Mobily Signs Agreement with Huawei to Enhance its Cloud, Digital Services

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
TT

Mobily Signs Agreement with Huawei to Enhance its Cloud, Digital Services

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

Mobily has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei to collaborate on cloud services and enhance its digital and Internet of Things (IoT) B2B offerings.

The agreement is part of Mobily’s wider strategy to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies that can deliver exciting new services to the consumer, industry, and governmental sectors, according to SPA.

The partnership deal was signed during a special ceremony at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China between representatives of Mobily and Huawei.

Under the agreement, both parties will work closely on a range of areas that aim to level up Mobily’s digital offerings in Saudi Arabia.

CEO of Mobily Eng. Salman Albadran said: “Our new partnership with Huawei is the latest example of how Mobily is continuing to build upon the success we have already achieved in the digital and telecoms fields. We are investing in new technologies such as cloud computing and IoT while continuing to push ahead with further digitization and enhancement of services and solutions. As a company, we are determined not to rest upon our previous success and continue to push to higher achievements in realizing Saudi Vision 2030 goals.”

For his part, Huawei President for Middle East and Central Asia Steven Yi said: “We are delighted to have finalized this agreement with Mobily. The partnership perfectly complements the strengths of both companies in a way that will truly deliver on the goals of the MoU."

"Huawei brings extensive experience and expertise in digital technology for a wide range of use cases, and we are looking forward to working with Mobily to deliver game-changing solutions to meet the evolving needs of consumers and public and private organizations,” he added.

The MoU aims to form a framework of collaboration between Mobily and Huawei for the next 2-3 years in the two areas while setting a clear goal to create an action plan for further cooperation after signing the agreement.



Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
TT

Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)

Telecommunications companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) achieved a 12.46 percent growth in their net profits, which reached SAR 4.07 billion ($1.09 billion) during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.62 billion ($965 million) during the same period last year.

They also recorded a 4.76 percent growth in revenues during the same quarter, after achieving sales worth more than SAR 26.18 billion ($7 billion), compared to SAR 24.99 billion ($6.66 billion) in the same quarter of 2023.

The growth in the revenues and net profitability is the result of several factors, including the increase in sales volume and revenues, especially in the business sector and fifth generation services, as well as the decrease in operating expenses and the focus on improving operational efficiency, controlling costs, and moving towards investment in infrastructure.

The sector comprises four companies, three of which conclude their fiscal year in December: Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Mobily, and Zain Saudi Arabia. The fiscal year of Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications Company (GO) ends on March 31.

According to its financial results announced on Tadawul, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) achieved a 33 percent growth rate of profits, bringing its profits to SAR 661 million by the end of the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 497 million during the same period in 2023. The company also achieved a 4.59 percent growth in revenues to reach SAR 4.47 billion, compared to SAR 4.27 billion in the same quarter of last year.

The Saudi Telecom Company achieved the highest net profits among the sector’s companies, at about SAR 3.304 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.008 billion in the same quarter of 2023. The company registered a growth of 4.52 percent in revenues.

On the other hand, the revenues of the Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain Saudi Arabia) increased by about 6.69 percent, as it recorded SAR 2.55 billion during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 2.39 billion in the same period last year.

Commenting on the quarterly results of the sector’s companies, and the varying net profits, the head of asset management at Rassanah Capital, Thamer Al-Saeed, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Telecom Company remains the sector leader in terms of customer base expansion.

He also noted the continued efforts of Mobily and Zain to offer many diverse products and other services.

Financial advisor at the Arab Trader Mohammed Al-Maymouni said the financial results of telecom sector companies have maintained a steady growth, up to 12 percent, adding that Mobily witnessed strong progress compared to the rest of the companies, despite the great competition which affected its revenues.

He added that Zain was moving at a good pace and its revenues have improved during the second quarter of 2024. However, its profits were affected by an increase in the financing cost by SAR 26.5 million riyals and a rise in interest, while net income declined significantly compared to the previous year, during which the company made exceptional returns.