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

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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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.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
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Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.