Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
The UAE has launched a US$1 billion “AI for Development” initiative to support AI-driven growth across Africa. Managed by ADEX, the program will fund projects in key sectors like education, agriculture, and infrastructure to strengthen digital ecosystems and improve government services. The initiative aims to accelerate sustainable development, deepen UAE–Africa partnerships, and expand economic resilience across the continent.
Morocco is launching a 500MW renewable-powered data center and an AI and energy-innovation institute in Dakhla. The projects aim to boost digital sovereignty, expand cloud and data-processing capacity, and develop national talent in AI and energy technologies. Powered by dedicated solar and wind farms, the initiatives position Dakhla as a strategic regional tech hub.
During a meeting at the 2025 G20 Summit, Egypt’s PM Mostafa Madbouly told Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi that Egypt seeks expanded cooperation with Japan in AI, advanced technology and economic development. He praised decades of partnership and Japan’s contribution to major projects. Takaichi welcomed enhanced collaboration across sectors and affirmed Japan’s commitment to strengthening ties.
Egypt has signed a new nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia involving the production of mobile nuclear reactors, major technology-transfer initiatives and joint work on advanced engineering, 3D manufacturing and energy-storage systems. The partnership also supports localisation of nuclear components for the Dabaa plant, which will supply 12% of Egypt’s electricity and significantly cut gas use and emissions once operational.
Bangladesh has unveiled its first AI Readiness Assessment Report, offering a structured roadmap for the ethical and inclusive adoption of AI. The report recognises strengths in e-government but highlights challenges such as digital divides, weak infrastructure and limited data protection. It stresses rights-based governance, evidence-driven policymaking and using AI to enhance public services without widening inequalities.
Naver is intensifying its expansion in Saudi Arabia, broadening its scope from smart city platforms to digital finance and AI infrastructure. Chairman Lee Hae-jin met with Saudi officials to discuss partnerships in stablecoins, tokenized real estate, AI-driven urban planning, and data centers. Parallel moves—such as the proposed Naver Financial–Dunamu stock swap and new joint ventures—position Naver as a deeper technology partner in the Kingdom’s digital transformation and broader regional AI initiatives, including potential collaboration with the UAE’s Stargate project.
Qatar Airways and Google have launched the Sky Studio Challenge, enabling real-time AI-generated commercials created during flights using Starlink connectivity. The innovation transforms in-flight entertainment, enhances tourism marketing, and supports hyper-personalized advertising for hotels and destinations, marking a major leap forward in aviation and hospitality technology.
Humain has announced a wave of strategic partnerships with Adobe, AWS, xAI and Luma AI, alongside a $900m investment round and the development of hyperscale data centres in Saudi Arabia. These deals strengthen the Kingdom’s AI infrastructure, expand multimodal AI capabilities, and position Humain as a major global AI powerhouse.
The session explored how intelligent networks, AI, avatars, and integrated data systems are reshaping knowledge economies. Experts highlighted inclusive digital access models, the rise of culturally aware AI, and stronger public–private data collaboration as key drivers for future knowledge markets. Connectivity, innovation, and cross-sector partnerships will be essential for equitable global progress.
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.