Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Algeria has finalized a draft law to regulate ride-hailing services, ending years of legal uncertainty for drivers and platforms. The reform aims to improve safety, reduce conflicts with taxi unions, strengthen oversight, and boost investor confidence, marking a major step in modernizing the country’s urban mobility ecosystem.
Algeria’s ALNAFT has launched a digital nomination platform allowing oil and gas companies to signal interest in exploration blocks ahead of the Algeria Bid Round 2026. The initiative aims to improve tender design, boost transparency, and align licensing with investor demand and national priorities.
SanlamAllianz Madagascar has introduced “M’LAM,” a mobile app that enables drivers to submit and monitor insurance claims online. Available on Android and iOS, the app aims to improve customer experience by offering faster, more transparent, and paperless insurance services through a simple digital interface.
Algeria is planning a new submarine fibre optic cable to strengthen international connectivity and boost internet speeds. The move supports rising data demand, expanding 5G services, and the country’s broader digital transformation, with additional high-capacity cable systems expected to come online by 2026.
Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Minister met with the French Ambassador to review bilateral relations and cooperation. The discussion focused on strengthening coordination, exchanging expertise, and expanding partnerships, particularly in transportation and telecommunications, reflecting the strong and constructive ties between Bahrain and France.
Bangladesh’s telecom regulator has urged Meta to act faster against violence-inciting content on Facebook, warning that delays are worsening unrest during a fragile political transition. The move follows attacks on media outlets and concerns over election-related violence ahead of polls scheduled for February 2026.
Sri Lanka has entered its public 5G phase with commercial launches by Dialog Axiata and SLT-Mobitel. The rollout includes hundreds of live sites, supports advanced use cases such as AR, VR, and real-time gaming, and strengthens the country’s digital infrastructure for next-generation services.
Engro has secured $475 million in one of Pakistan’s largest Shariah-compliant financings to acquire Deodar and over 10,000 telecom towers. The deal strengthens shared telecom infrastructure, supports cost efficiency, and aligns with Pakistan’s push for digital connectivity and Islamic finance-led growth.
A major telecom company’s decision to cut 125 jobs has sparked debate in Oman over responsible corporate restructuring and private-sector job security. Economists say the move highlights the need to balance efficiency with talent retention, skills development, and the broader signals such actions send to the national labour market.
stc’s center3 and PIF-backed AI firm Humain have formed a joint venture to build and operate AI-focused data centres in Saudi Arabia, with capacity of up to 1GW. The partnership aims to deliver high-density, low-latency infrastructure to support large language models, mission-critical AI workloads, and the kingdom’s growing AI ecosystem.