Manama: Bahrain is one step closer to embrace the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), thanks to Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 for ensuring a sustained economic development as well as elevating citizens’ standards of life.
“A highly sophisticated telecom landscape is a precursor to a digital technology-powered economic surge,” Dr. Ahmed Jedidi, Acting Dean of College of Engineering at Ahlia University, said.
“The information and communications technology (ICT) serves as one of the key pillars to the industrial revolution. As during the first industrial revolution the world harnessed the power of steam for industrial manufacturing; the second industrial revolution ushered in the incredible benefits of electricity; while the third industrial revolution was the era of mechanics which became the intermediary between the worker and the job, increasing operations efficiency with the help of machinery, and therefore witnessed the use of automation in production,” he said.
“Now technology is transforming our daily lives, from newly born to how we learn, work, behave, play, and live. We are talking about revolutionary changes and improvements in fintech, e-government, e-commerce, 4K streaming and cloud gaming. The fourth industrial revolution will see great new B2B solutions including immersive education, IoT and Industrial IoT and robotics. Let us not forget the transformative power of telehealth, accessing medical care online can be life-changing, if not lifesaving,” he added.
“Digital transformation is a key pillar of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, an ambitious national development plan focuses on the principles of sustainability, competitiveness, and fairness; principles supported and fulfilled through technology.
“This meaningful change in how we interact with technology will only occur with access to dependable, robust, and ultra-fast connectivity. The current gold standard is 5G as a key enabler of the fourth industrial revolution. Bahrain has been quick for embracing technology and introduced 5G connectivity back in 2019 making Bahrain among the first in the world to secure 5G coverage for its entire population.
“This ubiquitous connectivity helped the nation’s tech-savvy population to manage the pandemic objectively, helping meet the unprecedented demand for bandwidth driven by the need to work from home, rising ecommerce, and the meteoric rise of on-line meeting platforms,” he said.
“Stc Bahrain chose Huawei to help it roll out advanced 5G connectivity solutions, and the Kingdom now stands well prepared for rapid, advanced technology development – helping make it a more attractive prospect for innovative technology firms looking to establish a regional presence.
“We can clearly see that connectivity is the framework for innovation, creativity, and digital transformation. While Bahrain has recently unveiled a four-year road map for digital transformation as part of a $30billion economic recovery plan, it is vital to secure public-private partnerships (PPP) to ensure a cohesive national digital strategy,” he said.
“With Bahrain’s comprehensive 5G coverage expected to encourage the deployment of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT and edge computing, we are already seeing 5G’s capabilities in the Kingdom’s government services and smart city applications. Also, 5G technology will help drive the rise of IoT, and where there are IoT-driven applications, there is often another emerging technology that goes together with 5G.”
“Bahrain’s telecom service providers are vital for the infrastructure development and Kingdom’s plans to become a regional digital innovation hub, but they need a sustain investment plan, and partnerships with private sector partners, such as Huawei, to ensure access to innovative technology and global expertise. I believe the extra speed, reliability, and availability of 5G across the nation will enable the fourth industrial revolution to take off in Bahrain ahead of other countries. Of course, just like every other industrial revolution, what truly lies at the heart of the successful adoption of the concept depends on human capital. People who understand how to wield the power of advanced technologies, people who can think with vision and foresight; people who can help drive Bahrain towards a bright new digital future. Developing that talent must be a national priority, in cooperation with academia and the private sector, Huawei sets a benchmark by rolling out pioneering initiatives encouraging youth to step into exciting ICT careers. The company fosters interest in the sector through its seeds for the future by encouraging students to learn more about evolving technologies through training workshops that help deliver practical and theoretical experience through Huawei’s ICT Academies at Ahlia University and other universities in Bahrain providing real career paths through internships and employment opportunities through its presence in the Kingdom.”
