Business Extra: Huawei and the promise of 5G

The promise of lightning-fast internet speeds and a hyper-connected world that will spawn a new era of automation and AI is at the heart of the promise of 5G technology. Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment maker, is both building this bright future and being accused of facilitating the darker side of this technology.

The United States and allies such as the United Kingdom are determined to prevent Huawei from being part of the building of their respective 5G networks. They fear this will provide a gateway for Chinese security agencies to spy on them.

Huawei denies this is a legitimate concern and other nations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East – including the UAE – have given work to the company, which says its business outside the US is not affected and is taking steps to seize other opportunities.

How much is this focus on Huawei part of the broader trade row? Are these concerns over Huawei about more than just politics? Should we fear Chinese technological hegemony anymore than we should worry about US dominance? Also, is the promise of 5G real enough that it won’t matter which country dominates the technology if all have access to it? And what does that mean for investors in this region?

We discuss in this week's episode of the Business Extra podcast. Listen here:

Host Mustafa Alrawi, The National's assistant editor in chief, explores these themes with Dr John Rutledge, chief investment officer at global investment company Safanad. Dr Rutledge has been an economic adviser to the Reagan and Bush administrations and is advising the current Trump White House on recent China trade negotiations.

Also in this episode, The National's Chris Nelson and Jennifer Gnana run through top news stories including the latest Abraaj arrest and the US decision to cancel sanctions waivers on Iranian oil imports for eight countries and what that means for energy markets and global economic growth.

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.

- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law

Business Extra: Huawei and the promise of 5G

The US says the Chinese telecoms equipment maker is a potential security risk. But are these concerns legitimate or part of a wider trade war between Washington and Beijing?

Some of Darwish's last words

Labour dispute