Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Bangladesh will reduce the maximum number of SIM cards per person from 10 to five starting January 2026, aiming to curb mobile-related crimes and tighten regulatory control ahead of elections. Excess SIMs will be deactivated, though IoT SIMs will follow a separate process. The move has sparked mixed reactions among users and operators.
Pakistan plans a major telecom spectrum auction in early 2026 to address network congestion and improve internet quality. The government aims to auction nearly 600 MHz of spectrum, the largest in its history, enabling better 3G and 4G services and supporting the country’s first rollout of 5G, following approval of the framework by the ECC.
Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister emphasized the telecom and ICT sector as a cornerstone of economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness. Highlighting Bahrain’s use of modern technologies, he also praised the strong Saudi-Bahraini partnership, noting its continued role in advancing regional cooperation, digital development, and long-term economic progress.
The Middle East and Central Asia are facing a growing ICT skills shortage as digital transformation accelerates across governments and enterprises. Huawei’s ICT Academy is addressing this gap by partnering with hundreds of universities, modernising curricula, training faculty, and equipping students with industry-relevant skills in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing to better align education with rapidly evolving market needs.
Bahrain’s telecommunications regulator has authorised satellite direct-to-device services, allowing standard mobile phones to connect directly to satellites beyond terrestrial coverage. While commercial services are not yet live, the move positions Bahrain as a regional first and lays the groundwork for pilot deployments, emergency connectivity, and wider satellite-based communications.
The Children’s Paralympic Games in Azerbaijan brought together 130 young athletes competing across eight para-sports disciplines. Supported by Azercell, the event promotes inclusive sports, physical development, and social integration for children with disabilities, while helping identify and nurture the country’s next generation of Paralympic athletes.
Batelco has partnered with Cisco to modernize its IP backbone infrastructure, deploying advanced routing, automation, and monitoring technologies. The upgrade will enable AI-driven network operations and support 5G-Advanced, 6G, IoT, and cloud-native services, strengthening service performance and supporting Bahrain’s digital transformation goals.
MoneyHash and Mastercard have partnered to expand access to MoneyHash’s Merchant Cloud platform across the Middle East and Africa. The collaboration enables merchants to connect to Mastercard Gateway through a single API, improving payment success rates, streamlining operations, and providing unified analytics while supporting scalable, secure digital growth.
Ericsson and Zain Bahrain have announced an expanded strategic partnership to introduce advanced 5G capabilities in the Kingdom, centred on…
First Abu Dhabi Bank and Mastercard have launched a mobile-first virtual corporate card solution in the UAE, allowing enterprises and government entities to issue and manage virtual cards via mobile wallets. The platform streamlines expense management, enhances security and transparency, and supports real-time payments, reflecting the UAE’s accelerating shift toward digital and contactless B2B payment ecosystems.