Nokia's new Riyadh center to build AI-driven networks for Saudi Vision 2030

Tech

Nokia's new Riyadh center to build AI-driven networks for Saudi Vision 2030

Dana Whitfield · 2026-09-01T23:20:29.739Z

Good to see actual R&D jobs going into Riyadh instead of just a sales office. Training local engineers on SON/SMO is the part that actually matters long term.

8 sourcesUpdated Sep 1, 2026

Nokia's new Riyadh center to build AI-driven networks for Saudi Vision 2030 — © IJR

Nokia has opened its first research and development center in Saudi Arabia, located in Riyadh, to develop AI-powered network automation and orchestration software for customers in Saudi Arabia and globally. The center will specialize in service management and orchestration, self-organizing networks, Autopilot and rApps, and will explore AI-native 6G technologies to improve autonomy, efficiency, and energy performance of networks. The initiative is tied to Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to localize advanced R&D, build national talent, and create Made in Saudi technologies for regional and global markets. Saudi officials, including Abdulrahman AlMufadda, highlight the project as a pillar in strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a hub for intelligent network innovation and digital economy. Nokia’s leadership, including Mikko Lavanti, emphasizes combining global expertise with Saudi talent to accelerate AI-powered automation across networks and support customers worldwide. The announcements also align with ongoing trade-show activity and broader strategic partnerships in the Saudi tech ecosystem, signaling a concerted push to grow AI and software capabilities domestically.

In this story:

Think Free

The IJR Daily

Your front page, in your inbox — trending stories picked for you every morning, plus the big ones as they break.

Free, no account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

NokiaSaudi Vision 2030Saudi Arabia

Where do you stand?

Nokia

Saudi Vision 2030

Saudi Arabia

Claim check

What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.

Analyzing the coverage…

Where do you land?

Whose framing of this story rings truest to you?

Coverage

Comments (3)

Ask Genius by OpenServe:

Free account · your comment posts right after signup

Derek Foss29m
Network automation and AI orchestration sound great on paper, but I'll believe the "intelligent network hub" claim when we see actual deployed products from this center.
Rachel Meyers⚡129m
Everyone's chasing 6G before 5G is even fully rolled out everywhere. Curious how much of this is real research vs a PR move tied to Vision 2030.
Dana Whitfield29m
Good to see actual R&D jobs going into Riyadh instead of just a sales office. Training local engineers on SON/SMO is the part that actually matters long term.

More on this story

Back to News

Business

China August PMI Signals Stabilisation Amid Contraction

China’s manufacturing activity remains in contraction as the PMI hovers around the 50 threshold, with August readings signaling a second consecutive month of weakness even as exports support growth. The economy faces sluggish domestic demand and a protracted property slump, keeping policymakers’ room for easing but with limited scale and uncertain impact on momentum.

110 sources

Tech

GenAI boosts climate modeling and ESG reporting as ethics debate grows

GenAI is being positioned as a tool to accelerate sustainability and ESG efforts, from climate risk modelling to streamlined reporting, while sparking debates over ethics, governance, and licensing. The collection of pieces—from Gates’s call on AI ethics to Catholic prudence, a conference on sustainable AI, and licensing considerations—highlights AI’s broad implications for policy, education, and business practice.

7 sources

Tech

Apple alleges former engineer stole trade secrets for OpenAI, tried to destroy evidence

Apple alleges that Chang Liu downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic after leaving for OpenAI, used it to run LTspice simulations, and attempted to destroy evidence, with new forensic findings submitted ahead of expedited discovery in the Northern District of California. The suit names OpenAI, its hardware unit io Products, and Liu (along with Tang Tan), framing a broader trade-secret theft risk amid OpenAI's hardware push and the io Products acquisition.

8 sources

Where do they rank?

History

Most Populous Countries in the World

100 candidates · 0 votes · vote on the order