Webinar: Huawei and 5G investment in SAUDI ARABIA
Jonathan Pelson
Advisory Council Member
Simone Ledeen
Senior Visiting Fellow and Advisory Council Member for GTSC Defense
So, on March 2nd at 1:00 pm EST, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue will host a webinar to discuss Saudi Arabia’s new deal with Huawei to adopt 5G technology across the country. The panelists will evaluate the implications of this decision on U.S. national security, economic relations, and technology development between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The conversation will center around the idea that trusted technology can be used to advance freedom and democratic values, the cornerstone of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue.
Speakers
Jon Pelson
Advisory Council Member at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy Author of Wireless Wars
Jeff Aiton
Deputy Director of Intelligence at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
Moderated by Simone Ledeen
Senior Visiting Fellow at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, Managing Director at Vantage ROI
In Saudi Arabia, 5G investment and implementation have been heavily supported by Huawei, a Chinese multinational technology company. In an effort to establish Saudi Arabia as the principal digital hub in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is one of the nations that has been vigorously pushing for the deployment of 5G technology in the area.
In order to open its first-ever 5G research center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Huawei declared in 2019 that it will invest $20 million in the project. The facility is anticipated to provide local businesses and startups with a place to create and test 5G applications and solutions.
To develop 5G networks, Huawei has also inked a number of contracts with Saudi Arabian telecom firms. In order to roll out 5G networks across Saudi Arabia in 2020—which are anticipated to encompass more than 30 towns and provinces—Huawei and Saudi Telecom Company (STC) signed a contract.