Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Oman has selected Airbus OneSat to build and launch its first national satellite, OmanSat-1, a fully digital Ka-band spacecraft designed for flexible, high-capacity communications across the region. The project strengthens Oman’s strategic push into satellite operations, enhances future aviation connectivity and supports long-term national ambitions in space technology and digital infrastructure.
Oman is accelerating transport decarbonisation across road, maritime and aviation sectors through hydrogen-ready trucks, green corridors, green-methanol bunkering and the launch of sustainable aviation fuel initiatives. With the country close to joining the Heavy Transport Decarbonisation Alliance, the Ministry of Transport is driving a coordinated strategy built on localisation, innovation and public-private collaboration.
Pakistan has emerged as South Asia’s fastest-rising fintech market, backed by a sharp funding rebound, supportive regulations and a shift toward formal digital-asset oversight. With nearly 450 startups, new digital banks, bank–fintech partnerships and global engagement in crypto governance, Pakistan now leads regional fintech momentum ahead of Bangladesh and Nepal.
Ncell’s mobile app has surpassed 10 million downloads, prompting a 10-day celebration campaign offering 10GB data rewards to lucky users. The feature-rich app has become central to daily digital use in Nepal, enabling easy access to services, purchases, and account management. Ncell says the milestone reinforces its support for Nepal’s digital-transformation goals.
Nepal Telecom restored its mobile data service after a technical disruption that began around 5:00 PM on December 2. While data connectivity was widely affected, voice calls, SMS and VoLTE mostly continued working. The operator has not yet released an official explanation, but services are now functioning normally for users nationwide.
Morocco has launched “Moroccan Video Games,” a national showcase platform developed by the Morocco Gaming Industry to highlight locally created games and support rising developers. The initiative is part of a broader push that includes training programs, incubation support and infrastructure development, reinforcing Morocco’s ambition to grow into a regional game-development hub.
Morocco has launched a Cloud First roadmap for 2025–2030, mandating phased cloud adoption across public-sector platforms to strengthen cybersecurity, reduce costs and unify digital standards. The strategy includes new infrastructure such as the EcoDar data center, talent-building via Al-Jazari Institutes, and governance bodies like the Cloud Center of Excellence and National Cloud Observatory.
Talabat sponsored and participated in KDIPA’s “Thought Leadership Circle: Reshaping the Digital Landscape” roundtable, highlighting its commitment to Kuwait Vision 2035. Leaders discussed digital transformation, AI readiness, cybersecurity and talent development. Talabat emphasized partnerships, people-centric innovation and investment in human capital, reinforcing Kuwait’s ambition to become a regional digital innovation hub.
The UAE and Kuwait have signed a strategic MoU between MBRSC and KFAS to deepen cooperation in space research, satellite development, talent training and scientific innovation. The agreement supports Kuwait’s emerging national space ambitions and strengthens joint Arab efforts to build a regional space ecosystem grounded in knowledge exchange, research collaboration and long-term capacity development.
Zain has launched three new disability inclusion initiatives aligned with its WE ABLE 2030 vision, including a procurement-focused partnership with the Business Disability Forum, a GROW program track for graduates with disabilities, and personalized development plans for employees with disabilities. The move strengthens Zain’s commitment to embedding accessibility into its culture, operations and leadership pipelines.