Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Moroccan leaders at Regional Cyber Week emphasized that cybersecurity underpins digital sovereignty, economic growth, and citizen trust. Officials highlighted rising regional threats, including a 236% increase in DDoS attacks, and urged international cooperation. The event focuses on building cyber-resilience to secure sustainable digital and economic transformation.
TCS and NOW Telecom will jointly build a sovereign data cloud in the Philippines, integrating local data control, AI infrastructure, and advanced cybersecurity measures. The partnership aims to boost national digital sovereignty, reduce foreign tech reliance, and deliver citizen-centric services across key sectors.
ST Digital will open a Tier III data center in Côte d’Ivoire in late 2025, part of a sovereign African cloud network. The project uses local talent, connects multiple African nations, and addresses the continent’s low global data center share to boost digital autonomy.
African ICT leadership’s unified stance aims to protect AFRINIC’s essential role in managing internet resources, reinforcing Africa’s digital sovereignty amid critical governance challenges.
Morocco announced plans for a 500 MW renewable-powered data center to enhance national cloud services and digital sovereignty under its Digital Morocco 2030 plan. The hybrid cloud strategy aims to secure sensitive data locally while supporting public and private sector growth, inspired by global best practices.
Morocco plans a 500MW renewable-powered sovereign data centre in Dakhla, reinforcing digital sovereignty and regional hub ambitions amid a $1.22 billion digital modernization investment.
Nigeria’s NCC has introduced mandatory licensing and centralized routing for A2P messaging to combat spam, enhance consumer protection, and secure telecom revenues. The new framework imposes operational requirements and supports national goals for digital sovereignty and cybersecurity.
Egypt’s ICP Hub launch breaks blockchain barriers by enabling payments in Egyptian pounds and supporting decentralized apps with strong privacy. The World Computer Hacker League 2025 offers local developers a global platform to compete with substantial prizes. Operated by Mercatura Forum, ICP Hub Egypt aims to build national digital sovereignty and innovation.
Moroccan ministries and partners signed MOUs to promote ethical AI use, including a strategic data center partnership between the Ministry of Digital Transition and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. The collaboration focuses on innovation, training, sustainability, and digital sovereignty to strengthen national capacity in data governance.
ICP Hub Egypt has launched a groundbreaking initiative allowing Egyptian developers to build decentralized applications on the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) while paying fees in local currency. Supported by Mercatura Forum, the hub invites developers to join the World Computer Hacker League 2025—a global hackathon offering $300,000+ in prizes. ICP uniquely enables AI on-chain, sovereign internet infrastructure, and enhanced privacy, positioning Egypt at the forefront of Web3 innovation.