Building on its annual theme, ‘Global. Regional. Digital,’ the 18th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit concluded successfully after two dynamic days. The event brought together a diverse group of professionals, including telecom operators, vendors, industry regulators, government officials, content providers, cybersecurity experts, consultants, and more.
The Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit once again solidified its reputation as one of the most anticipated and largest ICT events in the industry. This year’s edition welcomed more than 600 distinguished guests from across the ICT sector, supported by industry partners and sponsors.
From December 10-11, 2024, the conference hall and demo exhibition area were packed with attendees, fulfilling the event’s goal of providing informative sessions and delivering an extensive platform for brand promotion and networking.
Reflecting on the resounding success of the event, Toni Eid, Founder of Telecom Review, and CEO of Trace Media International, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all participants, speakers, sponsors, and partners who contributed to making the 18th Telecom Review Leaders' Summit a landmark success. “These milestones reflect our unwavering commitment to recognizing and fostering leadership within the telecom and ICT industry,” he remarked.
Eid emphasized the Summit's theme, Global. Regional. Digital., as a reflection of the sector’s evolving priorities, and praised Dubai as an ideal host city for fostering innovation and collaboration. He also shared exciting updates about Telecom Review’s global expansion, including new coverage in the Americas and Europe, signaling its growing influence in the industry.
In closing, Eid expressed gratitude to participants, speakers, and partners for their contributions to the event’s success. “This year’s discussions have set the stage for transformative advancements, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for the 19th edition next year,” he concluded.
Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit: Day 1
This year’s summit raised the bar higher with distinctive, top-notch speakers, all thanks to the participation of the most influential figures in the ICT industry from across the world, representing the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Americas, and Asia Pacific regions.
Opening the floor for the 18th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, Toni Eid addressed the audience with a welcome note.
During the first day, Eng. Tariq Al Awadhi, Executive Director, Spectrum Affairs Department, TDRA, graced the attendees with his presence and delivered the official opening keynote. Fireside chats took place whereby the natural evolution of du was discussed between Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO, du, and Telecom Review Founder, Toni Eid; and Netcracker's vision for telecom's future was dissected by Issam Eid, CMO Africa, Levant, KSA, and Qatar, Telecom Review Group, and Sylvain Seignour, President of Netcracker Technology.
The 'Telecom Leaders’ Panel’ (session 1) included key figures such as Sylvain Seignour (Netcracker Technology), Seizo Onoe (ITU), Vikram Sinha (IOH), Bader Al Zidi (Vodafone Oman), and Mohamed Nasr (Telecom Egypt), who discussed leadership strategies in a rapidly evolving sector.
The ‘AI Empowering Highly Autonomous Networks’ panel, powered by Huawei, brought together AI experts Amaru Chavez-Pujol (Bayobab), Najla Alkaabi (du), and Fernando Camacho (Huawei), to explore the impact of AI on network autonomy. Chavez-Pujol emphasized the need for the thoughtful implementation of AI in telecom networks, noting the importance of feeding accurate information to AI systems for optimal results.
During the panel powered by AWS, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Network Cloudification,’ panelists Dr. Ibrahim Gedeon (Guardian SafetyNet), Danial Mausoof (Nokia), Shadi Khuffash (Fortinet), and Ari Banerjee (Netcracker) discussed the potential of cloud-based network solutions. Mausoof touched on the role of GenAI in optimizing network performance, noting its dual role in enhancing predictive capabilities and introducing inherent risks.
The panel, ‘Wholesale Industry’s Significant Influence in the Era of Multi-Connectivity,’ featured Anup Gupta (APTelecom), Mohammed Aliyu (Bayobab), Obaid Rahman (du), and Eng. Amjad Osama Arab (Salam), and focused on the influence of multi-connectivity in a rapidly interconnected world.
Moreover, the panel titled, ‘World First 5G-Advanced Region Sets Sail,’ featured notable industry leaders, including Fayez Abu Awad (GSMA), Dr. Khalid Al Awadi (TDRA UAE), Hicham Siblini (Ooredoo Qatar), Ramy Boctor (Vodafone Qatar) and Stelios Savvides (Vodafone Oman). Additionally, Dr. Ayman Elnashar (e&), Hasan Alshemeili (du), Allen Tang (Huawei MECA), Zoran Lazarevic (Ericsson MEA), and Mohamed Samir (Nokia), contributed to the rich dialogue, addressing the strategic advancements and challenges in deploying 5G at scale and how it is shaping the future of digital infrastructure across the region.
Lastly, the ‘Women in ICT’ panel showcased thought leaders such as Chrystelle Briantais (PMP Strategy), Najla Al Kaabi (du), Jennifer Parkhill (Verizon), Gina Perini (Somos), and Dalia El Gezery (e& Egypt), all of whom highlighted the role women play in driving innovation and inclusion within the ICT sector.
As part of the 18th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit’s closing agenda for the first day, Telecom Review Group expressed their appreciation to all sponsors through a special certificate of appreciation ceremony.
Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit: Day 2
The second day featured a series of impactful panels, a compelling opening keynote, and an engaging fireside chat.
Eng. Mohammed Jadah, Director of Wireless Networks and Services at TDRA, delivered the opening keynote, highlighting the advancements being made in wireless networks and their critical role in driving digital transformation.
The Telecom Leaders’ Panel (session 2) explored industry opportunities and challenges, featuring a notable opening keynote by Osman Sultan (Fikra Tech), who was then joined on stage by Dr. Bilel Jamoussi (ITU), Mikhail Gerchuk (Power International Holding), Johannes Hummer (Vodafone), and Rob Beswick (Virgin Mobile UAE). Sultan concluded by urging the industry to embrace greater collaboration, noting that the future of telecom requires more unity and innovation to thrive in an increasingly connected world.
The panel, ‘The Expanding Role of Hyperscalers in the Cloud Market,’ showcased insights from experts Rick Kapani (Apptium), Noman Waheed (Nokia), Mohamed Hamouda (NEC GCC), Maria Stebneva (Juniper Networks), Majid AlNaqbi (du), and Pavel Vishnyakov (Huawei Cloud ME&CA); while the ‘What AI Means for Telcos and Consumers’ panel dissected how artificial intelligence is transforming telecom and consumer experiences, featuring input from Ned Taleb (Reailize), Mounir Ladki (MYCOM OSI), Paweł Workiewicz (Comarch), Monty Hamilton (TELUS), Benedetto Spaziani (Netcracker Technology), Mohamed Bakry (Cisco), Samer Geissah (Nokia), and Dr. Mahmoud Sherif (du). Workiewicz also underscored the importance of data unification in enabling autonomous networks.
The fireside chat bolstered by du Youth Council representatives, Maha Almarzooqi (du) and Rashid Alsaadi (du), emphasized the role of AI and advanced technologies in empowering the youth.
Infrastructure experts, Maria Stebneva (Juniper Networks), Femi Oshiga (CommScope), Rashid Al Ahmadi (InfraX), Jérémie Mekaelian (Sofrecom), Tony Geheran (StrategiC Broadband Consulting), Hasan Alshemeili (du), and Emaad Ahmed (Huawei ME&CA Region) identified ‘How Industry Leaders are Deploying Infrastructure Strategies’ in a panel discussion that took a fascinating turn as speakers delved into the intricate interplay between standardization, innovation, and the evolving human factor within the telecom ecosystem.
Cybersecurity took center stage as Charbel Sarkis (Fortinet), Dr. Ibrahim Gedeon (Guardian SafetyNet), Ari Banerjee (Netcracker Technology), Dr. Lidia Stępińska-Ustasiak (Polistratos Institute), Issa Chini (One37), and Chief Nishan Duraiappah (Peel Regional Police) explored data privacy and regulation. Dr. Gedeon added that firewalls alone are not enough in today’s threat landscape; with threats coming from all directions, collaboration between vendors and customers is essential.
Finally, discussions concluded in the last panel of the summit, through which Nicolas Levi (du Pay), Edgard Tawk (Eurisko), Vivek Yadav (PMP strategy Dubai), and Abdulaziz Qambar (Fimpact Group), highlighted telecom’s evolving role as a key technology player and explored the ‘Future of Digital Financial Services.’
Telecom Review Excellence Awards: African Telcos and Leaders Excel
One of the highlights of the 18th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit was the annual Telecom Review Excellence Awards ceremony, which honored leading ICT brands and leaders for their achievements throughout the year and was followed by the annual gala dinner.
Commenting on the success of the event, Toni Eid, Founder of Telecom Review Group and CEO of Trace Media International, said, “A heartfelt thank you to all participants, distinguished speakers, and partners for their unwavering support in the huge success of the 18th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit.”
Jeff Seal, Chief of the Awards Committee, Managing Partner, and Editor-in-Chief, Telecom Review Americas, added, “In 2024, the Telecom Review Excellence Awards set a new benchmark, attracting significant industry interest with a record-breaking number of global nominations. To accommodate this, we introduced more distinct awards on a global and regional scale. These awards remain the industry standard for peer recognition, thanks to the thorough deliberation by our esteemed panel of global experts. Congratulations to all the winners, and we look forward to another celebration of excellence next year!"
