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The UAE is set to be one of the world’s preeminent destinations for 5G, as Huawei wins the backing of du’s CTO
Emirati telco, du, has backed Chinese tech giant Huawei, as it looks to roll out 5G across the UAE, according to a report by Reuters.
Speaking to Reuters on Sunday, du’s chief technological officer, Saleem Albalooshi, said that he was satisfied that Huawei posed no threat to the country’s network security.
"Huawei is our partner in rolling out our 5G network… From a security perspective… we have our own labs in the UAE and we visit their labs… we have not seen any evidence that there are security holes specifically in 5G,” Albalooshi said.
The UAE is set to be one of the Middle East’s early movers on 5G, with its networks set to be some of the most ambitious in the world.
Huawei has come under fire from the US in recent months over the security of its networks, with Washington claiming that its network architecture could be used to conduct acts of state sponsored espionage on behalf of China.
In an attempt to corral its allies into excluding Huawei from their 5G network rollouts, the US has threatened to withhold potentially lifesaving security information with anyone who continues to do business with the Chinese firm.
“Of course, this is definitely a concern… but such a thing is the government’s decision. We follow our government’s roads and we are governed by the regulator,” Albalooshi said.
