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’s Transportation and Telecommunications Minister met with the French Ambassador to review bilateral relations and cooperation. The discussion focused on strengthening coordination, exchanging expertise, and expanding partnerships, particularly in transportation and telecommunications, reflecting the strong and constructive ties between Bahrain and France.
Bangladesh’s telecom regulator has urged Meta to act faster against violence-inciting content on Facebook, warning that delays are worsening unrest during a fragile political transition. The move follows attacks on media outlets and concerns over election-related violence ahead of polls scheduled for February 2026.
Sri Lanka has entered its public 5G phase with commercial launches by Dialog Axiata and SLT-Mobitel. The rollout includes hundreds of live sites, supports advanced use cases such as AR, VR, and real-time gaming, and strengthens the country’s digital infrastructure for next-generation services.
Engro has secured $475 million in one of Pakistan’s largest Shariah-compliant financings to acquire Deodar and over 10,000 telecom towers. The deal strengthens shared telecom infrastructure, supports cost efficiency, and aligns with Pakistan’s push for digital connectivity and Islamic finance-led growth.
A major telecom company’s decision to cut 125 jobs has sparked debate in Oman over responsible corporate restructuring and private-sector job security. Economists say the move highlights the need to balance efficiency with talent retention, skills development, and the broader signals such actions send to the national labour market.
stc’s center3 and PIF-backed AI firm Humain have formed a joint venture to build and operate AI-focused data centres in Saudi Arabia, with capacity of up to 1GW. The partnership aims to deliver high-density, low-latency infrastructure to support large language models, mission-critical AI workloads, and the kingdom’s growing AI ecosystem.
Dialog Axiata has partnered with SpaceX to resell Starlink’s LEO satellite internet services in Sri Lanka, targeting enterprises and underserved communities. The collaboration complements Dialog’s terrestrial network, offering managed satellite connectivity with installation and maintenance to help bridge the country’s digital divide.
Veon’s Mobilink Bank has launched Islamic banking services in Pakistan, opening its first Shariah-compliant branch in Karachi and planning nationwide expansion. The move taps into the country’s fast-growing Islamic banking sector, supporting financial inclusion and offering faith-aligned deposit and financing products through physical and digital channels.
Amazon Web Services has launched Amazon Bedrock in Bahrain with iGA, enabling secure generative AI capabilities for government and private entities. Integrated into the government AWS cloud, the platform supports Arabic AI use cases, boosts operational efficiency, strengthens innovation, and reinforces Bahrain’s position as a regional leader in digital transformation.
Pakistan’s telecom regulator has indicated that the 5G spectrum auction may take place by mid-February 2026, pending the release of the auction information memorandum. The announcement signals renewed momentum for 5G deployment while highlighting rising cybersecurity risks and the need for stronger digital awareness among users.