Bocar A. BA, CEO and Board Member of SAMENA Telecommunications Council, shares insights on the region’s digital transformation, the importance of regulatory support, and SAMENA’s role in driving intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive digital growth
Khalid Athar: How would you describe the digital landscape as we move through 2025?
Bocar A. BA: In 2025, we are living the reality of intelligent and sustainable transformation. AI has entered the core of network operations. 5G-Advanced is becoming commercially tangible. Connectivity from space is no longer theoretical. These developments require government bodies and digital ecosystem partners to think beyond traditional frameworks, and anticipate new challenges as well as opportunities.
KA: What is required from the regulatory environment to support this transformation?
BA: For digital transformation to be truly intelligent, intelligently carried out, and sustainable, regulatory environments must promote openness, competition, and investment in future-ready infrastructure. As suggested by various Members, the SAMENA Council strongly believes in rewarding regulatory compliance, long-term investment in infrastructure, and measurable contribution to public good. That’s how we build confidence and align with global development goals.
“AI has entered the core of network operations. 5G-Advanced is becoming commercially tangible. Connectivity from space is no longer theoretical”
KA: Aside from regulation, what key priorities do you see moving forward?
BA: I also see urgent need to address cybersecurity, cross-border digital cooperation, and green policy incentives, including for attaining energy efficiency. While the Private sector innovates, Policymakers can help accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and ensure that our networks and services evolve with security, sustainability, and scalability at the core.
KA: Who do you see as key partners in driving digital growth in the region?
BA: I remain appreciative of the leadership shown by TDRA (UAE), CST (Saudi Arabia), TRA (Oman), TRA (Bahrain), CRA (Qatar), TRC (Jordan), BTK (Turkey), CITRA (Kuwait), PTA (Pakistan), and NTRA (Egypt), among others, who are crucial partners and enablers in the Council’s efforts to support the region’s digital growth through multi-stakeholder dialogue. Through discussion platforms created with the support of TDRA, such as a Multi-TRA Forum and G20-linked discussions planned for this year, SAMENA Council is encouraging and facilitating strategic convergence, not just conversations.
KA: How is the SAMENA Council evolving its partnerships to meet the demands of the region?
BA: We are scaling our partnerships to meet the evolving needs of the industry and the region. Our long-standing collaboration with UNDP is now entering a new phase, focusing on digital enablement, at large, and digital inclusion for underserved populations and supporting sustainable development through intelligent infrastructure.
SAMENA Council’s close collaboration with Digital Cooperation Council (DCO) is gaining momentum this year. Both organizations share commonalities in multiple areas of cooperative endeavor, especially with focus on the region’s digital economy. SAMENA Council feels that DCO Digital Economy Navigator (DEN) offers an excellent tool and roadmap for policy change and mobilizing resources, and thus both councils will be engaging closely to create momentum on areas of shared importance, which includes identification of new opportunities for the councils as well as the stakeholders they represent.
In parallel, we are also entering into new engagement streams with global associations—such as the World WLAN Application Alliance (WAA) and the World Broadband Association (WBBA)—to advance standardization and accelerate broadband innovation. This includes preparing the region to lead on both fixed and mobile technology fronts, digital experience, and broader spectrum strategy on matters, including Mobile Satellite Service, in preparation of a productive WRC-27.
KA: How are you addressing sustainability in the context of growing digital infrastructure?
BA: The SAMENA Council’s growing engagement on green ICT deployment and fostering energy efficiency is becoming more pronounced this year. As digital infrastructure expands, it is our collective duty to ensure it aligns with national and regional climate commitments. Intelligent transformation must be sustainable, and SAMENA Council is fully committed to helping define and support that path.
“The 2025 edition of the Leaders’ Summit is built around the theme ‘Intelligent & Sustainable Transformation of Digital Economies’”
KA: What is the focus of the SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2025?
BA: As an integral part of the SAMENA Council’s engagement and commitment to the region, the 2025 edition of the Leaders’ Summit is built around the theme ‘Intelligent & Sustainable Transformation of Digital Economies’. This is more than a theme—it reflects the strategic direction our region must follow. This year, we will focus on the realignment of networks, transformation of telecom operators, regulation and investment, in general, and greater focus on security, energy efficiency, and sustainability. We’ll discuss how to operationalize 5G-Advanced, how to shift operators toward full-scale “TechCo” transformation, and how to integrate intelligence in digital infrastructure. Cybersecurity, spectrum planning for WRC-27, and readiness for the emerging space economy will also be core to our agenda. These issues aren’t isolated—they are interconnected, and they demand synchronized action between policymakers, operators, and technology leaders. The Summit remains one of the few places where vision, policy, and investment are discussed at the same table, and with the urgency the moment demands.
KA: Finally, what outcome are you hoping to see from the upcoming Summit?
BA: The journey toward intelligent and sustainable transformation is no longer a mere, or near, future ambition. As we convene in Dubai on 26th for a mid-year catchup at the Leaders’ Summit 25, our focus is clear: to shape resilient, secure, and inclusive digital economies, intelligently, so to serve both people and businesses – terrestrially and from space. We absolutely need to ensure that digital transformation delivers long-term value and accelerates sustainable development across our region and the world, in general.
