Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
India and Kuwait convened a high-level AI dialogue in Kuwait City, spotlighting India’s leadership in digital innovation, ethical AI, and startup growth. The event positioned AI as a bridge for bilateral collaboration and set the stage for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, reinforcing Global South leadership.
Knot, an Egyptian startup, is using AI to modernise online ticketing by tackling fraud, resale losses, and poor demand visibility. Its platform authenticates buyers, controls transfers, and tracks real-time demand, helping organisers recover revenue and gain data-driven insight across global event markets.
Meska AI convened Egypt’s tech ecosystem at Spark Vol.2, urging a shift toward enterprise-ready AI and stakeholder alignment. The event featured industry panels and a strategic partnership with PTS Holdings, giving startups access to investment and venture studio support while prioritising real business value over novelty.
Bahrain says it remains the only country with a Data Embassy law, enabling foreign data to be hosted locally under home-country jurisdiction. Finance Minister Sheikh Salman said this, alongside bankruptcy reform, education investment, and global fiber connectivity, is creating a fertile environment for AI-driven entrepreneurship and foreign capital.
Nepali accounting professionals in the UAE gathered in Dubai for NPAF’s flagship seminar “Yantra – AI & Innovation,” exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the finance profession. Industry leaders shared practical insights on AI, strategy, and e-invoicing, reinforcing NPAF’s mission to build a future-ready professional community.
Egypt’s young innovators are using AI to solve real-world problems and reimagine history, from healthcare robots to hieroglyph-translating apps. Backed by rising investment and government support, AI is becoming central to education, entrepreneurship, and national development, positioning Egypt’s youth at the forefront of technological transformation.
Saudi AI firm HUMAIN and the National Infrastructure Fund have unveiled a $1.2bn financing framework to build up to 250MW of hyperscale AI data centers. The partnership aims to accelerate Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure, attract institutional capital, and support rising demand for advanced compute across regional and global markets.
Saudi Arabia’s investment minister told Davos the AI race is accelerating and no single nation will dominate. Emphasizing global diffusion and strategic optionality, he outlined the Kingdom’s energy-backed AI ambitions, cross-border data strategy, and early leadership on digital embassies to safeguard sovereignty in a multipolar AI future.
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.