Even by global standards, the speed at which the Gulf has turned advanced connectivity and AI into a growth engine is striking, setting a cadence that the wider Middle East and North Africa is racing to match while grappling with uneven adoption. GSMA’s latest assessments positioned the region as a pacesetter for high-performance networks, with GCC markets anchoring rapid 5G rollout, edge-ready infrastructure, and AI-enabled operations. Projections pointed to a sharp rise in the mobile sector’s economic heft by 2030, approaching $470 billion, from recent levels near $350 billion. Connections were set to follow suit: 5G’s share, near 7% today, was expected to approach one in two by the end of the decade. Yet the acceleration sat beside a stubborn reality—broad coverage had not translated into universal use, and that gap now shaped the next stage.
Gulf momentum reshapes enterprise playbooks
The most decisive shift ran through enterprise strategies, where connectivity, AI, and data pipelines had moved from pilots to production. Qatar edged into the global lead for enterprise uptake of AI, big data, and private 5G, signaling how targeted policy, spectrum planning, and capex discipline could compress adoption cycles. Manufacturers explored ultra-reliable low-latency links for machine vision, ports trialed autonomous yard equipment, and energy firms synchronized field operations with AI-driven maintenance. By 2030, AI, mobile connectivity, and devices were set to claim nearly half of digital transformation budgets, tightening the bond between networks and software. Moreover, cloud-native cores and open RAN experiments promised cost flexibility, while cross-border fiber and data center growth improved regional resilience and latency. The net effect was a playbook others studied: invest early, modularize, and scale proofs fast.
Bridging adoption gaps demands practical levers
In contrast to headline speeds, usage remained patchy: despite extensive mobile broadband coverage, more than 340 million people stayed offline, undermining service reach and digital public goods. The GSMA framed that shortfall as both a social mandate and a market prize, where affordability, skills, and content decided outcomes. Priority actions included driving down device costs via financing and local assembly, widening entry-level data plans, and expanding community-based digital skills programs that met language and literacy needs. Content localization, especially for government services, agriculture, and micro-commerce, lowered barriers, while inclusive identity and payment rails reduced friction. On the supply side, smart spectrum policy and rural coverage obligations cut deployment costs. Taken together, the message had been clear: the region’s growth story would widen only if adoption bottlenecks were dismantled with focused, measurable steps.
