Keynote highlights from MWC25 Doha

• Over the next five years, GCC and MENA enterprises will spend 10% of their revenues just on their digital transformation. And so, there is some significant opportunity for partnership and also for growth.
• If we zoom out to the whole of the MENA region, 51% of the population, and that's 340 million people, do not use mobile internet. That's what we call the usage gap.
• As we look to the future, it's clear that the foundations of digital transformation rest on three pillars: infrastructure, innovation, inclusion. Infrastructure gives us the strength, the networks, spectrum and investment that make everything else possible. Innovation gives us the spark, the creativity that turns connectivity into progress. And inclusion gives us this purpose, ensuring that every person, every business, large or small, and community can share in the benefits of the digital age. 

 See Vivek Badrinath’s speaker profile and discover more about the Director General of the GSMA. 

• 30% of the world's data flows through the Middle East. 90% of the data between Europe and Asia flows to the Middle East.
• Fostering new talent and an ecosystem which generates the new generation of talents from the universities is important, but its also building them into organisations like Ooredoo and not saying, "I only want to hire someone with five years expertise." You need to build that talent from the ground.
• We've looked at the map of the world and we said, "Well, the obvious play for us is to be the InfraCo player."
• When we say we're doing AI investments, sometimes it's not the frontline AI service, it's all that backend unification of the IT systems.

See Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo’s speaker profile. 

• As we look ahead, three things will be crucial to unlock the full power of AI for everyone. We must innovate, we must collaborate and we must act responsibly.
• Through our Responsible AI Maturity Roadmap, we're guiding operators on how to build AI systems that are transparent and inclusive from the ground up.
• Our members are adopting AI models that can spot attacks, detect fraud, and protect sensitive data faster and more accurately than ever before.

See Lara Dewar’s speaker profile.

• Whoever owns the hardware, whether it's humanoid robotics … glasses, pendants, neural bracelets, implants … will have access to that real-time scanning data of the world that will allow us to have agentic to physical AI.
• This future that we're going into is not just about connected intelligence, it’s about connective networks - networks that are constantly adapting, that understand the physical world.
• The GCC has been leading in a lot of work around smart cities and multimodal metropolises, there is a treasure trove of data that many countries in the GCC are sitting on ... I think there's a huge opportunity, and the GCC is well-positioned to be a leader in this newer part of AI. 

See Cathy Hackl’s speaker profile.

• Robots aren't taking jobs, they're really stepping into areas where humans have not been interested, or there's a retiring workforce and younger people don't want to take these jobs.
• I think we'll look back ... and say 'Do you remember when we didn't have robots?' 

See Peggy Johnson’s speaker profile.

• $350 billion US. That's how much the mobile industry contributed to GDP across the Middle East and North Africa last year. $470 billion US. That's how much we expect it to contribute by 2030.
• Today, almost every industry relies on mobile infrastructure and services. And as artificial intelligence continues to emerge as a transformative force across the sector, mobile is laying the foundation upon which it will function, upon which it will thrive, and upon which it will grow. And here in Qatar, we see this firsthand taking shape.

See John Guisti’s speaker profile.

• Telecoms operators today are moving beyond their traditional role of providing connectivity. They are becoming the architects of digital ecosystems, enabling transformation, fostering innovation, and empowering societies to build a more intelligent, inclusive and sustainable future.
• As AI advances in both perception and reasoning, operators will provide the crucial real-time infrastructure connecting AI to the physical world. 

See Ali Taha Koc’s speaker profile.

• Network side, we are really focusing on how we can utilise the best technology to simplify the network, to make our network more energy efficient.
• Through the RAN innovation in the UAE together with our great partner e& we are delivering a 12 TR-UBR solution, combining multiple spectrum in one radio unit: more compact, less power consumption and greener. 

See Ming Xiao’s speaker profile.

• Technology alone isn't the answer. We need to focus on strategic partnerships … and how to leverage these technologies to create a more connected, efficient, and equitable future.
• It is the thinkers, the scientists behind the scenes, that are driving innovation and change on a daily basis. They're often the unsung heroes.
• Advanced connectivity, AI, and automation are not just shaping the future, they are driving a profound transformation across all industries; from manufacturing and mobility, to finance and healthcare. And it's precisely the convergence of these technologies that's unlocking new levels of efficiency, intelligence, and responsiveness as well. 

See Neave Barker’s speaker profile.

• There is about $60 billion of cost savings opportunity for telcos from the use of AI and about $100 billion of increased revenues in terms of agentic AI opportunities.
• It's not just about the tech. It's really about the change management and the transformation that every organisation needs to take on to really get the benefit.
• It's really an opportunity for AI renaissance … for getting leaner in a smart way and also finding new revenue opportunities. 

See Silvia Candiani’s speaker profile.

• Using AI and machine learning is a good story, but let’s not forget the importance of automation. You cannot reach AI and machine learning in your product unless you have full automation end to end.
• My lessons learned for you: use AI to increase your revenue. Use AI to reduce your cost. Use AI to increase your efficiency and improve your metrics. We made it to one billion in six years; hopefully, with the AI era, we can be 10 billion in half of that time, three years.

See Hamad Mubarak Al-Hajri's speaker profile.