The second Gulf Business Breakfast Briefing of 2025, held on April 23, highlighted innovation and emerging technologies, bringing together prominent figures from telecoms, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and blockchain. These sectors are rapidly establishing themselves as the foundation of the region’s economic future.

The event featured a series of panel discussions, including topics such as the impact of 5G Advanced and the transition from traditional telecom companies to digital service providers. There was also a focus on the rise of sovereign cloud services and their implications for data security and innovation in telecommunications. Neesha Salian, Editor of Gulf Business, moderated the session, which included notable speakers such as Iwan Stella from Ericsson and Sameer Jameel from Huawei.

During the ‘Telecoms & Cloud – The Next Frontier’ session, Sameer Jameel remarked that “5G-A will always be part of the 5G legacy,” emphasizing the shift from traffic monetization to experience monetization. He explained that challenges still exist, especially for applications like live streaming at events. The demand for high bandwidth in sectors such as smart cities, manufacturing, and agriculture was also highlighted, showcasing the extensive capabilities of 5G technology.

The event also delved into the role of AI in transforming industries like finance, healthcare, logistics, and security. Mazen Nahawi, founder and CEO of Carma, pointed out that the accuracy of AI models is often compromised by the quality of data used, raising concerns about the implications of synthetic data. He stressed the importance of data security and verification, indicating that many technologies today do not adequately verify their sources.

In discussions about blockchain, the UAE’s regulations were recognized for attracting global innovation. The event concluded with insights into the cryptocurrency landscape, with Alice Liu from CoinMarketCap noting that the UAE is a leader in tokenized real estate and stablecoins. She stated that the tokenized real estate market in Dubai is projected to grow by approximately 7.8 percent annually over the next three years, with significant investments, including the issuance of $1 billion in bonds linked to this trend.