INTELLIGENT MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
stc Group and Nokia sign a
strategic five-year Master
Frame Agreement
S
tc Group and Nokia have signed
a five-year Master Frame
Agreement (MFA) to further
strengthen their strategic partnership. The
agreement aims to expedite the buying
process of Nokia’s latest equipment,
software and services for stc Group and as
a result introduce innovative services faster
to its subscribers. This will allow stc Group
companies to seamlessly buy advanced
technologies such as 5G, Internet of Things
(IoT), IP and Optical network technologies
and customer experience management from
Nokia’s end-to-end portfolio for mobile and
fixed networks.
For the first time in the region, the
agreement was remotely signed due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, purely relying on
software innovations and demonstrating
the power of AR and AI. These technologies
enabled a virtual signing ceremony in a
digital environment. The agreement was
signed by the signatories Nasser Suliman Al-
Nasser, stc GCEO, and Rajeev Suri, President
and CEO of Nokia.
Nasser Suliman Al-Nasser, stc Group
CEO, said: “This strategic partnership
with Nokia, supports Saudi Vision 2030,
which is focused on leveraging advanced
technologies for Digital Transformation and
growth of the country, and aligns with stc
Rawafed Programme that aims to enhance
local content.
“We strive to introduce advanced
technologies and services faster as a true
pioneer and enrich our subscribers’ lives.”
Amr K. El Leithy, SVP of the Middle
East and Africa market at Nokia, said:
“We are committed to bringing our
technology innovations to stc in an agile
manner and supporting stc Vision to be
a world-class digital leader, empowering
innovative services and platforms for Digital
Transformation. This agreement is a major
milestone in the stc – Nokia strategic ties and
is a strong testimony of the solid relationship
we have built with stc over the years.”
With its headquarters in Riyadh, stc
group is the largest in the Middle East and
North Africa based on market cap. It focuses
on providing services to enterprise and
consumer customers through a fibre-optic
network that spans 217,000 kilometres. stc
We strive to introduce
advanced technologies
and services faster as a
true pioneer and enrich
our subscribers’ lives.
group was among the first in MENA region to
launch 5G networks.
In Saudi Arabia (the group’s main
operation site) stc operates the largest
modern mobile network in the Middle East
as it covers more than 99% of the country’s
populated areas in addition to providing
4G mobile broadband to about 90% of the
population across the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. stc is a strong regional player in IoT,
managed services, system integration, cloud
computing, information security, Big Data
Analytics, fintech and Artificial Intelligence.
Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio
of network equipment, software, services
and licensing opportunities across the globe.
With its commitment to innovation, driven
by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, it is a
leader in the development and deployment
of 5G networks. •
46