Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Egypt’s ready-made garments sector achieved a record $3.1 billion in exports between January and November 2025, marking 22 percent annual growth. The milestone was driven by expansion in existing factories, strong export performance throughout the year, and continued government support for manufacturing and non-oil exports.
Robi Axiata has questioned the timing of Bangladesh’s planned 700MHz spectrum auction, warning that holding it ahead of national elections could deter investment due to political and regulatory uncertainty. While Robi continues to invest locally, executives stress that long-term capital commitments require stable governance and predictable telecom policies.
Bahrain has partnered with Alphabet spin-out SandboxAQ to deploy AI-based cybersecurity tools across more than 60 government ministries. Using the AQtive Guard platform, the initiative aims to strengthen encryption monitoring and address long-term risks such as quantum computing, highlighting growing government focus on proactive, AI-driven cyber defence.
TRAI’s November 2025 drive test in Baddi highlights significant disparities in voice and data performance across India’s major mobile operators. While Reliance Jio and Airtel lead in 5G and 4G data speeds, gaps remain in call quality, latency, and reliability, particularly for BSNL and Vodafone Idea, underscoring uneven network experience for users.
Huawei Cloud brought together over 150 partners in Riyadh to reinforce its partner-first cloud strategy in Saudi Arabia. The event highlighted ecosystem growth, innovation, and customer impact, while recognising top-performing partners and reaffirming Huawei Cloud’s long-term commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation.
Egypt’s mobile device production rose to over 10 million units in 2025, driven by increased local manufacturing and foreign investment. The ICT sector continues to deliver strong growth, job creation, and export expansion, while Egypt advances in digital governance, 5G deployment, and emerging technologies to support its broader digital transformation agenda.
Aamir Ibrahim warns that dollar-linked 5G spectrum pricing will delay rollout and increase costs, urging the government to price spectrum in rupees. The telecom industry argues that pragmatic auction design, similar to the PIA privatisation model, is essential to accelerate connectivity, avoid GDP losses, and support Pakistan’s long-term digital growth.
By pairing cultural provocation with a practical keyboard solution, e&’s Arab-easy campaign confronts the rise of Arabizi and its impact on Arabic script. Through reimagined literary works and a friction-free Arabic typing experience, the initiative moves beyond awareness to drive real behaviour change and sustained language use.
Global telecom operators are recording higher carbon emissions in Bangladesh than in developed markets, driven by fossil-fuel-based power grids and diesel backup systems. While Bangladesh delivers strong revenues for firms like Telenor and Robi Axiata, activists warn weak climate enforcement allows multinationals to shift emissions burdens to developing economies.
Pakistan’s telecom industry is urging the government to adopt a pragmatic spectrum auction policy that reflects economic realities and prioritises long-term digital growth. With limited spectrum constraining connectivity, operators warn that misaligned pricing could slow investment, cost billions in GDP, and undermine 5G, financial inclusion, and digital transformation goals.