Across the Middle East, digital transformation is already reshaping industries. From AI-driven logistics hubs to precision healthcare and next-generation energy management, the region’s ambitions are being realised.
National strategies like Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy are pushing enterprises to modernise quickly. The UAE aims to double the digital economy’s contribution to GDP to 20% by 2031, a goal aligned with its ambition to establish Dubai as a global digital economy hub and a magnet for innovation, investment, and talent. In Saudi Arabia the digital economy is valued at approximately USD 132 billion, accounting for 15% the country’s GDP in 2024, with more than USD 14 billion invested in AI technologies and data centers to reinforce its position as a regional hub for future industries.
Connectivity sits at the heart of this shift. The GCC’s 5G connections are projected to reach 99 million by 2030. Yet, much of today’s 5G depends on 4G systems beneath the surface, which limits the performance enterprises require and consumers increasingly expect.
“Globally, leading leaders like Nokia have already deployed 123 5G Standalone (SA) Core networks, with 34 already live at scale.”
Drawing on this experience, we see firsthand how enterprises across industries are unlocking new opportunities through 5G SA, both for industrial innovation and enriching consumer applications.
5G SA is not just an evolution. It is a rethink of network architecture from core to edge, built for the performance and control of modern enterprises’ and consumer’s demand.
What Makes Standalone 5G Different
The difference between Non-Standalone and Standalone 5G goes beyond technical upgrades. Non-Standalone offers faster speeds, but Standalone delivers intelligence, ultra-low latency, and flexibility that industries need for mission-critical operations.
Standalone 5G brings features like network slicing and quality-of-service guarantees. This allows enterprises to treat networks as strategic assets, not utilities. Whether enabling autonomous robotics in factories or real-time analytics in remote energy fields, or ultra-responsive consumer applications like cloud gaming and AR/VR, these are capabilities that best-effort networks cannot deliver.
The shift to autonomous, cloud-native networks is foundational to 5G SA. Intent-based automation and agentic AI enable networks to self-optimise and self-heal without human intervention. This level of intelligence is key to delivering the reliability and responsiveness enterprises require.
It is increasingly clear that achieving these outcomes requires more than technological upgrades. It demands a fundamental rethinking of how networks are built, operated, and monetised.
Industries That Actually Need It
Across the Middle East, where we work closely with Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprises, industries are scaling digital solutions, not just testing them. Energy, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing have embraced automation and IoT. Their challenge now is achieving greater reliability and scale.
Saudi Arabia’s digital oil and gas services market is projected to exceed USD 2.5 billion by 2032, driven by Aramco’s digital transformation strategy, launched in 2017 to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs. In logistics, ports like Jebel Ali and King Abdullah Port are already among the world’s most advanced, with private 5G networks ready to support real-time tracking and automation.
In Abu Dhabi, AI-powered healthcare platforms are trialing remote diagnostics, which require sub-millisecond latency. Only 5G SA can deliver the level of performance such applications demand.
The next wave of industrial digitalisation will come from combining edge computing, AI and business-critical 5G connectivity. For sectors such as energy, utilities, and transportation — key to the region’s economies — this convergence is already delivering results. At Nokia, we support over 850 enterprises globally in deploying these solutions across industries, from worker safety to real-time asset tracking.
These industries cannot depend on networks designed for consumers. They need networks with guaranteed performance, real-time data handling and deterministic behavior. Only Standalone 5G meets these standards.
Getting to Standalone Isn’t Easy, and That’s the Point
The shift to Standalone 5G is not a software upgrade. It requires thoughtful integration, orchestration, and lifecycle management. Cloud-native architectures and automation are essential to manage this complexity at scale.
Modern 5G Core solutions, like those we have developed at Nokia, are increasingly delivered as SaaS-first platforms. This accelerates deployment, simplifies management, and brings continuous innovation through automation. Enterprises benefit from scalability, reduced complexity, and faster time-to-value — all critical as digital demands increase.
Operational efficiency is a major driver here. With autonomous networks and intent-based management, service providers and enterprises can reduce operational costs, minimise downtime, and increase flexibility.
Accenture reports that 68% of Middle Eastern executives cite complexity in integration with legacy systems as a significant barrier to advanced connectivity like 5G. Success depends on aligning infrastructure strategies with long-term business goals.
Beyond Connectivity: Monetisation, Co-Creation, and Consumer Value
Beyond connectivity, the API economy is opening new opportunities for monetisation and co-creation between telecom providers, enterprises, and developers. Network APIs let enterprises tap into advanced network functions like security and quality of service. This makes 5G SA networks more than connectivity platforms; they become engines for innovation.
For CSPs, this shift is equally transformative. Through initiatives like the GSMA Open Gateway, networks become platforms for co-creation with partners, helping monetise infrastructure investments and accelerate innovation. This applies not only to industries but to consumer-facing services where low latency, guaranteed bandwidth, and programmable networks enable richer digital experiences.
This is especially important for sectors like fintech, logistics, and healthcare, where agility and integration are as vital as performance. As more enterprises leverage network APIs, telecom networks will evolve into programmable platforms powering a wide array of new services.
Regional governments are backing this shift. The UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority highlights enterprise 5G as a key enabler for achieving AI ambitions by 2031. Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority is also advancing frameworks for next-generation network resilience.
What Enterprises Should Focus on Now
The 5G Standalone conversation should begin with business challenges, not technology. Whether it is reducing downtime, accelerating insights, enhancing consumer services, or increasing visibility, enterprises must work backward from these objectives to define the right network strategy.
Having collaborated with leading operators and enterprises in the region, we at Nokia understand that success depends on choosing partners who bridge the gap between telecom expertise and industry ambition.
Standalone 5G is no longer on the horizon. It is here. The question is whether enterprises are ready to unlock their full potential. Those who move early will gain more than performance; they will establish the foundations for future innovation and new business models.
In a region driving visionary projects like NEOM, the UAE’s Smart Industry Strategy, and Qatar’s Smart Nation ambitions, those who act now will shape the digital infrastructure of tomorrow.
This opinion piece is authored by Manish Kansal, MEA Head of Core Pre-Sales, Cloud and Network Services.