On May 26, 2025, in Dubai City
The SAMENA Telecommunications Council Leaders’ Summit 2025 is taking centre stage in Dubai City on May 26, 2025, having drawn together high-profile policymakers, regulators, and ICT industry leaders from the SA-ME-NA (South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa) region and beyond.
This year’s Summit is framed around the transformative theme ‘Intelligent & Sustainable Transformation of Digital Economies.’ The day-long event is expected to make substantial progress aligning government strategies with the private sector’s capacity to innovate and scale.
The 2025 Summit aims to strengthen the alignment between telecom operators, technology providers, and government agencies. In a world where digital growth must be intelligent and sustainable, the decisions and partnerships formed at this Summit are expected to have far-reaching impacts across the SA-ME-NA region and the broader global digital landscape.
As the region accelerates its focus on AI, 5 G-Advanced, and sustainable smart infrastructure, stakeholders are unified in their vision to shape inclusive digital economies that can serve future generations.
The 2025 edition of the Summit arrives at a crucial time when regional collaboration is essential for navigating the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation. The Summit features closed-door regulatory roundtables and strategic sessions as a high-level platform for dialogue and action on core digital economy issues.
The UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is the chief patron of this year’s event. Among the key highlights is the Multi-TRA Forum, chaired by the TDRA-UAE, and the G20 Inter-Ministerial Roundtable, organised in cooperation with South Africa’s Ministry of Communications.
These forums aim to solidify cross-border efforts to improve spectrum allocation, fortify cybersecurity, streamline digital infrastructure policies, and promote inclusive growth for smart cities and underserved communities.
This year’s Summit is a landmark gathering in the global digital policy and infrastructure arena and enjoys strong backing from major regional and international stakeholders. Mobily, the event’s platinum sponsor, is keen to demonstrate its leadership in digital innovation and infrastructure in Saudi Arabia at the Summit.
Nezar Banabeela, CEO of Mobily, noted: “Mobily is proud to be a leading sponsor of the SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2025 — an important platform that echoes our ambition to foster intelligent and sustainable digital growth.
“As we expand our investments in submarine cables, FTTH, data centres, and next-generation 5G networks in Saudi Arabia, our focus remains firmly on building a resilient digital infrastructure that can meet the evolving demands of our customers across Saudi Arabia and the region, with our long-term focus on building a sustainable digital economy.”
ZTE Corporation, a global ICT solutions provider, joins the SAMENA Telecommunications Council Leaders’ Summit for the first time as the gold sponsor and newest member.
Darren Zhao, President of ZTE Middle East and Africa, said: “It is a significant milestone that ZTE participates for the first time as the gold sponsor of the SAMENA Summit, a platform that aligns perfectly with our conviction in advancing the intelligent and sustainable transformation of digital economies.”
Headquartered in Dubai, the SAMENA Telecommunications Council is a development partner to regional governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders in co-creating a thriving and sustainable ICT ecosystem. It supports long-term growth, attracts investment, and expands value creation through innovative, collaborative approaches in digital services, data regulation, spectrum management, and industry fees and taxation.
Image: The 2025 edition of the Summit arrives at a crucial time when regional collaboration is essential for navigating the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation. Credit: Melquizedeque Almeida
