Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Jordan’s ICT sector has grown nearly tenfold in revenue since 2000, driven by royal support and strategic initiatives. With over 46,000 employees, expanding education programs, thriving startups, and growing exports, ICT has become a pillar of Jordan’s economy, supported by advancing telecom infrastructure and increased digital connectivity.
Toolmart, Iraq’s B2B e-commerce startup, raised seed funding led by Plus VC and Oasis500 to expand its tech-enabled, inventory-light procurement platform across the Middle East. With strong enterprise adoption and 38% Q1 2025 growth, Toolmart is digitizing industrial sourcing for sectors like oil & gas and construction.
Egypt’s FRA licenses 16 FinTech companies and enforces cybersecurity across 110 compliant institutions, promoting digital transformation in the non-banking sector. Recent regulations define infrastructure, digital identity, electronic contracting, and outsourcing requirements to ensure secure, stable financial markets amid rapid technology adoption.
Egypt launched the ‘Memory of the City’ app to provide an interactive guide to Cairo’s history, architecture, and notable locations. The app preserves cultural identity and engages new generations by combining historical documentation with modern technology, making heritage more accessible and appealing.
SPAYZ.io is expanding into South Africa, Egypt, and Cameroon, offering EFT Bank Transfers and Mobile Money solutions to capture growing digital payment markets. This research-driven expansion targets long-term stability in Africa’s rapidly growing digital economy, set to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030.
Africa’s smartphone market grew 6% in Q1 2025, led by Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa, with strong performances from Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and HONOR. Challenges like economic pressures and consumer debt persist, but 4G and early 5G adoption offer growth potential amid a cautious outlook for 2025.
Daraz has transformed Bangladesh’s e-commerce with 8 million active users, a nationwide logistics network, and inclusive seller training programs. Its campaigns offer deep discounts and reliable service, supporting rural and urban markets while building a full digital commerce ecosystem for the country’s future.
Huawei launches four intelligent networking solutions in Bangladesh—Xinghe Intelligent Fabric, Campus, WAN, and Unified Secure Access SASE—targeting core infrastructure challenges in finance, education, manufacturing, and public sectors to drive digital transformation and improve organizational communications.
Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) is collaborating with Starlink to launch satellite internet services, proposing to host Starlink gateways at key ground stations. Following successful terminal tests and regulatory progress, the partnership aims to boost connectivity nationwide, supporting underserved regions and advancing Bangladesh’s digital transformation.
DG Financial Technology and au Financial Service launch NESTA, a secure, scalable payment platform supporting 40+ payment methods with tokenization and zero downtime. Aligned with KDDI’s growth strategy, NESTA enhances Japan’s digital payments ecosystem, starting with au and UQ mobile services and planning wider expansion.