On the sidelines of MWC 2023, Telecom Review held an exclusive interview with Omantel CEO Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari, where he shared the company’s new corporate strategy, the importance of their participation in this year’s annual gathering at Barcelona and their goals for 2023, among other insights.
How will Omantel continue to progress as a digital transformation leader?
Our new corporate strategy, “Shift Gear,” defines Omantel’s key objectives, where leading and enabling the digital transformation is among them. Building on our experience, unrivaled capabilities, coupled with well-established domestic subsidiaries and partnerships with global technology providers, we are well-positioned to take our contribution as the enabler of digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman to new levels. We are already working on several projects with public and private entities and developing customized solutions for our clients, which enable them to benefit from what ICT solutions can offer to enhance their businesses and improve their operations.
As a relevant telecom industry player, what is the importance of attending MWC this year? How can this influence your company’s growth and advancement in technology?
Omantel has extended relationships within the industry; hence, it is an opportunity to explore new venues of collaboration and grow existing partnerships into new levels. It is also a good platform to expose our young talents with the trends in the industry to ensure that we stay relevant and always ahead of the competition. Mobile World Congress forms a perfect platform to learn and assess new and state-of-the-art technologies, engage with the industry and share our thoughts with international peers, in addition to learning about future trends of the telecom industry.
From your perspective, what is the most promising technology use case for telcos, and how will Omantel leverage this?
Technology is changing every day, and it is imperative for operators to keep a close eye on technological advancements being introduced to the market. We believe AI in particular and 4IR technologies have been dominating the scene recently. As a techco company, we are harnessing the benefits that AI and other 4IR technologies are offering to different domains as we work to enable the digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman.
What are Omantel’s target goals for 2023?
In 2023, we will continue our Shift Gear journey and focus on generating value across multiple domains. Last year we saw intensified competition with the arrival of the 3rd Mobile Operator. We are further strengthening our core value propositions and continue to venture into innovative domains to further diversify our revenue streams. Through our Innovation Labs, we are supporting start-ups and initiatives that can help us provide solutions that are beyond the traditional telco business. In addition, our journey into ICT solutions continues, and our subsidiaries in cloud computing, smart cities and blockchain and emerging technologies are essential building blocks in achieving our ambitions to be the leading one-stop ICT provider in the Sultanate of Oman. We continue to enhance our leading position in 5G and are partnering with global players to provide us access to a continuous stream of new and relevant technologies and solutions. Together, we work relentlessly to provide our customers with the best experience possible, leveraging digital transformation, data, AI and operational excellence. We are confident that this puts us in a very strong position to benefit from the recovering economy and the growing market opportunities in 2023 in Oman.
