Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Pakistan will deactivate nearly 5 million mobile SIMs tied to expired or invalid CNICs in a phased plan starting June 2025, aiming to curb network misuse and strengthen national security. Citizens are urged to renew their CNICs to avoid service disruption.
Zong won the Best Digital Campaign (TikTok) award at the Pakistan Digital Awards 2025, recognized for its impactful promotion of the My Zong App using TikTok and Google UAC. The campaign’s success was also highlighted globally in a TikTok case study.
Pakistan and Egypt are deepening digital cooperation, focusing on cybersecurity, 5G, fintech, and maritime cables. Pakistan’s “Digital Pakistan” agenda aligns with Egypt’s goals, and both countries plan joint initiatives, including youth engagement and academic programs, leveraging strategic geographic positions and telecom assets.
Oman’s telecom sector grew with a 5.8% rise in postpaid subscriptions and a 121% surge in IoT connections by April 2025. Mobile subscriptions increased 12.3%, broadband and fiber optic usage expanded, while legacy services like ADSL and satellite declined significantly.
Naver, in partnership with NVIDIA, Nexus Core Systems, and Lloyd Capital, will build a renewable-powered 500 MW AI data center in Morocco. The facility will deliver sovereign AI services across EMEA, starting with a 40 MW supercomputing phase using NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, supported by a renewable energy deal with TAQA.
Moroccan students preparing for international exams are increasingly using Studocu’s AI-powered platform, which offers interactive study aids like homework help, instant explanations via camera, personalized quizzes, and direct AI Q&A. This trend highlights growing digital adoption in Morocco’s education sector.
Strategy&, Deloitte, and Accuracy won key awards at the 2025 AMIC Private Equity Awards in Morocco, recognized for their strategic advisory and transaction support in large and mid-cap deals. The event celebrated the country’s thriving private equity market amid record capital raising and investments.
UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX has introduced 400 Gigabit Ethernet access, becoming the first Middle East IX to do so. This upgrade boosts capacity beyond six terabits and connects nearly 110 networks, strengthening its position as the region’s leading internet hub supporting growing digital demand.
SentinelOne showcased AI-driven cybersecurity innovations at CAISEC 2025 in Egypt, highlighting its autonomous threat detection, cloud, and identity protection solutions. The company emphasized Egypt’s strategic role in digital transformation and pledged support for Vision 2030 by enhancing cyber resilience and securing critical infrastructure.
Egyptian fintech Octane raised $5.2 million led by Shorooq Partners, Algebra Ventures, and SC Holding to expand its digital fleet expense management platform across Egypt and MENA. The platform consolidates fuel, maintenance, and petty cash payments into a single wallet with AI features for fraud detection and route optimization, serving 1,600+ corporate clients nationwide.