Mobily and Ericsson Mark 20 Years of Hajj Connectivity Partnership with AI-Powered 5G Expansion

Mobily  and Ericsson  mark 20 years of collaboration in supporting connectivity for pilgrims during Hajj season, with expanded 5G capacity and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based capabilities for a faster, smoother, and more reliable mobile experience during Hajj 2026 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Ericsson and Mobily have expanded network capacity and coverage in the Mashaer area, while extending the use of AI for network optimization, performance monitoring, and operations during Hajj 2026.

As part of the network expansion, Mobily more than doubled 5G capacity through additional sites in the Mashaer area using Ericsson Radio System solutions, including Massive MIMO radios, and activating new spectrum. This helped more pilgrims stay connected at the same time, even in highly crowded locations where demand for mobile and digital services was at its highest.

Mobily and Ericsson also scaled the deployment of AI-based Uplink Interference Optimizer and Coverage Gap Mitigation algorithms across the network. The capabilities are deployed with zero-touch, closed-loop automation which enabled the network to instantly self-optimize and proactively mitigate coverage gaps in near real time without the need for manual intervention, ensuring seamless connectivity for millions of pilgrims.

The collaboration also introduced an AI-powered monitoring tool jointly created by Ericsson and Mobily that continuously checked end user experience for key digital services and voice calls. It simulated user journeys and tested call quality in the background to help detect issues early, such as slow applications, video quality challenges, or unclear voice calls. This meant better, more reliable connectivity and higher service quality for pilgrims, while providing clearer insights to the network teams to optimize the network performance during Hajj.

Mobily and Ericsson have also deployed another co-created tool, the GenAI Intelligent Assistant for operational intelligence. The assistant enabled Mobily operations teams to ask questions about network performance in simple language and receive clear responses based on information from areas including customer complaints, roaming, capacity, and network performance. This made day-to-day operations faster and more efficient, and supported better, more consistent service for pilgrims during Hajj.

“For 20 years, Mobily and Ericsson have worked together to support connectivity for pilgrims during Hajj season. As demand continues to grow, our focus remains on providing network performance and service quality that supported the needs of pilgrims in Makkah. Through expanded 5G capacity and AI-based operations, we evolved how we plan, optimize, and operate the network during one of the most important seasons of the year.”

– Alaa Malki, Chief Technology Officer, Mobily

“Hajj is one of the most demanding connectivity environments in the world. Our collaboration with Mobily brought together 5G, AI and closed loop automation to support network performance and customer experience during the season. Building on two decades of collaboration with Mobily, we remain committed to supporting digital infrastructure in the Kingdom.”

– Håkan Cervell, Vice President and Head of Ericsson Saudi Arabia, Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa

The longstanding partnership between Mobily and Ericsson has supported Hajj connectivity for two decades through network planning, optimization, capacity expansion, and managed services.