Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Oman’s Tahawul digital programme has achieved an 80% performance rate, with significant progress in government service digitization, infrastructure readiness, and digital transaction volumes, advancing the country’s goal of a fully digital government by 2025.
Nepal’s 4G users exceed 25.6 million, achieving 87.9% mobile broadband penetration. Nepal Telecom and Ncell continue subscriber growth and plan to retire 2G/3G networks by 2025, while working toward future 5G deployment.
Ooredoo Kuwait and Ericsson are upgrading the operator’s charging system using Ericsson’s cloud-native technology to enhance 5G services, enable flexible monetization, and accelerate digital transformation in Kuwait’s telecom sector.
Orange Jordan and GIZ launched “Finance Forward,” a financial literacy program targeting entrepreneurs and SMEs across five governorates in Jordan. The initiative aims to enhance financial management skills, supporting sustainable business growth and economic empowerment.
The Mofid app launched an online system offering free lodging for up to 75,000 pilgrims during the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq, providing multilingual support and 24/7 assistance to enhance pilgrim comfort and safety.
Egypt’s Ministry of Communications launched “Digitopia,” a national IT innovation competition with EGP 10 million in prizes, targeting students and young professionals to foster digital creativity and build a knowledge-based economy.
Bangladesh’s licensed tower companies launched the TowerCo Association to boost industry collaboration and policy reform. Supported by BTRC’s NICSP framework, stakeholders call for regulatory clarity, infrastructure sharing, and faster permitting to drive digital inclusion and telecom growth.
Bangladesh’s telecom ministry ordered removal of the internet shutdown clause from the telecom law and called for reforming surveillance systems to align with international standards, enhancing digital rights and legal oversight.
EazyPay and Mastercard launched Mastercard Receivables Manager in Bahrain, automating B2B virtual card payments to improve efficiency and cash flow. The platform requires minimal integration and reinforces Bahrain’s role as a fintech innovation hub in the growing global digital payments market.
Bahrain launched a national AI policy aligned with GCC ethical guidelines to ensure responsible AI use, foster public trust, and boost government efficiency. The policy promotes training, legal compliance, and innovation to support the Kingdom’s digital transformation and sustainable development goals.