- infrastructure set to bolster AlUla’s ICT and Smart City objectives while enhancing quality of life for the community
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 25 October 2023: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has cemented its alliance with Saudi Telecom Company (STC), affirming a 15-year collaboration announced at the seventh annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. This partnership showcases the joint vision of RCU and STC to drive AlUla’s digital transformation.
As part of this venture, STC will integrate neutral host infrastructure into AlUla’s existing ICT (information and communication technology) framework, which includes 5G enablement. This will solidify the county’s technological landscape, paving the way for high-speed, robust infrastructure advances to streamline digital capabilities and elevate AlUla’s progress on its digital transformation journey.
Neutral fibre optic networks are networks that are open to all service providers. They can offer benefits such as lower costs, higher speeds, and greater efficiency through sharing of resources.
The RCU-STC strategic partnership will not only improve the availability and quality of telecommunication in AlUla but also provide a myriad of opportunities for technologies that require high speeds and efficiency. Such improvements in telecommunications mean that more companies can serve AlUla’s residents and visitors, aligning with the goals of Vision 2030 to raise service quality throughout the Kingdom.
The integration of top-tier telecommunication technologies embodies RCU’s dedication to its community-first approach, focusing on enhancing residents’ quality of life through digital advancement.
Emphasising the strategic value of this partnership, Waleed AlDayel, RCU’s Chief of Strategy and Digital remarked, “Our collaboration with STC is an immensely significant step in AlUla’s digital transformation journey. By building advanced telecommunication infrastructure, we are setting the foundation for innovation, creating boundless opportunities for our community, and ensuring AlUla stands at the forefront of technological progress.”
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact publicrelations@rcu.gov.sa
Noted for editors:
It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic development that preserves the area’s natural and historic heritage while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme.
STC Group, a leading integrated telecommunication services provider in the Middle East and North Africa, has cemented its reputation as a pioneer digital enabler. Predominantly recognised as a top operator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, STC has an expansive international reach, with a presence in 11 countries and serving over 170 million customers. Notably, STC was among the first in the region to launch 5G networks, and their rapid deployment of approximately 6,500 5G towers earned them global recognition. Beyond Saudi Arabia, STC Group also delivers telecom and digital services in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Saudi News 247 