Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Kuwait’s Ministry of Finance signed an agreement with Microsoft to enhance digital transformation and financial systems through AI and cloud services. The partnership will focus on upgrading financial services, improving government connections, and providing technical support. Joint workshops will be held to develop collaboration plans for achieving the Ministry’s objectives.
Zain has launched the ‘Bede’ Digital Wallet in Sudan, enabling secure mobile financial transactions without the need for traditional bank accounts. The service, which caters to both feature phones and smartphones, will roll out in three phases, aiming to enhance financial inclusion and support Sudanese citizens in their daily financial needs.
Pakistan’s IT Minister announced the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and a five-point framework to harness data and technology for climate action and sustainable development. Initiatives include a National Incubation Center for Climate AgriTech and Pakistan Stack, aiming to empower youth innovation and digital governance.
Maroc Telecom and Inwi have created joint ventures to accelerate Morocco’s FTTH and 5G expansion, investing $486 million initially. Uni Fiber targets millions of fiber connections, while Uni Tower aims to build thousands of telecom towers, fostering open infrastructure access and national digital growth.
Oman’s new AI policy sets a comprehensive, ethical framework for technology use, supporting innovation and digital economy growth while fostering fairness, transparency, and local industry development.
Ebana, a Saudi fintech startup, raised $2.66 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Esnad Legal Consulting. The funding will support the expansion of its investor relations tools and digital governance solutions, helping businesses adopt modern, transparent, and efficient governance practices across Saudi Arabia.
Cloudflare has expanded its Regional Services to Saudi Arabia and 18 new regions, enabling customers to localize data processing for compliance and security, while maintaining high performance and flexibility through software-defined regionalization.
Huawei awarded winners of the ‘Women in Tech’ ICT competition in Dhaka. The competition, partnered with UNESCO, aimed to develop local ICT talent among female STEM students and recent graduates. The top teams and individuals received cash prizes to implement their innovative tech solutions.
e& UAE has launched a multi-year technology transformation program in collaboration with ServiceNow and Quintica to modernize its technology infrastructure. This initiative focuses on utilizing AI automation and predictive analytics to enhance customer experiences, improve service reliability, and ensure agility in meeting the evolving demands of the telecommunications sector.
CITRA’s draft regulations aim to regulate telecom service distributors in Kuwait by enforcing licensing criteria, operational standards, and provider obligations to enhance transparency and service quality. The public consultation seeks balanced policies that encourage investment and fair competition.