Advanced Communications and Electronic Systems Company and Movandi have signed a strategic partnership to jointly develop, validate and commercialise advanced 5G and future 6G wireless technologies, with a focus on strengthening local technology capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The partnership, formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed in Riyadh, will combine ACES’ local research and development capabilities with Movandi’s expertise in millimetre-wave RF, antennas, beamforming and semiconductor technologies.
The companies will target mmWave connectivity, Open RAN, small cells and advanced radio frequency technologies for deployment in Saudi Arabia, the wider Middle East and international markets.
Partnership combines Saudi R&D with Movandi wireless technology
ACES brings capabilities spanning locally developed 5G small cells, Open RAN, RF front-end and antenna technologies, digital platforms and next-generation 5G and 6G systems.
Movandi specialises in mmWave technologies including RF integrated circuits, antennas and beamforming.
Combining these capabilities is intended to support the development of high-capacity, low-latency wireless infrastructure and provide a pathway from research and product development through field validation and commercial deployment.
ACES said its R&D operations have already locally developed an O-RAN-compliant shareable 5G small cell solution in Saudi Arabia.
The company is positioning that work as part of a wider effort to develop more telecommunications technology within the Kingdom rather than relying entirely on imported network products.
mmWave and Open RAN among priority technologies
The collaboration will focus on mmWave and RF front-end technologies alongside 5G, future 6G and Open RAN architectures.
Millimetre-wave spectrum can provide very high network capacity and speeds, although its shorter propagation characteristics typically require denser infrastructure and advanced antenna and beamforming technologies.
That makes technologies such as small cells and intelligent beamforming particularly important for practical mmWave deployments.
Open RAN, meanwhile, is intended to enable more interoperable and flexible radio access network architectures by using open interfaces between network components.
Joint R&D and proof-of-concept deployments planned
The agreement extends beyond technology development.
ACES and Movandi plan to conduct joint R&D, field validation and proof-of-concept deployments before pursuing commercialisation and business development opportunities.
The companies intend to target Saudi Arabia first while also exploring opportunities across the wider Middle East and international markets.
The arrangement gives Movandi access to ACES’ regional integration and deployment capabilities, while ACES gains access to specialised mmWave semiconductor, RF and beamforming technologies.
Movandi CEO and co-founder Maryam Rofougaran said combining the company’s technology with ACES’ local market presence and deployment experience could accelerate the adoption of advanced wireless infrastructure across Saudi Arabia and the region.
Movandi said its technology has previously been used in commercial and trial deployments in North America and Asia.
ACES strengthens local telecom technology development
For ACES, the agreement forms part of a broader push to expand its capabilities in advanced wireless infrastructure.
CEO Akram Aburas said the partnership would combine complementary R&D, technology and deployment capabilities to accelerate the localisation of mmWave, Open RAN and next-generation 5G and 6G infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Local development is particularly relevant as Saudi Arabia seeks to expand domestic capabilities across strategic technology industries under Vision 2030.
Building expertise in radio technologies, antennas, semiconductors and network architecture could give local companies a larger role in the telecommunications technology value chain.
Partnership looks beyond current 5G deployments
While commercial opportunities around existing 5G technologies form part of the collaboration, the agreement also establishes a framework for future 6G development.
The source does not identify specific 6G products, deployment dates or commercial programmes, and the partnership remains at the MoU stage.
Its immediate activities will instead focus on R&D, validation, proof-of-concept deployments and the commercialisation of technologies such as mmWave, Open RAN and advanced RF systems that could also contribute to future network architectures.
Why this matters
The strategic significance of the ACES-Movandi partnership lies in its localisation component.
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in advanced connectivity, but building a deeper domestic technology industry requires moving beyond network deployment towards local product development, testing, integration and intellectual property.
ACES’ development of an O-RAN-compliant 5G small cell provides an existing foundation for that approach, while Movandi brings specialised capabilities in some of the more technically challenging elements of high-frequency wireless networks.
If the partnership progresses from proof-of-concept projects into commercial deployments, it could strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position in the regional advanced wireless infrastructure market while building local expertise relevant to both 5G evolution and future 6G systems.
Editor’s note
The 6G element gives the agreement a forward-looking dimension, but the more immediate opportunity lies in mmWave, small cells, Open RAN and RF technology that can be developed and validated using existing networks.
The distinction matters because the agreement is currently an MoU and does not represent a confirmed commercial 6G deployment.
The key indicator to watch will be whether ACES and Movandi move from joint R&D into field trials and commercially deployed products, particularly solutions developed or manufactured locally. That transition would provide a clearer measure of how Saudi Arabia’s telecom localisation strategy is progressing from infrastructure investment towards domestic technology capability.
