King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) hosted regional leaders in wireless communications at its 5th annual 6G Summit: An Ecosystem of Possibilities on its campus.   

This was one of the Kingdom’s leading scientific forums on beyond 5G and 6G research, with several diverse innovative topics under discussion with esteemed leaders in the field, including AI-driven network optimization, terahertz and optical wireless communications, energy-efficient technologies and sustainable infrastructure for next-generation networks. The summit also covered cybersecurity advancements, human-machine interfaces and the role of 6G in enabling digital transformation in smart cities and industry 4.0.  

“By investing significantly in research and development in these areas, Saudi Arabia has the potential to advance emerging communication technologies and position itself as one of the early adopters of 6G,” said Dr. Mohamed-Slim Alouini, KAUST Al-Khawarizmi Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the holder of the UNESCO Chair on Education to Connect the Unconnected.  “This will drive Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, strengthening its economy and enhancing workforce skills, while attracting demand for international partnerships.”  

Prof. Alouini chaired an organizing committee comprising 12 KAUST faculty members, each bringing expertise from broad domains to comprehensively address the expanding 6G ecosystem. This multidisciplinary team ensured that all critical and emerging areas within 6G are thoroughly represented and discussed during this year's edition of the summit.  

KAUST and Ericsson recently re-signed an ongoing research partnership, signifying a strengthening commitment to advancing Saudi communications infrastructure. In addition, Aramco and KAUST have also signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on research with both environmental and commercial benefits. The partnership includes advancing 6G related digital solutions aiming to produce outcomes that are viable for the market.  

International attendees include Dr. Ali Khayrallah, Senior Technical Advisor at Ericsson’s Advanced Technology Group in the U.S.A, Dr. Aboelmagd Noureldin, Professor and Canada Research Chair (CRC), Royal Military College of Canada, Dr. Biplab Sikdar, Professor at the National University of Singapore, Dr. Christophe Fumeaux, Chair and Professor in Optical and Microwave Engineering at The University of Queensland, Australia, and Dr. Sue Moon, Full Professor, School of Computing at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), Korea.   

There are many great expectations surrounding 6G in the Kingdom. The level at which 6G will surpass current communications technology will give us unprecedented capabilities in data storage, processing and sharing. Overall, it will merge the digital and physical worlds in a fully connected world, but for any of this to happen, exhaustive innovation and collaboration in multiple sectors.