Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Morocco is developing a national digital wallet integrated into the Idarati X.0 super app, enabling citizens to access government services through digital identity and biometric authentication. The initiative supports Digital Morocco 2030 goals by improving public service efficiency, strengthening cybersecurity, and advancing the country’s digital transformation agenda.
NADRA has launched a mobile registration drive in Ras Al Khaimah to provide identification services for overseas Pakistanis, enabling document applications, renewals, and corrections. The initiative supports digital service delivery through mobile teams and online platforms, improving accessibility and streamlining identity verification processes for citizens abroad.
The digital wallet super-app represents a further step toward consolidating Morocco’s e-government ecosystem, enabling more efficient service delivery while reinforcing digital identity, data protection, and citizen-centric service design across public services.
The initiative forms part of Morocco’s broader Maroc Digital 2030 strategy aimed at accelerating administrative digitalization, improving service quality, and strengthening digital inclusion. Morocco currently ranks 90th globally and fourth in Africa in the United Nations 2024 E-Government Development Index, supported by widespread internet adoption and a growing digital ecosystem.
Identy.io announces Africa expansion plans focusing on Kenya and Nigeria, promoting mobile-first biometric identity solutions aligned with national digital identity initiatives and MOSIP-compliant infrastructure to support financial inclusion and digital public services.
Pakistan’s NADRA has launched its first Bug Bounty Challenge to strengthen the country’s digital ID systems. Backed by universities and cyber agencies, the programme invites ethical hackers and students to identify vulnerabilities, embedding security-by-design into national infrastructure as biometric upgrades continue.
KFH–Bahrain has launched eKey 2.0 for Business in partnership with Beyon Connect, enabling secure digital identity verification for faster onboarding and banking access. The initiative strengthens cybersecurity, reduces fraud, and aligns with Bahrain’s national vision for trusted, customer-centric digital services.
Bahrain chaired the 15th GCC Smart Card Steering Committee meeting in Riyadh, focusing on unified digital identity standards, smart card integration, and regional cooperation. The discussions reinforced GCC efforts to enhance digital services, harmonise technology frameworks, and build a more connected and sustainable digital future for citizens.
Vodafone Qatar has deployed a fully remote onboarding system with biometric verification, Instant SIM activation, and mobile wallet registration, reducing fraud and enabling user verification in under one minute.
Bangladesh’s new data protection and governance ordinances establish strict consent rules, define citizens as data owners, and introduce strong safeguards for sensitive and children’s data. With the NRDEX data exchange platform and a unified digital ID on the way, the reforms aim to build trust, enhance security, and accelerate digital transformation across the country.