Zain Group vice chairman and CEO Bader Al Kharafi (pictured) claimed the launch of a 5G network in Saudi Arabia will significantly boost government plans to establish a digital society by 2030.

The network currently consists of 2,000 towers covering more than 20 cities in the country, which the operator’s local unit Zain KSA stated is the largest deployment in the region to date. By the year-end, it plans to cover more than 26 cities with a network of 2,600 towers.

In a statement, Al Kharafi noted the benefits the network brings in terms of delivering on the government’s Vision 2030 goals, specifically around sectors including “financial, ICT, agricultural, tourism, entertainment, automotive, health, education and public sectors”.

The network will also “contribute significantly to the country’s economy, creating thousands of new jobs”, he said.

Zain stated the Saudi Arabian 5G network is its second, following a launch in Kuwait in June.