LIVE FROM MWC25 DOHA: Hatem Dowidar, group CEO at e& (pictured), wants operators to take back control of their destinies and establish more relevance for customers by moving beyond connectivity, as he opened up on a push around private networks, sovereign AI cloud and drones.

Dowidar told delegates telecoms was increasingly seen as a utility, with people caring more about their smartphone than the SIM inside it, making the operator’s role essentially “invisible”.

However, he insisted the operator was still essential, doing things that no one else can, arguing more people would tolerate a power cut than a connectivity outage.

“We are empowering supply chains, healthcare, commerce and much more,” said Dowidar. “Without connectivity, these activities cannot happen. They will grind to a halt. So with the right connectivity and with the right solutions, industries will flourish and economies will thrive. We can do a lot more in every country where we operate.”

To that end, Dowidar said e& has invested heavily in an evolution beyond basic connectivity, highlighting three areas where the operator was having the most impact, underpinned by standalone 5G.

First, he pointed to a private 5G deployment with Abu Dhabi oil giant ADNOC, which covers 11,000 square kilometres and ensures its connectivity covers onshore and offshore island activities.

“This is not just for show, this is delivering real returns,” he said.

Second, the executive highlighted a sovereign cloud push in partnership with AWS. He said this would benefit all sorts of enterprises across the region with data sovereignty requirements.

Thirdly, Dowidar pushed advancement in drone technology, with e& working with the UAE’s Cyber Security Council and civil aviation authorities to deploy the devices for delivery, traffic management, public safety and more.

On the customer side, he added it was looking to advance services around digital banking and lifestyle and entertainment.

“That’s what we mean by a techco”, concluded Dowidar. “We’re not just connecting people. We are creating platforms and generating new revenue streams.”