Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
OneClickDrive, the leading car rental marketplace in Dubai, expands its operations to Morocco, marking its first venture into Africa. This move broadens its market reach, leveraging Morocco’s strategic location and growing demand for car rentals, particularly among tourists. The company plans further expansion into GCC and African regions.
Bahrain’s mobile phone market grew significantly in Q1 2024, with 34,000 new subscriptions, increasing the total to 2.44 million, a 13.8% rise from Q1 2023. The mobile phone penetration rate rose from 136% to 155%, driven by the widespread use of smartphones. Prepaid subscriptions grew by 7.7%, reaching 1.55 million.
HQ by Hope, Bahrain’s largest co-working space, has partnered with Zain Bahrain to support the growth of Bahrain’s entrepreneurial community. This collaboration aims to empower startups and SMEs through flexible workspaces, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive business support, fostering innovation and creating a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bahrain.
Dubai’s AI Retreat, hosted at the Museum of the Future on June 11, will gather over 1,000 AI experts to discuss AI adoption strategies. Organized under the DUB.AI initiative, the event aims to cement Dubai as a global AI hub, enhance the digital economy, and support Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 with significant economic contributions.
Egypt is positioning itself as a smartphone manufacturing hub, partnering with Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Nokia. The government aims to attract Apple, boosting local production and exports. These partnerships are creating job opportunities and leveraging Egypt’s free trade agreements, aligning with the country’s goal to increase exports by 2030.
Telecom Egypt reported a 1.83% increase in Q1-2024 net profit, reaching EGP 3.88 billion. Consolidated operating revenues grew to EGP 17.48 billion. The standalone net profit rose to EGP 4.38 billion, with operating revenue at EGP 12.59 billion. The company plans to enhance cost efficiency and monetize assets generating foreign currency returns.
IBM has completed an energy-efficient data center for Telecom Egypt, the largest fixed-line telecom provider in the Middle East. The project, part of IBM’s “Big Green” initiative, aims to enhance Telecom Egypt’s capacity while improving energy efficiency and server performance, supporting Egypt’s growing telecommunications demands.
HSBC has launched Omni Collect, a new e-commerce digital payment platform in the UAE, in partnership with Saudi-based FinTech Geidea. Omni Collect allows HSBC business clients to access card receivables and gain insights into collections data, simplifying payment processes across multiple channels and enhancing business decision-making.
At GITEX Africa in Marrakech, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori of Digital Dubai emphasized the shared ambition of Morocco and the UAE to promote the knowledge economy. The event, organized by Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and KAOUN International, features 15,000 exhibitors and 800 startups, aiming to boost Africa’s innovation and entrepreneurial economy.
Sparkle and Tunisie Telecom have partnered to provide International IP Transit services from Sicily to Milan. This agreement enhances Tunisia’s connectivity to Europe with a high-performance, low-latency route, meeting the growing demand for advanced internet services and digital content, and strengthening the historical partnership between the two companies.