Egypt has unveiled its updated National AI Strategy for 2025–2030, aiming to become a regional AI leader in the Middle East and Africa. The strategy focuses on key areas like governance, technology, and talent, with plans to grow AI’s GDP contribution to $42.7 billion by 2030 and foster AI companies and experts.
At the World Economic Forum, experts discussed the “AI divide” in developing countries, emphasizing challenges such as limited energy, computing power, and talent. Deemah Al-Yahya stressed the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to bridge the gap, while promoting access to emerging technologies through digital assets.
Telecom Egypt, in partnership with Cisco, has activated a high-capacity subsea link on the 2Africa subsea cable, connecting Egypt to France via Italy. This project enhances network efficiency, boosts international traffic capacity, and supports bandwidth-intensive services like AI and cloud computing, improving connectivity across the Mediterranean.
Veon is in talks with Starlink to expand satellite-powered cellular services to Bangladesh through its subsidiary, Banglalink. The partnership aims to provide connectivity in underserved areas where terrestrial networks fail, such as during floods or energy shortages. This expansion is part of Veon’s broader strategy to serve emerging markets.
Ericsson has partnered with Grameenphone to enhance telecom services in Bangladesh, expanding Business Support Systems (BSS) and introducing AI-powered features. This collaboration aims to improve service delivery, reduce turnaround times, and support Grameenphone’s digital transformation, setting a global benchmark for telecom operations.
SeamlessHR, a Nigerian HR tech startup, has raised $9 million in funding, bringing its total to $20 million. This investment, backed by the Gates Foundation and Helios Digital Ventures, will help the company expand across Africa, enhance workforce productivity, and provide financial security for employees through embedded finance tools.
Bahrain has launched the Bahrain Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator in collaboration with the World Economic Forum to close the gender skills gap in high-growth industries. The initiative will help increase the participation of Bahraini workers and support the country’s digital transformation and gender equality efforts.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce has launched a campaign to regulate e-commerce businesses, requiring registration of e-store links, secure payment methods, clear return policies, and timely deliveries. Non-compliance will lead to legal consequences, aiming to protect consumers, promote fair competition, and boost the country’s digital economy.
Oracle is significantly expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure in the UAE to meet the region’s rapidly growing demand for digital transformation. The company is increasing its capacity in Abu Dhabi, adding GPUs to its data centers, and focusing on sovereign cloud solutions, including its Alloy platform, for government and public sector clients.
Wajeez, a logistics startup, has expanded from smaller cities in eastern Algeria to the capital, Algiers, and is now planning to grow across Africa. The platform, offering food delivery and personalized shopping, includes features like loyalty programs and Wajeez Gold subscription for exclusive benefits. It has also expanded to Senegal.
