Latest news with #PatrickJohansson
TECHx
09-07-2025
- Business
- TECHx
Ericsson Opens Regional headquarters in Riyadh
Home » Top stories » Ericsson Opens Regional headquarters in Riyadh Ericsson has announced the inauguration of its new regional headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The move highlights the company's ongoing commitment to the Kingdom and its strategic importance in Ericsson's operations across the Middle East and Africa. The inauguration ceremony was attended by high-level dignitaries, including: His Excellency Eng. Haytham AlOhali, Vice Minister, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology His Excellency Dr. Abdullah A. Aldubaikhi, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) Her Excellency Petra Menander, Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Top Ericsson executives, including Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson Group, and Patrick Johansson, President of Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa, were also present. Leaders from Saudi telecom giants stc Group and Mobily attended the event, reflecting strong local partnerships. During the event, speakers discussed the evolution of network technologies, 6G readiness, and the impact of Vision 2030. The new headquarters is expected to support collaboration, talent development, and leadership in 5G innovation. Dr. Abdullah A. Aldubaikhi said the new office reinforces Saudi Arabia's role as a global investment hub for advanced technologies. He emphasized its alignment with national goals to build a digital economy and drive innovation. Deputy Minister Eng. Abdulrahman AlMufadda added that Ericsson's presence supports Vision 2030 by empowering talent, promoting AI, and accelerating tech adoption. Ericsson's long-term partners, stc and Mobily, expressed confidence in the collaboration. They highlighted joint efforts to boost digital infrastructure and deliver world-class connectivity. Dr. Talal bin Ahmed Al-Sudairy of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) noted that the partnership with Ericsson is helping develop cutting-edge connectivity solutions. He pointed to the newly established Blink Lab as a vital step in advancing immersive technologies. Ericsson also revealed that its Gen-E Graduate Program, hosted at the 5G Innovation Hub since 2018, has trained over 190 Saudi graduates half of whom are women. The program supports Saudi Arabia's innovation ecosystem and development of 5G and IoT use cases. Patrick Johansson affirmed that Riyadh's strategic role will help Ericsson deepen partnerships and accelerate technology deployment in the region. Ericsson continues to contribute to Saudi Arabia's telecommunications sector through infrastructure expansion and digital transformation. Its partnerships with institutions like KAUST and KACST support local research, innovation, and the growth of the ICT sector in line with Vision 2030.
Arab News
01-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Ericsson to scale up graduate hiring, internships in Saudi Arabia, senior official reveals
RIYADH: Telecoms firm Ericsson is expanding its graduate hiring and internship programs in Saudi Arabia as it seeks to strengthen its regional footprint, a senior executive told Arab News. In an interview on the sidelines of the inauguration of the company's regional headquarters in Riyadh, Patrick Johansson, president and head of market area Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ericsson, said the Swedish firm is deepening its collaboration with Saudi universities and expanding hands-on training opportunities. The Swedish company officially unveiled its new office in the presence of Haytham Al-Ohali, vice minister at Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Dubaikhi, assistant minister at the Ministry of Investment, and Petra Menander, Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. This move aligns with Saudi Arabia's Regional Headquarters Program, which aims to attract multinational companies to establish their Middle East and North Africa bases in the Kingdom by offering tax incentives, regulatory support, and preferential government contracting. Global firms such as PepsiCo, Siemens, and Unilever have already set up offices in Riyadh, supporting the Vision 2030 goal of making Saudi Arabia a regional hub for innovation and decision-making. Reflecting on Ericsson's goal to develop a local workforce, Johansson said: 'The joint collaboration with universities and bringing on new graduate students and training them on the ground has been part from the very beginning.' He added: 'Now we're expanding that even greater while having the regional headquarters here, so it is about bringing even broader numbers of students doing internships.' Emphasizing collaboration, talent development, and fifth-generation network leadership, Ericsson highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships and technological progress in building an inclusive digital infrastructure for Saudi Arabia and the broader region. As part of its long-term commitment to local talent development, Ericsson has been running the Gen-E graduate program at the 5G Innovation Hub in Riyadh since 2018. The initiative has trained more than 190 Saudi graduates from both local and international universities, with women making up 50 percent of the participants. The program includes technical workshops and hands-on training in Ericsson's tools and methodologies, led by subject matter experts and the company's Saudi leadership. It has contributed to the development of a range of 5G and Internet of Things applications in areas such as robotics, edge computing, and mixed reality — aligning with the Kingdom's broader digital transformation agenda. Ericsson is scaling up its talent development efforts, which now include broader engagement with students across the region. 'It is about bringing even broader numbers of students doing internships, but also the graduate programs as part of the activities here in Saudi Arabia,' Johansson said. He noted that Saudi Arabia's rapid digital evolution under Vision 2030 is providing fertile ground for innovation and cross-sector collaboration, saying it has taken 'an exponential leap. The Ericsson official added: 'And of course, we're leveraging our technology… also working across with academia, and then also into new areas, which is part of the vision.' The company's partnerships with major Saudi telecom operators remain central to its operations. 'We're working mainly with the two big operators — with stc and with Mobily — and again, it is about providing the connectivity that builds beyond.' He also highlighted that the move to establish its base in the Kingdom was a 'very simple choice to make.' Johansson pointed to new initiatives extending beyond traditional connectivity. 'It's also about introducing new ways of having technology for good,' he said, referring to the Connected Recycling platform project launched with stc's IoT subsidiary in February, aimed at improving the efficiency and impact of recycling through digital tools. Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of ecosystem-driven progress, stating: 'We put the foundation here by opening our real headquarters, but then it's what we do and achieve together … because it is all about the ecosystem.' The inauguration event included discussions on the evolution of network technologies, the roadmap to sixth-generation connectivity, and the role of Vision 2030 in guiding long-term innovation strategies, according to a press release.
Arab News
11-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Ericsson, Mobily MoU to explore intent-driven autonomous network through AI, official says
RIYADH: Saudi telecommunication firm Mobily and Swedish company Ericsson have signed an agreement to explore an intent-driven autonomous network that enhances speed, scalability, and capacity, an official said. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the LEAP Tech Conference in Riyadh, Patrick Johansson, senior vice president and head of Market Area in Middle East and Africa at Ericsson, said that the memorandum of understanding will also explore the possibilities of bringing artificial intelligence into the telecommunications industry, which could elevate the performance of network providers. The agreement comes amid the continued expansion of the Kingdom's growing telecom and information and communication technology infrastructure sector, reaching a value of $3.5 billion in 2023. According to analysis firm Research and Markets, the sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1 percent through 2029, driven by initiatives under the Kingdom's Vision 2030. 'We signed an MoU with Mobily for an intent-driven network, which is very exciting because this is really bringing AI into our industry and how we make network performance even better. And as we go along through the days, we will continue to sign new agreements with direct customers and other partners as well,' Johansson told Arab News. He added: 'This intent-driven network is very much about using the information that you have in the network to enhance performance even further, and then using AI to make sure that this is an automated functionality within the network. Basically, you can say things that you used to do by hand or by individuals are now done automatically in the system.' The MoU also aims to drive operational efficiency enhancements, boost service quality, and elevate user experiences among customers in Saudi Arabia. In a separate press statement, Hakan Cervell, vice president and head of Ericsson in the Kingdom, said that an autonomous network can change requirements dynamically without human involvement. 'As we move toward intelligent society and industry, artificial intelligence will be integrated into almost everything — learning, adapting, and intelligently automating. We are glad to sign the MoU with Mobily to explore the potential of autonomy on their network to achieve unparalleled efficiency in service delivery and operations,' said Cervell. Regarding Ericsson's presence in Saudi Arabia, the official said that the Kingdom is a fantastic market and that the company has been operating in the nation since 1978. He also added that the company is working with telecommunications firms like stc, Mobily, and Zain KSA to enhance customer experience. It is also collaborating with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to explore the possibilities of a 6G rollout in the Kingdom in the coming years. 'We have a very long experience and collaboration within the Kingdom. We have been here through 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G. And now, we're looking to the future, getting into 5G standalone, 5G advanced and bringing new services,' said Johansson. He added: 'This is the place where we have the biggest amount of spectrum available, which means that we can provide superior service together with our customers stc, Mobily, and Zain in the market. Now, we're embarking into new opportunities as well with 6G, not around the corner, but in a couple of years. We're working with KAUST to have research on that topic.' During the interview, Johansson said that the establishment of Ericsson's regional headquarters in Riyadh is helping the company serve its customers in the broader Middle East and North Africa region. The communication technology firm announced in January that the Kingdom will be served under a newly established Customer Unit. This move was part of Ericsson's strategic ambition to simplify its organizational setup, enhance customer responsiveness, and strengthen local market accountability. Regarding the localization of jobs, Johansson said that 60 percent of the employees in the company are Saudi nationals. He added that Ericsson has also been engaged in providing graduate programs for Saudi nationals over the past few years, out of which more than 50 percent of the students enrolled are females. Talking about the rollout of 6G, Johansson said that it is an 'evolution rather than a revolution' happening in the telecommunications sector. 'We've had a number of revolutions; going from fixed to mobile, but now 6G will build on 5G. So it is creating greater speeds, even lower latency, and maybe, one of the more important from a consumer point of view, it is about energy efficiency that is good for sustainability, but it's also for battery life,' said Johansson. He added: 'So it is basically about enhancing everything that we had in 5G and making it better. There are a few use cases that are being discussed. And again, this is why the collaboration between companies and academia is so important.' Affirming Ericsson's commitment toward sustainability, Johansson said that it is crucial to properly eliminate electronic waste. 'It is about providing the latest and greatest of technology, but we need to be kind to Mother Nature as well. With one of our partners in the Kingdom, Mobily, we have already brought back more than 400 metric tonnes of equipment and made sure that it's disposed of. So, it is creating this overall circular economy and how we work together,' he added. According to the Ericsson official, the use of AI is poised to revolutionize the telecommunications sector by enabling faster processing of large amounts of data. 'AI is really bringing further efficiency into our market. We have a lot of data. We used to do tweaking by hand. We added further software functionality. But with AI, we can combine so much more data, making it intent-based. We talked about the Mobily case of how we can actually make this much faster using AI technology,' said Johansson.
