Nokia and Saudi Arabia's Zain KSA Sign MOU to Develop 5G Solution Using Cloud RAN and AI RAN

Saudi Arabian telecom operator Zain KSA and Finland's Nokia announced on February 11, 2025 the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop 5G/5G-Advanced solutions using Cloud RAN and AI RAN. The aim is to build a future-ready infrastructure to meet the growing demand for open wireless networks and to accelerate DX in Saudi Arabia's telecommunications sector.

The two companies have also recently completed a successful live trial of Saudi Arabia's first 5G-Advanced Cloud RAN solution. With this agreement, Zain KSA will use Cloud RAN to provide a flexible and scalable network infrastructure with improved reliability and performance. AI RAN will also enable advanced automation and real-time analytics to improve user experience and operational efficiency, and will serve as a key enabler of next-generation technologies such as 6G, IoT, and AI.

Commenting on the partnership, Mohammad Abdulaziz AlNujaidi CTO of Zain KSA said, "This is a strategic step to build an intelligent network with increased agility, leveraging the latest cloud and AI technologies," adding, "This will provide the future foundation for innovation and continue to drive DX across the country."

Materials

• Zain KSA, Nokia Sign MoU to Drive 5G
• Zain KSA, Nokia Partner to Advance 5G Cloud RAN and AI RAN Solutions