Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and the UAE’s premier telecom provider Etisalat offered a glimpse of how 5G technology can revolutionise the way companies operating in Jafza will do business in the future.

The next-generation technology was demonstrated onboard through an Etisalat-Ericsson co-branded bus for DP World Officials, business leaders and employees. The guests experienced the Internet Speed Test Display, 5G Connected Display, 3D Hologram Communication, Remote Vehicle Control, in addition to industry-specific demonstrations.

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza, said:

“The transition to 5G is the way forward for Jafza and all our business units. We pride ourselves in embracing frontier technologies to further enable smart-trade capabilities across our business portfolio. Disruptive technologies and changing behaviours are altering the way goods are manufactured, transported, bought and sold. Etisalat has demonstrated promising capabilities through this 5G bus tour and has showcased to the business community in Jafza which is home to over 7,500 companies from 140 countries, how 5G will revolutionise the way we do business.”

Salvador Anglada, Group Chief Business Officer, Etisalat, said: “5G is now a reality due to Etisalat’s continuous efforts in building and investing in future networks to enable innovation, and accelerating digital transformation. Building on our long-standing partnership with DP World, we are pleased to have provided a platform for Jafza officials, business leaders and employees to experience futuristic 5G use cases and digital transformation first-hand through the 5G experience bus. This is also in line with our overall strategy to ‘Drive the Digital Future to empower societies’.”

Jafza is the first in the UAE to bring 5G connectivity to its Free Zone customers and collaborate with Etisalat to showcase the innovative technology, demonstrate its capabilities and how it can support business digital transformation.

The bus tour is the beginning of a planned engagement between Jafza and Etisalat to explore, identify and develop bespoke applications to transform business activities in the Free Zone.

As the leading telecom group in emerging markets, Etisalat has set a new benchmark in the telecom industry. It became the first operator to launch the first commercial 5G wireless network in MENA in 2018.