Open RAN in the Middle East Gains Momentum with Key Deployments in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
Two recent announcements from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia highlight how Open RAN is unlocking new opportunities for mobile operators to deliver services in more flexible and innovative ways, all while enhancing performance, sustainability, and security.
Zain Kuwait & Parallel Wireless partner Open RAN powered FWA
Zain Kuwait and Parallel Wireless announced a successful trial of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) over a 5G Standalone (SA) network that leveraged Open RAN technology. The Proof of Concept (PoC) delivered download speeds exceeding 1.3 Gbps, surpassing Zain’s performance benchmarks and setting a new milestone for Open RAN-powered 5G.
The trial featured Parallel Wireless’ GreenRAN technology, which operates on open hardware platforms, delivering 35% energy savings compared to legacy systems. By leveraging AMD EPYC™ CPUs, the solution highlights how Open RAN can combine performance with energy efficiency, a key consideration for operators looking to optimize networks and meet sustainability targets.
Interoperability was also a focal point, with the trial demonstrating seamless operation across SUSE and AWS Kubernetes platforms. This showcases Open RAN’s ability to adapt across diverse cloud environments, reinforcing its potential for scalable and cost-effective deployments.
“Saving more than 35% of power consumption supports Zain’s sustainability strategy and contributes towards our net-zero goal by 2050,” said Daaij Al-Oud, CTO of Zain Kuwait. “Achieving over 1.3 Gbps on 5G SA reaffirms our leadership in the Kuwaiti market and highlights the transformative potential of Open RAN.”
Saudi Arabia’s 5G Open RAN Network: A Leap Toward National Tech Sovereignty
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST), has launched a cutting-edge 5G Open RAN network designed to drive technological independence and innovation.
The network features some really interesting innovations. For example it includes integrations with satellite systems and drones to enable real-time voice and video communications tailored towards defense, emergency response, and remote connectivity use cases.
The initiative aims to build Saudi Arabia’s national expertise in next-generation telecoms, with plans to train and certify over 25 specialists in Open RAN technologies. The network is expected to scale rapidly, benefiting 45 million users by 2030 and driving economic growth in the Kingdom’s telecom sector.
Saudi Arabia is looking to Open RAN as a way of supporting its efforts to diversify supply chains for communication network infrastructure, increase factory productivity by 25%, and boost the retail sector by nearly 15%. It also sees the potential for Open RAN to reduce capital expenditure for network construction by approximately 50% and lower operational costs by around 35%.
Will the Middle East prove to be a fertile ground for Open RAN?
Open RAN adoption in the Middle East initially progressed quite slowly, despite a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2021 by the region’s largest operators. The GCC7 group, consisting of E&, STC, Du, Zain, Batelco, Omantel, and Mobily, modeled its agreement on a similar initiative by Europe’s top five operators, aiming to align requirements and accelerate Open RAN deployment. Other initiatives launched by the GCC7 included the region’s first Open RAN test lab, built in collaboration with TIP and Intel, back in 2022.
However, momentum has shifted. Last year, both stc and Mobily took a significant step forward by announcing plans for commercial Open RAN deployments. The key question now is whether more regional operators will follow their lead and drive broader adoption across the Middle East.
