Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Sri Lanka aims for nationwide internet access in secondary schools by 2026, deploying smartboards and building a national education management system with support from the air force.
Tarmeez Capital raised strategic funding from stc group’s Tali Ventures to accelerate its sukuk fintech platform, expanding Sharia-compliant finance access and supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.
Saudi Arabia leads globally in mobile shopping, driven by female consumers, with merchants advancing seamless cross-channel retail despite checkout friction challenges.
Snoonu partners with Saudi Arabia’s Jahez Group, becoming Qatar’s first unicorn with a QR 1 billion valuation, accelerating innovation and digital growth across the GCC.
Syntys enabled Ooredoo’s sovereign AI cloud in Qatar with modular, GPU-ready data centers supporting NVIDIA Hopper GPUs, advancing Qatar’s AI strategy and digital sovereignty.
Telenor’s Pakistan exit is delayed by regulatory hurdles, threatening digital progress and 5G rollout; the group focuses on stronger markets while urging faster approval for its PTCL sale.
Oman’s MTCIT launched the Space Accelerators Programme to nurture 10 local startups in space tech sectors like satellite communications and AI, fostering entrepreneurship and national capability development.
Vodafone Oman launched Makani Internet for Business, a flexible 5G-powered broadband service enabling enterprises to access high-speed connectivity without fibre, supporting operational resilience nationwide.
Morocco and UNDP collaborate to promote inclusive digital transformation and responsible AI use across Arab States and Africa, reinforcing Morocco’s leadership in digital governance and sustainable development.
Morocco plans a 500MW renewable-powered sovereign data centre in Dakhla, reinforcing digital sovereignty and regional hub ambitions amid a $1.22 billion digital modernization investment.