Nokia opens AI-focused R&D center in Riyadh

Nokia opens AI-focused R&D center in Riyadh

Network vendor Nokia has opened a research and development (R&D) center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The facility will focus primarily on developing software for AI-powered network automation.

According to Nokia, the software will enable communications networks to self-configure, self-heal, optimize performance, reduce energy consumption, and operate with greater autonomy.

The Riyadh facility is Nokia’s first R&D center in Saudi Arabia. Its work will also cover Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), self-organizing networks (SON), autopilot capabilities, and rApps designed to improve automation and energy efficiency.

Nokia’s teams will develop AI-driven capabilities for communications service providers (CSPs) and enterprises in Saudi Arabia. The center is also part of the Kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030 program.

In addition, the facility will support the development of AI-native 6G technologies and contribute “Made in Saudi” software innovations for Nokia customers worldwide.

Mikko Lavanti, president of Middle East and Africa at Nokia, said the center would combine Nokia’s global expertise with Saudi talent to develop AI-powered automation for more autonomous, efficient, and responsive networks. He added that it would support connectivity innovation for customers in Saudi Arabia and international markets.

The center is expected to create engineering and research roles, along with advanced training programs, boot camps, and AI and automation certification opportunities for local talent.

Eng. Abdulrahman AlMufadda, deputy minister for telecom and infrastructure at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), said the facility would help localize advanced R&D capabilities, develop national expertise in AI and software, and create technologies made in Saudi Arabia for global markets.