Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Egypt’s ITIDA has signed 55 new agreements with global industry leaders to expand the country’s offshoring and digital services sector. Supported by strong infrastructure, competitive costs, and a large skilled workforce, the deals are expected to create more than 70,000 jobs in three years and reinforce Egypt’s position as a trusted global hub for high-value digital services.
Bangladesh’s telecom regulator, BTRC, will host a public hearing on November 25 to collect consumer and stakeholder feedback on telecom service quality and regulatory performance. Participants must register by November 19. Common issues include call drops, slow mobile data, poor broadband, and registration problems. The hearing aims to shape future regulatory actions and improve operator accountability.
UNESCO has released its AI Readiness Assessment Report for Bahrain, recognising the Kingdom’s strong digital governance, ethical AI initiatives, and inclusive transformation efforts. The report highlights Bahrain’s progress in national AI policy, innovation programmes, and institutional capacity, while offering recommendations to further strengthen ethical, people-centred AI adoption in line with Bahrain Vision 2030.
Batelco and BNET have partnered to deploy Bahrain’s landing and inland systems for the SMW6 and Al-Khaleej submarine cables, enhancing the Kingdom’s international connectivity, speed, and data resilience. The project strengthens Bahrain’s role as a regional digital gateway and supports national digital transformation goals by improving cloud access, reducing latency, and expanding global network capacity.
Bahrain has become the first hub for the GCC’s new “one-stop” travel system, enabling travelers to complete all border procedures at departure and enter other GCC states seamlessly. The pilot begins with Bahrain–UAE travel in December. The announcement coincides with the opening of the GCC Pavilion and ongoing efforts to unify trade, digital services, AI ethics, and cross-border mobility ahead of the 46th GCC Summit.
Algiers will host the 4th African Startup Conference on December 6–8, featuring 200 exhibitors, 40+ ministers, international organisations, and tech investors. Expected to draw 25,000 visitors, the event aims to strengthen Africa’s innovation ecosystem. Rwanda will serve as guest of honor, and Algeria will introduce a new startup financing fund to support young African innovators.
Wio Bank is nearing Dh60 billion in assets less than three years after launching and is aiming to cross the Dh100 billion threshold within two to three years. Backed by ADQ, e&, FAB and Alpha Dhabi, the digital bank has become one of the UAE’s fastest-expanding lenders and intends to secure a top-three position in the retail and SME banking market as it continues its rapid growth.
Ericsson and ITIDA have signed a three-year MoU to advance Egypt’s ICT and digital services sectors in line with the Digital Egypt Offshoring Strategy. The partnership supports R&D expansion, high-value digital jobs, and advanced services such as AI and analytics, while investing in nationwide digital skills programmes and university collaborations to strengthen Egypt’s position as a global offshoring hub.
Nigeria’s NCC is intensifying efforts to eliminate pre-registered SIM cards, warning that they pose serious cybersecurity risks by enabling fraud and identity-related crime. Despite previous clean-up campaigns, illegal SIM sales continue due to informal resellers. The regulator will increase field inspections, penalise operators, and work closely with security agencies and NIMC to enforce stricter compliance and combat call masking and interconnect fraud.
Dialog Axiata has introduced a 5G-powered autonomous robot that cleans plastic and floating waste from Sri Lanka’s waterways. Developed with MEPA, the robot uses AI, real-time video, and carbon-neutral power to remove up to 50 kg of debris per mission. The announcement comes as Sri Lanka prepares for its first commercial 5G spectrum auction, marking a major step toward national 5G deployment.