Qualcomm Technologies and Emirati telco e& UAE have announced a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize next-generation 5G and edge AI solutions targeting enterprise, industrial, and government sectors across the UAE. The partnership focuses on accelerating digital transformation by co-developing 5G edge AI gateways and Snapdragon-powered devices that integrate large language models (LLMs) for secure, on-device AI processing and enhanced operational efficiency.
Key initiatives under the partnership include:
- Development of 5G edge AI gateways designed to boost connectivity, performance, and efficiency for industrial and enterprise applications by bringing AI closer to data sources.
- Creation of Snapdragon-powered edge AI devices such as PCs and extended reality (XR) gadgets, featuring integrated LLMs for generative AI and secure AI from edge to cloud.
- Deployment of smart mobility and safety technologies aimed at improving road safety and preparing UAE’s transport infrastructure for future demands.
Qualcomm will leverage its newly established Abu Dhabi Engineering Center to pilot and scale these technologies within critical sectors like energy, manufacturing, logistics, retail, and transportation.
Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm President and CEO, emphasized, “This cooperation will drive innovation across transformative areas including 5G and edge intelligence, accelerating technology advancement for enterprise and government customers in the UAE and beyond.”
Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, added, “Together, we’re bringing powerful AI to the edge — from smart industrial gateways and wearables to mobility and infrastructure — enabling faster, more reliable, and secure experiences across sectors, driving real-time intelligence and operational efficiency in the UAE.”
Complementing this partnership, e& UAE recently completed one of the world’s first deployments of Ericsson’s dual-band Massive MIMO radio, AIR 3229, boosting network capacity and performance while reducing carbon footprint. This advanced radio enables simultaneous 5G service on both 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum layers from a single unit, doubling TDD carrier components in high-capacity sites and reducing power consumption by 20%.
Ericsson and e& UAE also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly explore 6G technology and future network evolution, aiming to define the next generation of mobile networks through ongoing technical collaboration.
