, intelligent grid monitoring and surveillance video. Likewise, eRedCap will continue to elevate IoT for commercial use from 2026 onwards, becoming indispensable for mass deployment of devices by providing greater cost efficiency, data bandwidth reduction, lower complexity and longer battery life.  

Industry 4.0 applications are particularly relevant in Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as World Economic Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are additionally WEF global Advanced Manufacturing Hubs, engineering sustainable innovations that create competitive advantage for nations with their sights set on a decarbonised future.  

Qatar’s top three manufacturing industries are chemicals, metals and minerals; fast growing sectors include medtech, F&B and packaging.  

5G RedCap and eRedCap enablement can bridge the gap with IoT and broaden the 5G environment in manufacturing by reducing downtime and enhancing elements such as: 

• remote monitoring
• energy efficiency
• advanced automation
• process flows
• quality control
• supply chains 

In the UAE, operator e& recently announced  the first commercial deal for Ericsson’s RedCap solution in MEA, to expand its 5G radio access network. 

6G academic leadership in the Gulf 

As 5G and 5G-A adoption continues to expand, GCC countries have one eye on preparedness for the next iteration of wireless technology. Cutting-edge research labs and technology centres are working to unpack potential in terahertz (THz) spectrum, free-space optics, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and distributed networks. 

• Qatar
  The Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University is partnered with Quantinuum to access world-class quantum systems, Q-CRTL for advanced training tools and NASA to push the boundaries of quantum and 6G-enabling tech.
• The UAE
  Khalifa University’s 6G Research Center (6GRC) developed TelecomGPT (with the Abu Dhabi Technology Innovation Institute). 
  Ericsson and e&, and du and Nokia signed MoUs to explore 6G use cases, AI-native networks, ultra-high-speed connectivity and next-gen security.
• Oman
  The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has allocated spectrum for operators in the Sultanate to conduct fee-exempted 6G innovation.
• Saudi Arabia
  Ericsson and King Abdullah University of Science & Technology and the 5G/6G NETLab are developing key technologies.
• Bahrain
  Talks are underway with vendors including Nokia, Huawei and Ericsson for early 6G trials.
  Polymatech are investing in a custom-built local semiconductor facility – a first in MENA – to produce chips tailored for 6G systems.  

Initiatives like these will help to lay the groundwork for the connected digital-physical world that lies beyond 2030. In fact, many national visions are converging on 2030 as the earliest due date for the mobile network’s 6th generation.  

But, for these 2030 societies to emerge, 5G must continue to fill out in tandem, accumulating consumer and industry support to enable the mobilisation of new technologies.  

6G and the path to 2030 in the Arabian Gulf 

At potential data speeds reaching 50 to 100 times faster than 5G, the possibilities that 6G unlocks are far-reaching. But this is not just a simple upgrade to faster devices. The imagination is the only horizon when it comes to theoretical applications. From holographic teleportation, haptic communications and sensory digitisation via bio and nano IoT, to battery-free tech, integrated space-air-ground-sea networks and science-fiction level robotics, 6G could support technology that will completely transform the way we work and how we live. For GCC countries with space programmes and sovereign satellites, 6G holds special promise. 

However, the most likely 6G applications in the early 2030s in the Arabian Gulf and the wider MENA region align with smart cities, industrial IoT, augmented and virtual realities and with enterprise verticals supported by 5G-A infrastructure.  

Bookmark the MWC Doha Industry Insights page for more Tech Trends articles addressing the biggest technology opportunities of 2025 in MENA – from the AI economy to smart city innovations and advanced digital security – it’s all covered. 

Secure your pass for our dedicated 5G Futures Summit at MWC25 Doha. 

Definitions: 

• 5G-Advanced: Also 5.5G; includes new features and capabilities to enhance telecoms performance, management and specific use cases, bridging the gap between 5G and future 6G.
• 5G REDcap: a simplified form of 5G connectivity that allows lower cost and lower power in sensor-based technology.
• 5G eREDcap: a 5G variation that enables reduction of device complexity and bandwidth requirement.
• AI Assurance: Evaluation of AI processes including performance testing, data assurance, compliance audits, and risk assessment.
• Beamforming: a signal-processing technique used to focus radio waves or sound waves in a specific direction, enhancing signal strength and reducing interference.
• Convergent charging: the simplification of charging and billing by managing all users and services on a single platform.
• Edge computing: processing of data on a device or a local server to reduce lag and bandwidth.
• Microwave backhaul: the use of microwave radio frequencies to transmit data wirelessly between network sites.
• Massive MIMO: multi-antenna technology for faster speeds and better coverage; MIMO stands for multiple-input multiple-output; massive refers to the number of antennas, not their size.
• Network slicing: a 5G term for the division of a shared physical network architecture into multiple, smaller, independent networks, configured for different services.
• Radio Access Networks (RAN): antennas and base stations.