After being banned from the U.S. on espionage concerns and partnering with Russia to develop the country’s 5G network, Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has signed a similar deal with the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported on Sunday.
The chief technological officer of UAE telecoms company Du, Saleem Albalooshi, said his firm saw no evidence of security concerns about Huawei’s 5G technology.
“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.
Washington has been warning allies against using the Chinese company’s equipment, which it says presents a security risk.
Huawei has repeatedly denied the U.S. allegations, which were raised earlier this month during a visit by Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, all of which use Huawei equipment.
When asked about the U.S. threat that it will stop intelligence-sharing with nations that use Huawei equipment, Alabooshi said it is a concern.
“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,” he said.
Huawei is the world’s second-largest smartphone company.
Last month, Moscow rolled out the red carpet for the company, letting it develop 5G networks in Russia. Analysts say the move is as much a show of solidarity with Beijing against the US.
Huawei opened its first 5G test zone in Moscow in partnership Russian operator MTS, with a view to rolling out the service to the rest of the capital.
Moscow authorities say the network will become part of the city’s normal infrastructure within the next few years. A pioneer in telecoms networks compared to many Western countries, Russia plans to deploy 5G in all of its main cities by 2024.
