BE Magazine - August 2026

The Horizon of 6G for Arab Banks ROLL UP OF 6G IN ARAB COUNTRIES The rollout of 6G will require a com- bination of new spectrum allocation, particularly in the terahertz bands, and advanced infrastructure up- grades such as ultra-dense small cells, fiber backhaul, and reconfig- urable intelligent surfaces to handle extreme data rates and low latency. Banks, telecoms, and governments must invest in AI-driven network management to ensure efficiency, while quantum-secure communica- tion will be essential for protecting sensitive data. Global coordination through the International Telecom- munication Union ITU International Mobile Telecommunications IMT- 2030 framework will standardize protocols, and integration of non-ter- restrial networks will extend cover- age worldwide. Finally, successful rollout depends on massive Research and Development R&D investment, regulatory alignment, and collabora- tion across industries to overcome challenges of cost, energy demand, and cybersecurity. In Arab countries, the rollout of 6G is being led by Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which have launched national strategies and giga-projects to integrate terahertz communication, AI-native networks, and satellite-terrestrial systems into their digital economies by 2030. The UAE’s Telecommunications and Dig- ital Government Regulatory Author- ity TDRA has already announced a 6G roadmap, Saudi Arabia is embed- ding 6G into NEOM’s smart city in- frastructure, and Qatar is focusing on ultra-low latency for media and live events, while other Arab nations such as Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait are modernizing infrastructure more gradually, and countries facing insta- bility like Iraq and Lebanon may adopt later, making 6G both a tech- nological and geopolitical priority across the Arab world. ISSUE 212 AUGUST 2026 the BANKING EXECUTIVE 11 Key players in 6G global race Region Strengths China South Korea United States Japan EU State coordination, Huawei patents Samsung leadership, fast prototyping Qualcomm/Intel ecosystem, DARPA NTT DOCOMO demos, THz research Nokia/Ericsson, multi-country collaboration Budget $8B+ $4.2B $3B+ $2.5B € 900M Trial Target 2029 2028 2030 2030 2030 Commercial Launch 2030 2030 2031 2030 2031