In alignment with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, Mobily is taking center stage as a digital enabler, strengthening its role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a global digital hub connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review Asia at Submarine Networks World 2024, Abdullah Alghonaimi, VP Wholesale Operations, Mobily, Saudi Arabia, shared insights on the company’s strategic role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a global digital hub, elaborated on its ambitious expansion plans, and expounded upon its commitment to cutting-edge innovations in the submarine cable and digital infrastructure sectors.
Could you elaborate on the significance of Mobily's participation in Submarine Networks World 2024?
We are participating in Submarine Networks World as a Gold sponsor, reinforcing our role as a digital enabler in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to become an international digital hub connecting the three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe.
At the conference, we are engaging with our international and regional partners to explore the latest advancements in the submarine cable infrastructure and to discuss the strategic plans for global expansion within the wholesale and carriers’ sectors. These conversations are very important as they shape future innovations and collaborations in the industry.
We are also excited to showcase our cutting-edge services and highlight the significant strides we have made as a company in recent years. Alongside this, we are actively networking with industry leaders and connecting with potential customers, fostering new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
What was Mobily’s key showcase at the event?
As a leading wholesale and carrier services provider, with an extensive national and international presence, we were proud to highlight our recent expansions, strategic investments, and key partnerships with both our domestic and global partners. These initiatives reflect our commitment to driving innovation and strengthening our position in the market.
Mobily is actively investing in a submarine consortium to develop critical connectivity solutions to connect the East to the West. In addition, we own four strategic landing stations across Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, Yanbu, Duba, and Al Khobar. These stations significantly enhance connectivity options for Mobily customers both locally and regionally by providing direct, high-speed links between Saudi Arabia and global hubs.
Tell us more about Mobily's strategy in reinforcing the digital hub’s capabilities.
Mobily plays a pivotal role in positioning Saudi Arabia as a digital hub for international submarine cable systems, connectivity, and data traffic, capitalizing on the Kingdom’s strategic geographical location connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The company’s infrastructure boasts an extensive network of submarine cables, 12 strategically positioned global Points of Presence (PoPs), and an impressive 60,000 km of fiber optic networks, ensuring robust connectivity and high-performance service.
Additionally, Mobily operates 14 Tier-certified data centers (DCs) across Saudi Arabia, providing approximately 122 MW of capacity, with an ambitious plan to double the capacity in the coming years.
These DCs are interconnected through a resilient architecture built on diverse fiber routes and DWDM technology. This advanced infrastructure is fully integrated with Mobily’s mobile, fixed, and international networks, including its submarine cables, cross-border points, international IP-MPLS, and Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), ensuring seamless and reliable connectivity across all platforms.
Over the past 12 months, Mobily has made significant investments in network innovation by strategically focusing on upgrading its infrastructure. A key area of investment in addition to the submarine cables has been the modernization of the domestic fiber networks, where Mobily has deployed cutting-edge technologies to minimize signal loss and dramatically enhance network performance. These efforts underscore Mobily’s commitment to building a future-ready infrastructure capable of meeting the growing demands of digital services.
These investments are fueling the growth of Mobily’s Digital Hub Ecosystem, enabling the company to rapidly expand its business. It’s worth highlighting that Mobily’s innovative projects have successfully attracted leading hyperscalers, international carriers, national operators, and other digital players. This advanced infrastructure not only enhances performance and reliability but also positions Mobily as a key player in the global digital landscape and as a preferred partner for digital ecosystems.
