Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning launched a digital platform for instant property title deed issuance, cutting service time and reducing in-person visits significantly. The initiative supports Oman’s digital transformation and Vision 2040 goals, with plans to expand accessibility nationwide through kiosks and service halls.
Brookfield Asset Management is close to acquiring a stake in an Omani telecom operator, marking its first investment in Oman’s telecom market. The deal highlights increasing foreign interest amid Oman’s telecom liberalization and digital growth initiatives.
TikTok’s Family Academy in Morocco provided parents with digital literacy tools and insights to support teens’ healthy social media use. Experts emphasized dialogue over control and highlighted culturally relevant resources to foster better parent-teen communication about digital habits.
Maroc Telecom and Inwi have created joint ventures to accelerate Morocco’s FTTH and 5G expansion, investing $486 million initially. Uni Fiber targets millions of fiber connections, while Uni Tower aims to build thousands of telecom towers, fostering open infrastructure access and national digital growth.
Google Pay has expanded to Lebanon and Oman, providing secure contactless payments on Android and Wear OS devices. The service integrates with Google Wallet, offering enhanced payment security via tokenization and dynamic codes.
Superintelligent AI could arrive soon, offering the Middle East transformative opportunities in governance, education, science, and new industries. Saudi Arabia’s ambitious AI initiatives, including the Humain project and strategic partnerships, position the region to lead both in innovation and ethical governance amid this technological revolution.
Spekter Games raised $5 million in pre-seed funding to develop Web3-enhanced mobile and social games blending deep gameplay with blockchain incentives. Its first game, Spekter Agency, is testing on Telegram, with plans to expand onto traditional app stores.
Egypt and Thailand strengthened ICT collaboration via a networking event in Cairo, promoting B2B connections and supporting both countries’ digital transformation and software industry globalization goals.
Hesham Mahran will take over as CEO of Orange Egypt on August 1, succeeding Yasser Shaker, who moves to lead Orange’s Middle East and Africa division. This change aligns with the group’s broader strategy on digital transformation and leadership development.
Almost half of Saudi internet users spend seven or more hours daily online, mainly via mobile phones. Peak usage is in the evening, with most access from home. Android leads mobile OS, while Windows dominates desktops, reflecting the Kingdom’s advancing digital landscape.