Read this article to learn:
Who is the new European player
Who are the people supporting its domestic and international growth
What is TAWAL's long-term vision as a global towerco
TowerXchange: For those not familiar with TAWAL’s history, tell us about how the towerco was formed and its growth and development since then.
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
TAWAL was established in 2019 as a result of a carve-out of Saudi Telecommunications Company (stc) ’s passive telecom infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The principal activity of the Company is to build, maintain and operate telecom infrastructure (e.g. telecom towers, IBS, Small Cell, etc.) and lease the infrastructure mainly to MNOs. The Company is headquartered in Riyadh, KSA and has a portfolio of more than 16,000 telecom towers spread across the Kingdom.
TAWAL was built with a clear Vision to “Become the leading regional ICT infrastructure service provider”. TAWAL has been enabling telecom companies, government, and private entities to boost infrastructure sharing that achieves operational efficiencies, lower expenses and safeguards the environment.
As part of its Vision, TAWAL has been working to diversify its scope of services as well as expand the scale of its operations in KSA and beyond. In 2020, the company received the approval from its Board of Directors on its International Expansion Strategy.
Accordingly, we announced last year the first step of our global expansion with the full acquisition of Awal Telecom, making our foray into the Pakistani market. TAWAL Pakistan is now a fully licensed tower company serving all MNOs in that market.
Building on that momentum, we have also announced our expansion into Europe. We have been successful in our bid to acquire United Group’s telecom tower assets across Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia. Following regulatory approvals, TAWAL will own and operate more than 4,800 across these three European countries, providing passive infrastructure services to our clients there.
TowerXchange: Can you introduce the senior management at TAWAL that is supporting its domestic and international growth?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
I have been fortunate to join a very experienced and talented management team that was selected due to their rich and diverse experience and deep understanding of the KSA ICT market. The executive team includes:
Mr. Saeed Al-Shehri, Chief Operation Officer. Saeed has more than 22 years of experience in engineering, management and operations of telecommunications networks. His experience is focused on CAPEX and OPEX efficiencies, tower network expansion, new technology solutions and implementation.
Mr. Abdul Rahman Al-Moaiqel, Chief Commercial Officer. Abdul Rahman has more than 15 years of experience in telecommunications and infrastructure management. He is experienced in managing large-scale business and commercial operations for sector pioneers like Ericsson and Cisco.
Mr Emmanuel Léonard has been Chief International Officer with TAWAL since April 2021, where he is responsible for international operations, including M&A, commercial strategy, partnerships, contract negotiations and new market expansion.
Mr. Richard Ltaif, Chief Strategy and Governance Officer. Richard has more than 15 years of experience in the Telecom/ICT sector. He is an expert in strategic planning and execution, governance and board-related matters, and managing regulatory and legal affairs.
Mr. Saud Al-Toaimy, Chief Finance Officer. Saud has extensive experience in leading finance and accounting functions including accounting, audit, treasury, corporate finance and risk management, liquidity, and sourcing of funding.
Mr. Hareth Al-Sahan, Chief Human Resources Officer. Hareth has more than 15 years of experience in the field of human resources and development. He has significant experience in leading HR departments for multinational companies, including a large telecom operator.
TAWAL is backed by a great team that is diversified in knowledge, skills, and backgrounds. They are the true valuable asset that we have, delivering each day to push TAWAL forward towards its goals.
TowerXchange: So far, 2023 has been a very active year for you with regard to international expansion. What has made you look to set foot in a new continent, and why Europe?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
Our acquisition of United Group’s telecom tower assets marks a major milestone in TAWAL’s young history, representing our very first steps in expanding in Europe. We will soon own and operate more than 4,800 towers spread across Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia after clearing all regulatory approvals.
This expansion is in line with the International Expansion Strategy that we diligently developed in 2020 and got approved by our Board. In that strategy, we identified key markets in Eastern Europe where we could play a leading role and bring value to.
With our experience, expertise, rapidly developing ecosystem, and network of partners, we believe that we are uniquely equipped to spur the transformation of the Eastern European market. Ultimately, we are fully committed to serving as a partner of choice to the region, empowering MNOs and businesses across Eastern Europe to operate more effectively, cost-efficiently, and sustainably.
Of course, we are dedicated to providing more network coverage and capacity across Eastern Europe, offering access to quality, advanced services. Our goal is to bring significant capital investment to the region. We will add to the local market by introducing best practices from our mature operations in KSA, including agile processes and enhanced time-to-market, and launching new and innovative products.
The United Group’s portfolio represented a unique opportunity for us to fulfill our expansion strategy, in three markets with fantastic growth potential, particularly with regard to 5G roll-out and adoption of mobile services.
TowerXchange: To support 5G deployment, you now manage more than just macro towers in Saudi Arabia and have expanded into IBS, Fiber Facility, and Coverage as Service and are looking at opportunities in small cell & data centers. What are the key lessons you can bring to your European markets?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
TAWAL has been fortunate to pioneer a range of new services in KSA. We have fostered a reputation for introducing impactful products and offerings to the Saudi market, including O&M-as-a-Service, Coverage-as-a-service, different variants of BTS and colocation solutions, IBS, DAS, FTTT (Fiber-to-the-Tower) reselling, etc.
The very novel Coverage-as-a-Service (CaaS) solution was developed to address challenges and changes for our megaproject clients who preferred not to deal with the MNOs. Additionally, our FTTT reselling offering has been launched to pave the way for service providers to deliver next-generation networks and technologies by supporting the increased data traffic and high-density demand of 5G networks and IoT functions.
Working with leading smart pole providers around the world, we aim to bring our smart pole solution to the markets we serve. We are currently in the process of rolling out the solution in Saudi Arabia as part of a selection of major projects we are working on and are keen to leverage the solution in new markets.
Ultimately, innovation remains vital for us, and we are determined to pioneer even more advanced solutions for our clients and partners’ benefit. We aim to serve the European market by acting as a one-stop shop for our clients’ ICT infrastructure needs.
TowerXchange: In your home country, you’ve been involved in numerous smart cities and megaprojects. Which lessons do you think are applicable in a European context when it comes to supporting smart city and municipal services?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
What makes a smart city smart is its ability to use information from different sources to provide a better quality of living to its residents in an efficient and sustainable manner. In order to do so, you need a robust ICT infrastructure that is modern, efficient, and reliable. This is what we strive to do at TAWAL. We are working with our partner smart cities, such as NEOM in Saudi Arabia, to develop this state-of-the-art infrastructure.
We have also signed strategic partnership agreements with the likes of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and ROSHN. As part of these agreements, TAWAL will provide ICT infrastructure solutions for use within the city. These solutions will tremendously improve the efficiency of telecommunications networks and related services to the communities and businesses that will reside there.
As we move forward and establish ourselves in Europe, we will use our experience and expertise to empower our new clients in the markets we serve with better access to quality solutions.
We are also augmenting our product portfolio by adding adjacent offerings and developing innovative business models to support the development of these megaprojects. We look forward to bringing this expertise to the European market.
TowerXchange: Although with different specifics and locations, Saudi Vision 2030 and EU’s Digital Decade have a common goal – the development of infrastructure that supports digital transformation. How are you delivering on the Saudi plan, and is there any transferable experience that can be reused for the European one?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
Digital transformation is an important aspect of Saudi Vision 2030, and the objective is to improve the digital environment for all sectors to be more connected, effective, and efficient. Saudi has come a long way in this transformation journey, as Saudi Arabia has recently ranked second among the G20 members and fourth globally in the preparedness of digital systems, Saudi Arabia is now also third globally in terms of digital government. The government is giving a lot of focus and support to this field, and we all as a nation are reaping the benefits. Any successful transformation needs a solid foundation to build on. Our role in TAWAL is to be that foundation from an ICT infrastructure perspective. We make sure that we provide a world-class ICT infrastructure that is very reliable, efficient to operate at all times, and meets our clients’ needs.
We are proud in TAWAL to have been certified for our Quality across different domains (operations, business continuity, quality management…) as demonstrated in the certifications we have received such as ISO 9001, 45001 & 22301 and TL 9000. We realize that our responsibility is very significant and hence, we deliver quality work every day to our clients.
We aim to adapt this approach to the European market. We will partner with leading European authorities, MNOs and other clients to achieve national agendas and accelerate the digital transformation of the sector, bolstering local ecosystems and boosting the economy in the process.
TowerXchange: Culturally and historically, your existing and new markets are very different. Is there any existing skillset you can use internationally, or would this be something you’d develop?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
Although different markets have their own specificities in terms of maturity and demand, they all require a reliable, efficient, and innovative ICT infrastructure. I believe that we have the right ingredients at TAWAL to fulfill these requirements. With this at our Core, the next important element to expand in any new market is to build the right relationships with clients, regulators, and governmental entities and understand the local nuances and national economic agendas.
In the end, our customers’ needs and expectations will be the most important drive to our success, and we at TAWAL keep the customer at the center of all our activities.
TowerXchange: What is the long-term vision for TAWAL as a global towerco?
Mohammed Alhakbani, Chief Executive Officer, TAWAL:
As I mentioned earlier, TAWAL was built with a bold Vision to expand in scope and scale across KSA and far beyond geographically. Our ambition is to expand regionally and globally with our Core Towerco value proposition and adjacent products and services. We will pursue any opportunity where we see TAWAL adding value to the local market.
TAWAL is fully committed to serving as a partner of choice, empowering MNOs and businesses globally to operate more effectively, cost-efficiently, and sustainably.
