du, Nokia & SRTIP Sign a Strategic teaming Agreement to Bring Sharjah's Knowledge-Based Economic Future into Fruition

The agreement will serve as a catalyst for driving Sharjah’s development into a regional and global business hub for Research and Development

Dubai, UAE, 10 October 2019:  du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), has signed a strategic teaming agreement with Nokia and the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park) – a landmark agreement which will see the formation of a consortium to develop a range of innovative smart city initiatives for the Emirate of Sharjah. In the presence of the Finnish Ambassador to the UAE, Marianne Nissila and Osman Sultan, CEO of EITC, the agreement was signed on the sidelines of GITEX Technology Week 2019 by His Excellency Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer at Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) and Mohamed Abdelrehim, Head of Market Solutions and Business Development, MEA at Nokia.

Under the strategic agreement, du, Nokia, and SRTIP will undertake a series of Proof of Concepts and innovations to enhance Sharjah’s strategic digital transformation roadmap.

This includes driving the capacity build up in locally developing 5G Use Cases in the area Autonomous Driving, as well as working jointly on developing a local Proof of Concept for Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, 5G use cases based on a Luxturrim5G ecosystem powered by Nokia Bell Labs in SRTIP premises.
The participating parties will also collaborate with Business Finland to introduce the latest key start-ups in the Industry 4.0 area under the framework of Digital Transformation. Working with Nokia, the partners will also set up Proof of Concepts for 5G-based hologram applications.

‘Unlocking Knowledge & Resources

Saleem AlBlooshi, CTO at EITC, said: “du is renowned as a technology enabler and a guiding force for pioneering new innovations to enhance society through digital transformation. This agreement  provides us with the opportunity to combine our talents and expertise with our partners towards achieving next generation ICT solutions that brings the Emirate of Sharjah closer to the digital future.”

His Excellency Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park),, said: “This joint initiative is a big step forward for establishing Sharjah as a gateway to innovation. As a leading industrial hub, the Emirate is geared towards unlocking knowledge and resources that will propel the region’s research and development and shape the knowledge-based economy to enable social and economic futures to thrive. The agreement with du and Nokia is a proud catalyst for achieving the decree set out by the leadership, and we are certain this will put Sharjah on the map as a leading innovation free zone.”

Mohamed Abdelrehim, Head of Market Solutions and Business Development, MEA at Nokia, said: “It is an honour to collaborate with key industry leaders du and SRTIP for fostering innovations including the further development of the 5G ecosystem. This partnership with them helps in developing relevant 5G use cases for digital transformation for the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE. This collaboration will bring together a great level of expertise to achieve the development of technology solutions specific to the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE. We would also like to thank the Finnish government entities such as Finnish Embassy and Business Finland for supporting us in our endeavor of building an innovative digital end-to-end 5G ecosystem across Middle East and Africa.”

du and Nokia’s involvement will drive the vision for the SRTIP, which was established in 2016 by royal decree of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The mandate of SRTIP is to develop and manage an innovation ecosystem that promotes Research and Development and supports enterprise activities and the triple helix collaboration of industry, government, and academia in the region.
To explore this and other innovations that are shaping the future of digital human experiences, visit du’s GITEX Technology Week stand in Zabeel Hall 2, C20.