Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
AMD, Cisco and HUMAIN will form a joint venture to build up to 1 GW of AI infrastructure in Saudi Arabia by 2030, starting with a 100 MW deployment. Combining HUMAIN’s data centres with AMD GPUs and Cisco systems, the initiative strengthens the Kingdom’s push toward an AI-powered digital economy and global leadership in high-performance compute.
HUMAIN and Adobe will co-develop culturally aware generative AI models built on Arabic-first data, integrating them into Adobe’s global creative tools and HUMAIN’s sovereign AI ecosystem. Powered by Qualcomm hardware, the partnership will deliver multimodal AI that reflects Middle Eastern identity across advertising, entertainment, education and digital content creation.
Space42 and EDGE have formed a sovereign Satcom manufacturing alliance to strengthen the UAE’s secure satellite communications ecosystem. By combining Space42’s satellite and manufacturing capabilities with EDGE’s secure communication technologies and cryptography, the partnership advances national space strategy and positions the UAE as a global leader in secure Satcom innovation.
The partnership strengthens the UAE’s cyber resilience by establishing a Cyber Centre of Excellence built around space-focused cybersecurity, advanced cryptography, and national testing labs. Through local talent development, R&D expansion and strong global collaboration, the UAE aims to build sovereign cyber capabilities that support long-term technological leadership.
Sri Lanka is embedding strong cybersecurity principles into its national AI-first digital economy blueprint to protect against rising global scam networks and strengthen economic competitiveness. Officials emphasize that cybersecurity and digital trust are now core drivers of national growth, with efforts aimed at improving Sri Lanka’s global standing in cyber-resilience and digital capability benchmarks.
Sri Lanka’s AI-native innovation studio Futurity has secured seed funding from top private investors to accelerate its mission of embedding invisible, intuitive AI into everyday business operations. With flagship products Omni and Query, a newly formed board, and plans for rapid market expansion, the startup aims to redefine how enterprises access knowledge, automate tasks, and create intelligent digital experiences.
Sri Lanka’s TRC has confirmed steep telecom taxes: 20.3% on mobile data and 38.4% on voice calls. A Rs. 100 recharge gives users just Rs. 79.30 for data or Rs. 61.60 for calls. The TRC generated Rs. 45 billion last year and expects Rs. 50 billion next year, as telecom taxes continue to impact consumer spending power.
Saudi Arabia has partnered with major European crypto exchange WhiteBIT to build national blockchain infrastructure, including stock market tokenization, CBDC framework development, and national data computing centers. The strategic cooperation, backed by Royal Holding, aligns with Vision 2030 and strengthens Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a regional blockchain and digital finance leader amid rapid industry growth and increasing global competition.
ZIGURAT’s first Riyadh Local Hub gathered nearly 100 industry professionals to discuss how digital transformation, BIM, AI and Digital Twins are reshaping construction in Saudi Arabia. The event highlighted the alignment between education and industry needs, showcased practical AI applications already in use, and stressed the continued importance of human judgement and ethics alongside automation. The initiative supports Saudi Vision 2030 and reinforces ZIGURAT’s expanding role in developing AECO digital skills across the region.
Ooredoo Qatar played a central role at Rowad Qatar 2025, showcasing digital solutions that empower startups and SMEs, from connectivity and collaboration tools to customer engagement platforms. As Official Telecom Sponsor, Ooredoo reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Qatar’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and supporting the country’s digital and economic transformation goals.