Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani, Group Chief Executive Officer – Ooredoo
How is your business currently dealing with the impact of COVID-19? Is your business operational through “work-from-home” or other hybrid policies?
More than ever, we are conscious of the fundamental role that telcos and technology play to keep people safe and businesses running.
Our response to this global pandemic can broadly be split into two main aspects. Inside our organisation, we were quick to take action to keep our colleagues operating in different parts of the world safe – with work from home directives and social distancing playing a pivotal role. Outside Ooredoo, we are working with consumers and business customers to help reduce the disruption caused by COVID-19 restrictions, as well as supporting front-line heroes where we can with much-needed relief measures. Importantly, our teams around the world are working together to share knowledge and experiences internationally to better serve and support our customers.
With online activity on the rise resulting in a steep surge in internet usage, Ooredoo has significantly optimised network performance and enhanced internet speeds, enabling social distancing, home schooling and access to home entertainment. Ooredoo is also helping businesses build corporate resilience, maintain operations and ensure business continuity with a range of secure and immersive digital solutions.
How do “work-from-home/hybrid” policies affect your business in terms of productivity? How long in the future can your business continue to be operational through these policies?
After some initial disruption, when offices and retail outlets were closed, it is clear that colleagues have quickly adjusted to the new reality.
In 2019, we had already accelerated a digital transformation programme that sought to help our operations and people adopt a digital mindset and ways of working. This has meant we were well placed to quickly facilitate this sudden transition to a virtual working world and had the technology and tools in place to help our people continue their work remotely.
A small proportion cannot ‘work from home’ as their duties include maintaining and extending Ooredoo’s networks and roll-out of 5G, so their efforts are taking place amid appropriate social distancing techniques and with stringent deep cleaning measures on site. I would like to pay tribute to these individuals who are playing a vital role in keeping our services up and running during these challenging times.
This could go on for quite some time, and while it continues, we will continually look for best practice that can be incorporated into our work once life starts getting back to normal.
How has the supply chain behind your business been affected?
At the time of writing, we have not yet experienced issues with our supply chain. For instance, in one of the markets where we operate we went ahead with the launch of a powerful new handset – the main difference being a shift from customers using retail outlets to making online purchases. Logically, where the worldwide coronavirus lockdown has suspended manufacturing, it would be fair to anticipate future delays to product launches or shortages – although these have yet to impact us.
How long do you think will the impact from COVID continue to last?
Formally speaking, we will continue to work within the various official restrictions. As these are relaxed, we will adjust our working habits accordingly.
In addition, where possible, any insights from responding to the crisis will be incorporated into our future work. There is a more long-term question of whether one impact of COVID-19 will prompt us to think about what kind of society we want in the future, but that can wait for another day.
Do you think it is still advisable for businesses to continue to invest in innovation related projects?
Absolutely. In our sphere of expertise – telecommunications – investment in innovation remains key. Many of the apps and devices that have eased the burden of social distancing was possible precisely because businesses committed to them, even when the precise benefits of such novel ideas were not clear at the time.
If we look outside of our own industry this is also the case, almost without exception. Looking at biomedicine and pharmaceuticals, the fruits of research and development may protect us from a similar outbreak in the future. Likewise, in the kind of data-modelling and AI innovation that is already helping us to make sense of the outbreak.
What will be the notable adverse effects of the pandemic in your industry that will be visible two months from now?
First and foremost, our utmost priority through this time is the health and safety of our employees, customers, partners and the communities we serve.
It is hard to accurately predict how our current situation will have evolved in the next two months.
Our ways of working could remain changed for the longer term with some customers and vendors finding more optimal ways of working and potentially cross-border travel remaining limited for some time as yet. At Ooredoo we would do our best to adapt to and facilitate these changes and any others to evolve out of the present situation.
What would be your advice to your customers and vendors dealing with COVID-19?
Stay safe and stay at home with Ooredoo. If you need our support with anything, from home schooling to business continuity, do not hesitate to get in touch.
