Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Vodafone Egypt reported 46.1% revenue growth in the first half of 2025, reaching EGP 55 billion and achieving its highest market share. With EGP 7.53 billion invested in network upgrades, the operator continues strengthening coverage, resilience, and readiness for future technologies across Egypt.
Egypt’s Prime Minister visited NTRA, Telecom Egypt, and Egypt Post at Cairo ICT 2025, reviewing major achievements including 5G licenses, Wi-Fi 6E rollout, eSIM growth, digital financial services, data centre expansion, and new national initiatives such as biometric e-KYC and Egypt’s first digital investment platform.
Bahrain and Singapore have begun implementing a cross-border digital public infrastructure project led by BENEFIT and MonetaGo. The initiative builds a secure trade finance ledger to reduce fraud, improve SME credit access, and strengthen digital integration between the Middle East and Asia while supporting Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.
Niger has completed 1,031 km of fiber for the Trans-Saharan Backbone, enabling future links to Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Algeria, and Burkina Faso. The project aims to enhance digital access, reduce connectivity costs, and secure international bandwidth via neighboring countries’ submarine cable networks, though interconnection timelines remain unclear.
Malaysia has received positive signals of support from Azerbaijan, Algeria, and the Bahamas in its effort to retain its ITU Council seat for 2027–2030. Productive bilateral meetings at WTDC-25 focused on 5G deployment, regulatory cooperation, and potential future partnerships to strengthen Malaysia’s international ICT role.
Pakistan’s National Assembly committee has criticised the PTA for slow nationwide internet and ordered immediate surveys and improvement measures. The panel reviewed progress on Islamabad and Karachi IT parks, praised NTC’s cybersecurity initiatives, and noted spectrum shortages as the country prepares for a 5G rollout.
Etihad Airways will equip its entire fleet with Viasat’s next-gen Amara connectivity platform, enabling high-speed inflight streaming, Live TV, and seamless digital access. Covering Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the upgrade uses multi-orbit satellite networks to deliver consistent, premium Wi-Fi as part of Etihad’s enhanced onboard digital experience.
Google will deploy a new subsea cable called Dhivaru linking Oman, the Maldives, and Australia’s Christmas Island, alongside two regional connectivity hubs. The project will enhance resilience, performance, and regional reach across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Oceania through advanced switching, caching, and colocation capabilities.
ADIA will sell 160.5 million Ooredoo shares, cutting its stake to about 5% and raising up to QAR2.09 billion. Ooredoo says the deal will broaden its investor base and improve liquidity as the operator continues to post strong financial performance across its nine international markets.
Omantel has launched a regional Managed Optical Fibre Network using Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 technology, offering up to 1.6 Tbps per wavelength for hyperscalers and cloud providers. With end-to-end management, automated provisioning, and multi-country reach via Zain and ZOI, the network strengthens Oman’s role as a regional digital connectivity hub.