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 has strengthened its digital infrastructure with the arrival of the Africa-1 submarine cable, addressing bandwidth issues and enhancing connectivity. This cable, part of a global consortium, will improve business operations and support digital transformation. Concerns remain over market concentration in Pakistan’s international gateway sector.
Orange Egypt and El Ezaby Pharmacies have partnered to enhance connectivity across over 400 pharmacy branches in Egypt using advanced SD-WAN solutions. This collaboration improves operational efficiency, supports future expansion, and strengthens the pharmacies’ digital infrastructure with innovations like Microsoft 365 integration, boosting service quality and customer experience.
UAE’s AI market is projected to grow from $3.47 billion to $46.3 billion by 2030, contributing 14% to the country’s GDP. With massive investments in AI infrastructure and strong government initiatives, the UAE is positioning itself as a global leader in AI, attracting wealthy investors and top talent.
Myriota has partnered with the Saudi Space Authority to enhance ultra-low-power IoT connectivity in Saudi Arabia. Using satellite technology, this collaboration will provide critical IoT solutions for agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure, supporting the country’s Vision 2030 by enabling scalable and sustainable connectivity in remote areas.
Ncell has introduced renewal packs for prepaid users, offering auto-renewing services with 30-day validity. These packs provide affordable, uninterrupted connectivity with benefits such as unlimited voice calls, data, and YouTube streaming. Available in various price categories, they simplify subscription management and remove reliance on smaller, costly packs.
Iraq’s Economic Ministerial Council, chaired by Fuad Hussein, discussed key topics, including progress on the Grand Faw Port project, the expansion of digital payments in Iraq, and strategies to address the parallel economy. The council also reviewed the status of livestock health amid a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
omnispay, a UAE fintech, has raised $1.5 million in seed funding led by Mercatus Capital. The company offers an all-in-one platform to simplify SME cash flow management, combining collect, pay, and borrow features. The funds will accelerate its mission to drive digital adoption and empower SMEs in the GCC region.
Dubai’s GDRFA introduces ‘Salama,’ an AI-powered platform to streamline residency services. The platform allows users to renew or cancel residency permits, make payments, and complete transactions without paperwork. It supports over 40 languages and aims to enhance government services, making them faster and more efficient.
Meta has expanded its AI chatbot to the MENA region, offering Arabic language support and new features like virtual assistants, personalized recommendations, and stylistic selfies. The service is now available in 42 countries, with plans for multimodal features and continued rollout across more regions.
Quantum has raised $7 million in funding to expand its operations and refine its advertising technology platform. The investment will support the company’s growth in the GCC and Southeast Asia. With a data-driven approach, Quantum aims to reshape the ad tech industry and become a global leader in the next few years.