In the midst of a global pandemic, the highly anticipated 14th edition of Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit became the first-ever hybrid event to be organised in the region. The Summit enabled industry leaders, partners and the who’s who of the telecoms world to come together both physically and virtually to explore some of the most important topics affecting the industry, namely the impact of the pandemic on the ICT sector and the future of digital transformation post Covid-19.
At the event, the Vice President of Huawei Middle East, SpaceLee (Li Xiangyu) commented on the current ecosystem and how Covid-19 affected Huawei’s business operations, “Huawei was able to provide many solutions for operators and of course, during the pandemic, Huawei’s priority was to make the network work seamlessly. Many people had no choice but to work from home or pursue online learning, as well as try their best to remain in contact with their loved ones during this difficult time.”
He added, “I think the pandemic gave the ICT industry an opportunity to accelerate the digital transformation that we have been talking about for the past 5 years. This means that the ICT industry was able to showcase its ability in bringing this transformation to the forefront. The networks here in the Middle East are stable and people were able to continue working and studying remotely without any pressing issues.”
He also stated that the pandemic indirectly introduced a new era for the ICT sector, with leading technologies 5G, cloud and AI as the foundation to help countries accelerate their digital transformation.
When asked about what he thought of the Summit’s new and improved hybrid experience, he said, “For me, it was the first physical and virtual event that I have attended. We were still able to see each other while maintaining social distancing and other safety precautions. I think the content is amazing and we can see the change.”
“We were able to meet up with old friends and this platform has given all of us a chance to reunite again. Many thanks to the Telecom Review team for making this a wonderful and memorable event for everyone.”