The much-awaited Mobile World Congress (MWC 24), one of the leading global gatherings in the field of mobile phone industry and technology, has just concluded in Barcelona, Spain. The event attracted around 95,000 visitors this year to explore the latest technologies and innovations, as well as attend a wide range of conferences and seminars that highlight the latest innovations and achievements in advanced technologies including 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the growth of businesses and the quality of services in various sectors and industries.
Experts, executives, and decision-makers of leading ICT companies and smartphone brands are keen on attending this event as it is a rich platform for exchanging ideas and experiences, as well as gaining insights into the best models and use cases, as is the case for advanced communication networks integrated with capabilities of database and smart devices to promote intelligence standards across various sectors such as smart cities, health, transportation, finance, oil, and gas.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) occupies a split place on this year’s event’s agenda and showcases, as various leading ICT companies are showcasing applications and solutions integrated with AI capabilities catering to a wide range of business scenarios with the aim of improving their operational efficiency, service quality, reducing costs, and providing new and different experiences for their customers that align with their requirements during the current digital era. Experts in the telecommunications and information technology industry believe that the increasing importance of artificial intelligence lies primarily in its ability to drive technological innovation across various fields worldwide.
Representing the Bahrain community at the forefront of AI, Dr. Jassim Haji, President of the International Group of Artificial Intelligence and Executive Advisor of H.H Sheikh Nasser Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Centre, participated in various conferences and sessions at the event, and also engaged in productive discussions with key executives from Huawei, including members of their cloud and innovation management team.
Huawei, one of the key exhibitors and sponsors of the flagship international event organized a number of conferences, seminars, and discussions, and displayed their products and cutting-edge solutions for various industries, including telecommunications networks, projects, and enterprises. A significant announcement made by Huawei was the upcoming launch of their next-generation 5.5G networks within the year. Huawei experts highlighted that within five years, 5G networks have gained 1.5 billion users globally, significantly faster than the nine years it took for 4G networks to reach this milestone. Currently, 20% of global mobile subscribers are using 5G. These users generate 30% of all mobile traffic and contribute to 40% of mobile service revenue.
During the meeting with Huawei, Dr. Jassem acknowledged their collaboration with local partners in Bahrain to initiate commercialization of 5.5G networks. He emphasized the integration of these networks with artificial intelligence and cloud computing to foster the development of innovative applications and solutions. These solutions aim to enhance various sectors, including small businesses, startups, and government services, ultimately contributing to the growth and efficiency of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
During the event, Huawei organized its Cloud Summit under the theme of “Accelerate Intelligence with Everything as a Service emphasizing the role of AI-supported infrastructure in driving business growth and development. Huawei Cloud presented 10 AI-oriented innovations and extensive industry expertise of Pangu models. The objective is an AI-ready infrastructure tailored to each industry for a faster journey towards intelligence.
Dr. Jasim met with company representatives to explore the potential of cloud computing models supported by artificial intelligence (AI) in driving digital transformation across industries in Bahrain. These technologies can transform production processes, interaction and service models, and business models. Dr. Jasim emphasized the importance of integrating AI through collaboration and partnerships to foster a cloud and AI ecosystem tailored to the local market’s needs in the kingdom. Specifically, his discussions with Huawei focused on leveraging AI to fulfill sustainability goals and reduce carbon emissions in the kingdom. Huawei’s Digital Power team presented solutions for telecom operators and other industries to drive eco-friendly operations. They showcased using solar energy and AI to reduce carbon footprints and introduced “Net Zero Smart Campus” concept that was launched recently to support sustainability initiatives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
During the discussions, Dr. Jassim and Huawei team explored ways to leverage Huawei Cloud’s suite of products, solutions, services, and cloud platforms for the Kingdom of Bahrain. Notably, the Pangu model platform, powered by AI capabilities which is capable of supporting businesses with exceptional data processing, learning, and application development capabilities, tailored to meet specific industry requirements and business scenarios. The Pangu 3.0 AI model specifically tackles challenges in AI adoption, using industry knowledge to improve AI capabilities in areas like finance, government, manufacturing, and beyond. The introduction of this model is expected to drive innovation in the Kingdom and expedite economic diversification.
The discussions between Dr. Jasim and Huawei representatives concluded by outlining the upcoming stage of collaboration in developing the digital talents. They discussed opportunities to train young ICT talents in partnership with the Sheikh Nasser Center for AI Research and Development, aiming to foster the next generation of technology leaders. The meeting emphasized integrating AI into Huawei’s initiatives, such as the “Seeds for the Future” program and ICT competition, which focus on knowledge sharing and developing digital talent.