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 is set to launch a unified digital platform that brings company registration, licensing, payments, and customs procedures into a single system to cut timelines and improve transparency. The move supports broader economic reforms, export growth, and investor confidence as Egypt advances its digital transformation agenda.
Qatar processed over $5.1bn in digital payment transactions in November, driven by strong growth in point-of-sale, e-commerce, and instant payments. Central bank data highlights rising adoption of card-based and mobile payment systems as Qatar continues to digitise its financial ecosystem.
Vodafone Oman has introduced Wafi, a loyalty programme offering instant rewards with no points or spending requirements. Integrated into the My Vodafone App, Wafi delivers everyday offers as part of the customer experience, reflecting a shift toward seamless, digital-first loyalty models in Oman’s telecom sector.
ADN Telecom’s Gold Award at the ICSB National Award for Corporate Governance Excellence 2024 reinforces its track record of strong governance practices. Having secured Gold in 2022 and Silver in 2023, the company continues to demonstrate consistency, transparency, and leadership in corporate governance within the ICT sector.
ZainTECH and Vortex have formed a strategic partnership to integrate AI-driven video compression and visual intelligence into enterprise environments across the Middle East. Announced at GITEX GLOBAL 2025, the collaboration aims to reduce bandwidth and storage costs while enhancing monitoring, situational awareness, and data-driven decision-making for government and business clients.
Ottu and Mastercard have partnered to simplify access to local and international payment methods across the GCC using Mastercard Merchant Cloud. The collaboration enables enterprises in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman to scale efficiently through a single integration, supporting secure, locally relevant, and scalable digital commerce across the region.
Morocco has approved the use of digital payment terminals and prepaid cards for foreign currency exchange, modernising a traditionally cash-based sector. The reform aims to reduce cash circulation, improve transparency, support compliance standards, and facilitate spending by tourists as international payments and cross-border e-commerce continue to grow.
Zain Omantel International and Zain Kuwait enabled a Guinness World Record-setting remote surgery between Kuwait and Brazil using ultra-low latency connectivity. Achieving just 199ms latency over 12,000km, the project demonstrates how advanced, resilient digital infrastructure can support real-time medical innovation at global scale.
du and Huawei have deployed the world’s first 25Gbps E-Band microwave link for 5G-Advanced, delivering fibre-equivalent capacity in fibre-scarce areas. The three-year partnership supports scalable, high-performance network expansion across the UAE while laying technical foundations for future 6G services.
Airtel Africa will deploy Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite service across 14 African markets in 2026, initially supporting SMS and text messaging. The partnership aims to extend basic mobile connectivity to remote areas by complementing terrestrial networks, subject to regulatory approvals in each country.