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Doha, November 25 (QNA) - Group CEO of Ooredoo Aziz Al Uthman Fakhroo affirmed that the rapid transformations in artificial intelligence and cloud computing require governments and operators to adopt a more flexible and agile approach to developing digital infrastructure, stressing that the countries that enable infrastructure investment first will be the biggest winners in the global digital economy.
Speaking during the first keynote lecture, "Connectivity as a Catalyst for Global Progress," at the ongoing MWC25 Doha conference, Fakhroo announced an investment package exceeding half a billion dollars in new international cable projects that will redraw connectivity routes between Oman, Iraq, Turkey, and Europe through land corridors that will cut latency time by half, enabling Qatar to be connected to Marseille in under 60 milliseconds. He added that this new system will strengthen the resilience of global networks, create alternative routes that bypass current challenges in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and position the region at the center of the international data network.
Fakhroo emphasized that building digital infrastructure today is no longer merely about constructing a data center or expanding a network, but rather a fully integrated system that encompasses energy, security, data sovereignty, and environmental regulations. He noted that excessive regulatory complexity hinders growth and delays entire countries from keeping pace. He pointed out that major global companies have begun reconsidering their expansions in regions where approvals take more than 18 months, while other regions are moving much faster, giving them a clear competitive advantage. Fakhroo noted that cross-border cooperation has become both an operational and strategic necessity, especially given that the Middle East is a global logistical and digital hub, with 30% of the world’s data and 90% of data exchanged between Europe and Asia passing through it.
He also noted that Ooredoo is currently completing the final steps to launch the largest tower company in the region, asserting that infrastructure sharing between operators is no longer a technical option but an economic necessity that reduces waste and improves service quality. He added that the model where every company builds its own tower has ended, and that experience has proven that infrastructure sharing enhances network quality and reduces costs, especially in countries with wide geographic areas. He discussed to building an integrated next-generation data center platform powered by artificial intelligence, capable of delivering a unified level of service across different countries in the region, allowing global clients to have a single contract and consistent quality at every operating site.
As part of Ooredoo’s investment in digital transformation, Fakhroo revealed the company’s expansion into digital and financial service platforms in Qatar, the Maldives, Tunisia, and Oman, with plans to launch a mobile financial platform in Iraq next year.
He said that financial inclusion is a fundamental part of digital inclusion, adding that consumers and entrepreneurs cannot be part of the digital economy if they cannot pay or receive payments. He added that Ooredoo’s role is to provide this infrastructure and ensure access for everyone.
In conclusion, Ooredoo Group CEO noted that the biggest challenge facing the sector today is applying artificial intelligence to legacy IT systems in a safe and responsible way, pointing out that the real return on AI investment begins with modernizing backend infrastructure, not just launching front-end services. He stressed that developing local talent and attracting data and AI experts constitute a central pillar of Ooredoo’s strategy for the coming years. (QNA)
