POWERED BY DATA

Noor Al Sulaiti, CEO of Ooredoo Oman, is the youngest and first female chief in the telecom provider's history. A transformation aficionado, since taking the role in 2021, she's embarked on an ambitious vision towards being a digitally-led, data-powered, and customer-centric telecom company.

- JAMILA GANDHI

The emergence of the global pandemic in 2020 may have demonstrated the strength and resilience of telecom networks as they withstood the sudden surge in usage, but it was also a catalyst for diversification. Changing demands from users heavily affected MENA operators’ core businesses, with mobile roaming and equipment sales declining significantly. And three years later, while the demand for connectivity has retained momentum, customers expect better prices, and infrastructure rollout has become expensive. “How do you retain existing customers? How do you create more value from your customer base? And how do you get new customers? These are the challenges for any business, especially telecom,” says Noor Al Sulaiti, CEO of Ooredoo Oman. “The competitive advantage is harnessing the power of data and data analytics.”

In August 2022, Ooredoo broke ground on the construction of its three new data centers in Oman, in Barka, Salalah, and Sohar, to support local businesses and communities by offering cloud storage, data recovery, and cyber security options. The sites in Salalah and Barka are estimated to be operational by mid-2023, and will also provide cable landing facilities to “2Africa” (2AF), the longest subsea cable system ever deployed. With a submarine cable spanning 45,000 km, Ooredoo is among a global consortium of communication operators connecting 2AF’s 33 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. “This has generated huge interest from hyper-scalers,” says Al Sulaiti. “We’re working with the likes of Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook, which will give us an edge moving forward.”