Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Zain KSA and Nokia successfully completed Saudi Arabia’s first live Cloud RAN site, marking a key step in advancing the Kingdom’s 5G landscape.

Conducted between December 24, 2024, and January 26, 2025, the trial used Nokia’s 5G anyRAN solution, achieving peak download speeds of 1.5 Gbps on Zain KSA’s 5G core network, as per a recent press release.

The deployment highlights the benefits of cloud-native architectures, including improved efficiency, lower operational costs, and faster deployment times. These advancements will enable Communications Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprises to scale their networks more effectively and support new digital applications.

The project aligns with Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation efforts by providing a flexible platform that integrates solutions from multiple vendors. This approach is expected to accelerate enterprise and private wireless applications across various industries.

Mohammed AlNujaidi, Zain KSA’s Chief Technology Officer, emphasized that the Cloud RAN site will enhance Zain KSA’s ability to explore new service models, reduce network costs, and improve responsiveness to customer needs.

Mohammad AlTayeh, Customer Team Head for Zain Group and Zain KSA at Nokia mobile networks, highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation, noting that the Cloud RAN deployment delivers performance on par with traditional RAN systems while enabling future technologies like AI-RAN, Open RAN, and potential 6G networks.

By matching the capabilities of purpose-built solutions, Nokia’s Cloud RAN approach lays the groundwork for enhanced flexibility, resource optimization, and expanded growth opportunities across Saudi Arabia’s digital economy.