Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Bahrain recorded 4% real GDP growth in Q3 2025, driven by strong oil-sector expansion and steady non-oil performance. Real estate, finance, education, and transport all posted gains, reflecting broad-based economic momentum and continued progress in diversification across key sectors.
Pakistan’s telecom operator Zong has asked the government to apply industrial electricity tariffs and grant fiscal parity for its cloud and data centre operations, warning that high power costs and unequal incentives are weakening local competitiveness and discouraging global cloud investment.
Saudi Arabia has begun construction of the world’s largest government data centre in Riyadh, a 480MW Tier IV facility developed by SDAIA. The Hexagon data centre will host hundreds of government systems and support data sovereignty, AI innovation, and the Kingdom’s digital economy ambitions.
IATA has called on global telecom regulators to set permanent safeguards ensuring 5G and 6G networks do not interfere with aircraft systems. With temporary mitigations nearing expiry, the aviation industry warns that clear global rules are needed to protect flight safety across all phases of operation.
VEON will invest $20 million in Mobilink Bank to scale MSME financing and expand digital Islamic banking in Pakistan. The move builds on earlier funding and reinforces VEON’s confidence in the country’s fast-growing digital financial services ecosystem.
Ethiopian operators Ethio Telecom and Safaricom have raised tariffs in response to currency depreciation, rising costs, and heavy infrastructure investment. Safaricom announced a 44 percent increase in mobile data prices as both operators seek to stabilise operations amid macroeconomic pressures.
Telenor completed the sale of Telenor Pakistan at a valuation of NOK 5.3 billion, confirming the transaction announced in December 2023. Over 20 years, the operator served more than 40 million customers and supported digital inclusion and economic growth across Pakistan.
Egypt’s MCIT and Orange Egypt signed a two-year MoU to expand telemedicine services in remote and underserved areas. The initiative will deploy mobile digital health units, link local clinics with major hospitals, and improve access to medical care through scalable, technology-driven healthcare solutions.
Big Tech firms are signing record multi-billion-dollar deals across chips, cloud, and data centres to secure AI capacity amid surging demand. Major players including OpenAI, Nvidia, Meta, Google, and Amazon are locking in long-term infrastructure to protect competitiveness and reduce future supply risks.
Iraq emerged as Jordan’s second-largest market for engineering, electrical, and IT exports in the first nine months of 2025, with shipments reaching $1.74 billion. The data highlights strong growth in Jordan’s tech exports and deepening trade relations with Iraq.