Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
TikTok removed over 10 million violating videos in Iraq in Q1 2025 and banned thousands of live hosts. Despite governmental concerns about societal impact, experts emphasize TikTok’s role in supporting young entrepreneurs.
Suplyd raised $2 million to scale its digital procurement platform serving 5,000+ Egyptian restaurants. The platform streamlines fragmented supply chains, ensuring 100% order fulfillment and real-time insights, with plans to expand services and deepen market reach.
Huawei presented 5G demos and VR experiences at Digital Bangladesh Mela 2020, emphasizing 5G’s role in digital transformation. The event showcased tech innovation and policy discussions to support Bangladesh’s digital vision.
In 2012, BTRC planned a $1.5 billion 3G spectrum auction for five operators, marking a major telecom sector milestone in Bangladesh. The move aimed to boost internet speeds and support emerging mobile technologies like 4G and LTE.
Qatar ranks second globally for median mobile download speed in June 2025 at 517.44 Mbps, behind the UAE. Kuwait and Bahrain follow in third and fourth places.
Ufone and Jazz rank first in PTA’s Q2 2025 mobile coverage survey across 19 Pakistani cities, demonstrating the most reliable 4G/3G signal compliance. Zong follows closely, while Telenor lags with the highest non-compliance.
Ooredoo is expanding its digital footprint through AI-ready data centres, a subsea fibre network, and fintech growth, with Q1 2025 net profit up 5%. The strategic focus on Syntys, TowerCo, and Fintech positions it as a leading digital infrastructure provider in MENA.
DE-CIX Istanbul launched the region’s first AWS Cloud On-Ramp, enabling low-latency, secure, and cost-effective AWS access for enterprises in Türkiye. The exchange recently set a data throughput record and continues to expand its network, strengthening its role as a key digital hub between Europe and the Middle East.
Xtelify launched Airtel Cloud, a sovereign cloud platform for massive telco transaction handling, and AI-powered software platforms that improve telco operations worldwide. Partnerships include Singtel, Globe Telecom, and Airtel Africa to enhance field operations, customer engagement, and fraud protection.
MENA’s IT spending will rise 8.9% to $169 billion in 2026, driven by AI investments and data center expansion. Software and IT services growth reflect deep integration of generative AI, with CIOs urged to embed AI strategically to maintain competitive advantage.