As the global telecom industry accelerates the transition from 5G to 5G-Advanced (5G-A), operators across the Gulf Cooperation Council are emerging as early leaders in commercial deployment. Zain KSA, Ooredoo Kuwait, and stc Kuwait are among the operators actively rolling out 5G-A capabilities, leveraging advanced technologies such as multi-carrier aggregation, massive MIMO, C-band carrier aggregation, and 5G Standalone infrastructure. In the UAE, du’s 5G+ and e&’s 5.5G networks further reflect the region’s rapid progress.
These upgrades are unlocking ultra-fast connectivity, improved user experiences, and new revenue streams. Mainstream smartphones from Apple and Samsung already support 5G-A, offering peak downlink speeds of up to 5 Gbps per user. On the global stage, China has surpassed 50 million 5G-A users, while the GCC has deployed more than 10,000 5G-A sites. Commercial adoption is gaining strong momentum, with the UAE and Kuwait together exceeding one million active 5G-A users.
These developments will take center stage at the upcoming Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit on December 10, where a dedicated panel titled “5G-Advanced Monetization in the GCC” will bring together key operators, vendors, and technology partners. The session will focus on how telecom providers can unlock new business models, enterprise use cases, and consumer opportunities through 5G-A.
Operators are increasingly moving away from one-size-fits-all connectivity toward personalized services and tiered speed plans to drive customer retention and revenue growth. At the same time, 5G-A is enabling deeper cross-industry collaboration in automotive, healthcare, and smart manufacturing, raising important regulatory considerations around interoperability and ecosystem support.
Summit experts will also assess the next phase of 5G-A deployment, including new capabilities such as up to 10× network capacity, enhanced uplink performance, and precision positioning. These innovations are expected to form the foundation for near-universal 5G-A coverage across the GCC by 2026.
Artificial intelligence is playing a central role in this transformation. The convergence of AI and 5G-A is enabling real-time network optimization, predictive maintenance, and highly personalized digital services. Vendors remain critical to this evolution, delivering advanced radio equipment, AI-driven network software, and next-generation terminals. Discussions at the summit will also address the commercialization of three-carrier aggregation (3CC) terminals and the critical role of collaboration between operators, device manufacturers, and chipset providers.
As the focus shifts from network expansion to experience optimization and monetization, the GCC’s 5G-A strategy is moving rapidly from infrastructure deployment to full-scale commercial exploitation.
