Abdullah Khorami, Chief Business Officer at Etihad Salam Telecom Company (Salam), explains that Salam is positioning itself as Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation architect—unifying the entire enterprise stack and replacing decades of fragmented technologies with a single, integrated platform.
The telecom industry has operated on a traditional model for decades. What prompted Salam to rethink its approach to enterprise services?
For years, telecom companies have operated with a predictable formula: build infrastructure, sell access, compete on price, rinse and repeat. But the enterprises we serve today aren’t just asking for faster internet anymore. They’re asking how to deploy AI across their operations. They want to know how edge computing can reduce latency in their manufacturing plants. They need cybersecurity solutions that don’t crumble under sophisticated attacks. They’re looking for partners, not vendors. This realization forced us to take a hard look and introspect. So, we made a choice: stop being a telecom IT service provider and become a specialized digital transformation partner.
With so much investment flowing into digital transformation, what challenges are enterprises facing in delivering results?
The ambition for digital transformation across the region is undeniable, but execution remains the critical gap. BCG reports that 77% of transformations fail to deliver long-term results. Gartner says 85% of initiatives never scale beyond pilot projects. Cumulative estimates from major consulting firms suggest roughly $900 billion in digital transformation investment is wasted globally every year. Enterprises navigate intricate ecosystems of vendors, platforms, and integration challenges while trying to maintain business continuity. This is where we at Salam see ourselves contributing as a digital transformation partner. We’re not just providing connectivity or selling point solutions; we’re positioned to bridge the gap between ambitious digital strategies and successful, scaled implementation. Our partnership-driven model brings together the right specialists, provides the infrastructure backbone, and offers the single point of accountability enterprises need to move beyond pilots and into sustainable, long-term transformation. When nearly four out of five transformation efforts fail, the value of a partner who can execute becomes infinite.
You’ve introduced B2B 2.0 as an entirely new operating model. What are its core components?
B2B 2.0 is built on five interconnected pillars that work together as an integrated digital ecosystem. Connectivity remains foundational; you can’t transform digitally if your network drops during peak hours, but enterprise-grade connectivity is table stakes now. The real differentiation comes from the other four pillars. First, cloud solutions that scale, not the kind where you discover hidden costs six months in, but genuinely flexible infrastructure that grows with your business. Second, AI that’s embedded into operations, not bolted on as an afterthought. Second, cybersecurity that treats security as architecture, not an accessory, where private 5G gives enterprises dedicated, interference-free connectivity that keeps critical systems insulated from public network congestion. Finally, managed services that free internal IT teams to focus on innovation instead of firefighting. The magic is in how these pillars work together as a unified platform, replacing the fragmented, isolated services that have plagued enterprise technology for decades.
AI transformation is discussed widely, but concrete deployments seem rare. What does AI implementation look like on the ground?
Everyone talks about AI transformation, but far fewer can point to concrete deployments. Here’s what it actually looks like: AI CCTV analytics running real-time monitoring across facilities, facial recognition and unattended object detection powered through Private 5G infrastructure, and edge-based security triggers that analyze camera feeds locally, not in some distant data center, to generate immediate alerts for unauthorized access, fire hazards, or emergencies.
Our Edge Computing architecture processes data where it’s generated, reducing latency and enabling real-time decision-making. Edge nodes aggregate data from sensors, cameras, and access systems to create Digital Twin environments, live digital representations of physical assets that allow predictive simulations for everything from crowd management to energy optimization. The IoT layer adds another dimension through large-scale sensor deployments that monitor HVAC systems, lighting, water infrastructure, and energy consumption in real time. Smart restroom management, predictive maintenance that catches problems before they become expensive failures, and environmental monitoring that adapts to conditions automatically- this is what modern enterprise operations look like. Frankly, if your technology partner can’t deliver this kind of integrated intelligence, they’re already behind.
The technology industry faces significant challenges with enterprise customers. How does B2B 2.0 address this?
Too many enterprises have been burned by vendors who overpromised and underdelivered, who sold solutions without understanding problems, and who disappeared after the contract was signed. B2B 2.0 is built on a different philosophy entirely. We focus on bespoke solutions tailored to individual enterprise needs, not off-the-shelf packages that require businesses to adapt to the technology instead of the other way around. We emphasize partnership-based relationships focused on collaborative growth, with trust and transparency as non-negotiable foundations. In a market where enterprises have choices, the partners who win will be the ones who treat customer success as their own success. Every efficiency gain we help deliver, every security breach we help prevent, and every scaling challenge we help solve builds the kind of relationships that sustain long-term growth.
How do you see the role of telecommunications companies evolving in the broader technology landscape?
The next wave of competitiveness in Saudi Arabia will come from platform-based collaboration. The traditional boundaries between technology providers are dissolving. Enterprises don’t want to manage relationships with a connectivity vendor, a separate cloud provider, a different cybersecurity firm, and yet another AI specialist. They want integrated ecosystems, unified platforms, and single points of accountability. Telcos are uniquely positioned to fill this role, but only if they’re willing to evolve. The ones that embrace transformation will become innovation orchestrators, sitting at the center of digital ecosystems that generate value across the entire enterprise technology stack. Salam has made its choice. B2B 2.0 represents our bet on the future: a future where we enable cloud and AI adoption, provide the cybersecurity and IoT infrastructure modern operations demand, and empower SMEs and startups to scale through open APIs and co-creation partnerships.
