Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Nigeria’s telecom regulator says users will feel the impact of new 6GHz and 60GHz spectrum bands before year-end. The move will boost capacity, reduce congestion, improve speeds, and enable innovation across sectors, supporting broadband growth, digital inclusion, and Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion-dollar digital economy.
MTN South Sudan has launched 4G+ coverage in Wun Kuel, bringing faster and more reliable internet to an underserved area in Warrap State. The expansion supports education, commerce, and digital inclusion, reinforcing MTN’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and extending high-quality connectivity nationwide.
DEWA has upgraded its water network operations with a patented smart platform enabling 24/7 remote monitoring and control. Built on open-source technology, the system improves data exchange, speeds decision-making, enhances resilience, and supports Dubai’s digital transformation and future-ready infrastructure goals.
G42 has launched Digital Embassies and Greenshield, enabling governments to deploy AI immediately while retaining full sovereign control over data and systems across borders. The model makes jurisdiction portable, aligning law and infrastructure, reducing dependence on physical location, and accelerating national AI strategies without waiting for domestic cloud buildouts.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its push for sovereign AI by localising data centres, servers and manufacturing. Lenovo’s Lawrence Yu says building and operating AI infrastructure in the Kingdom ensures data control, security and scale, backed by a $2 billion Alat investment, a Riyadh HQ and a factory opening in 2026.
SentinelOne has launched its AI-native Singularity Platform on Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia, hosted in the Dammam region. The deployment keeps all security data within national borders, supporting PDPL and NCA compliance, reducing latency, and enabling real-time, autonomous threat detection for government, finance, and critical infrastructure sectors.
The Esports World Cup 2026 will feature a record $75m prize pool, with $30m dedicated to the Club Championship and $7m for the winning Club. Hosted in Riyadh over seven weeks, the event will unite 2,000 players across 24 titles, cementing Saudi Arabia’s role in global esports.
Consulting HAUS guided Snoonu through its $245 million acquisition by Jahez, valuing the Qatari startup above QAR 1 billion and delivering Qatar’s first billion-riyal tech exit. The deal sets a national benchmark, underscores Qatar’s rise as a tech hub, and accelerates Snoonu’s regional growth ambitions.
Ooredoo Group, through Syntys, has acquired Q Data’s hyperscale facilities in Qatar, adding 12.5MW of Tier III capacity and lifting national live IT capacity to 26MW. The move strengthens sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, positions Syntys for hyperscaler demand, and advances its MENA expansion to 120MW by 2030.
Pakistan’s local plants produced 30.21 million mobile phones in 2025, dwarfing commercial imports. Output included 15.64 million smartphones and 14.57 million 2G devices, with smartphones now forming 71 percent of phones on local networks. Despite this, imports still crossed $800 million in five months.