Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
The Central Bank of Oman has launched Maal, the Sultanate’s first national payment card, offering free debit and prepaid cards and lower processing fees for banks and merchants. The initiative aims to strengthen local payment sovereignty, reduce reliance on international schemes, cut transaction costs, and advance Oman’s broader digital economy goals.
PDO has partnered with UptimeAI to deploy an enterprise-wide AI-based Operational Excellence system that improves asset reliability, predicts equipment failures, and enhances operator decision-making. The solution uses expert-level reasoning, deep learning, and local cloud hosting to meet PDO’s security standards, supporting the company’s cost efficiency, digitalisation, and energy-transition goals.
AB Energy has partnered with China’s Wuxi Longmax Technology to manufacture mobile solar power plants in Oman, marking the country’s first venture into containerised clean-energy system production. The partnership will support regional markets, enable technology transfer, and establish a local assembly line to strengthen Oman’s renewable-energy ecosystem and sustainability goals.
Nepal Telecom will upgrade its customer call center numbers—197, 198, and 1498—on Mangsir 10, 2082, causing a brief one-hour outage from 11:30 PM to 12:30 AM. Scheduled at night to minimize impact, the upgrade aims to improve service quality. NTC apologized for any inconvenience and advised customers to call beforehand.
Morocco has launched a new investment support mechanism to strengthen funding for startups under the Digital Morocco 2030 strategy. Backed by key national institutions, the initiative aims to de-risk investments, attract capital, and accelerate the country’s innovation ecosystem while aligning with the vision of King Mohammed VI for digital sovereignty and technological leadership.
Kuwait has launched the STEM Racing Academy to train young students in engineering, aerodynamics, and design through hands-on racing car projects and workshops. Developed with Formula 1 and Mabani Real Estate, the program supports the national STEM Racing Championship and prepares Kuwaiti youth to compete in global innovation competitions.
Kuwait will host a national AI Hackathon in February 2026 as part of its push to accelerate digital transformation. Announced at SAP’s Innovation Day Forum, the initiative will unite government bodies, universities, and innovators to develop AI solutions, supported by SAP’s new partnership with CAIT to upskill Kuwait’s youth.
Jordan has approved a future-focused national digital transformation strategy for 2026–2028, centered on citizen-centric services, data-driven governance, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, 5G, and digital identity. With 57 planned projects, the strategy aims to strengthen digital infrastructure, improve government performance and drive economic modernization under the vision of a secure, digitally empowered Jordan.
Orange Jordan sponsored the GreenTech Makerthon 2025, enabling more than 60 youth to develop AI- and IoT-driven green solutions for climate, waste, energy and agriculture challenges. Organized with national and international partners, the program included training, mentoring and prototype development, reflecting Orange Jordan’s commitment to sustainability and innovation-driven digital transformation.
Asiacell has partnered with Google Cloud to offer Google Workspace, Gemini Enterprise, and AI-powered productivity tools to businesses and educational institutions in Iraq. The move establishes Asiacell as the country’s first telecom operator to deliver Google Cloud solutions, accelerating digital transformation and supporting more modern, collaborative, and AI-enabled workflows nationwide.