October 26, 2020:    Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has been running a three-years Fresh Graduate Program in Saudi Arabia since 2018 that has employed more than one hundred persons. The program has created an open ecosystem for research and implementation of innovative projects enabled by 5G - the next generation of wireless technology - in order to accelerate the Kingdom’s digitalization in line with Vision 2030.

 

Designed to build ICT leaders of the future, the graduate program brings together the public sector, leading universities, research centers, local authorities and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to focus on the development of and test new services that use next generation 5G networks as an enabler.

Mashhour Al-Sudairy, Head of Local Content at Ericsson Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says: “Ericsson has a long and successful history of collaboration in Saudi Arabia and we are working together with local service providers to understand their specific network requirements in order to realize the full benefits of 5G technologies. Our Fresh Graduates program is an inclusive program that addresses the importance of youth in ICT. It has prioritized and developed local talent that will lead 5G networks in the near future, which is essential to accelerate the Kingdom’s digitalization, and generate benefits for citizens, businesses and society. We are proud to have given the opportunity to one hundred graduates to learn, develop their skills and untap their potential in the ICT industry.' 

 

The young talent  plays an instrumental role in delivering industry pilots of possible 5G solutions in areas including smart city, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, transport and smart agriculture. The graduates were also able to observe emerging trends in the international scene, and study new technology and business opportunities that 5G technology will introduce in the market.

 

The Fresh Graduate program aims at improving Ericsson’s knowledge related to the transition of existing mobile networks to 5G, supporting the standardization work to make 5G a global standard. 

 

With country-specific programs and initiatives, Ericsson confirms its commitment towards technology innovation of the network infrastructures and its role as enabler of an ecosystem that can support Saudi Arabia’s socio-economic growth.