LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 MENA, DUBAI: Hatem Bamatraf, CTO of Etisalat International (pictured), backed next-generation technologies to dissolve the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds, as he hailed the impact of connectivity in bringing the world closer together.

Bamatraf noted technologies including 5G, IoT, AI and VR were now enabling users to control machines or even drive cars virtually, which the company believes will emerge as a major use case and “help the world evolve around us”.

Beginning his presentation with a look back at how mobile had changed through the years, Bamatraf pointed to the fact that today, “a farmer with a smartphone in Africa now has more access to information than George W. Bush had as president of the US”.

“Technology has impacted our lives, the way we live and our businesses. All of these evolutions have brought the world closer to each other.”

Bamatraf added he is confident about the Middle East and Etisalat’s potential to help shape the industry’s future, with 5G set to be “a major pillar of Fourth Industrial Revolution”.