Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Meska AI’s Spark Vol.2 convened Egypt’s AI ecosystem, urging enterprise-ready innovation and stronger stakeholder alignment. The event saw Meska sign a strategic partnership with PTS Holdings, opening investment and venture studio access for startups. The focus shifted from novelty to real business value and scalable AI adoption.
Egypt and the UK are deepening ICT cooperation to position Egypt as a regional innovation and offshoring hub. Talks focused on AI, cloud, cybersecurity, fintech, and skills development, with plans for academic partnerships and joint industry events to attract British investment and strengthen Egypt’s role as a gateway to African digital markets.
Granite has received an FRA fintech licence to launch Egypt’s first fully digital money market account. The mobile-first platform enables instant onboarding, daily returns, and full liquidity without lock-ins, targeting individuals and businesses managing idle cash. The move places Granite at the forefront of digital asset management in Egypt.
Egypt’s Digilians programme has partnered with 30 global and local tech firms to train 5,000 students annually in AI, software, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure. Backed by major public investment, the initiative combines academic learning with industry-led training, field placements, and professional tracks to prepare youth for technology careers.
Egypt is using AI and satellite imagery to track and remove water hyacinth from the Nile, modernising irrigation management. Integrated with platforms like Google Earth Engine, the system enables real-time monitoring, faster decisions, and targeted removal, addressing a century-old ecological threat that disrupts canals, farmers, and national water security.
Al-Futtaim Appoints Tarek Tantawy as CEO of Egypt Operations to Drive Strategic Growth
Al-Futtaim has announced the appointment of Tarek Tantawy as Chief Executive Officer of Al-Futtaim Egypt, effective January 15, 2026, marking a strategic evolution in the Group’s operating model in one of its priority growth markets.
The appointment establishes a single country CEO structure for Egypt, aligning strategy, capital allocation, and operational priorities across the portfolio to ensure the Group operates as One Al-Futtaim. The role is designed to deliver consistent execution, strengthen collaboration across business units, and deepen engagement with customers, partners, and national stakeholders.
“I am honoured to join Al-Futtaim at a pivotal moment for its Egypt operations,” Tantawy said. “Egypt represents a long-term growth engine for the Group, with scale, complexity, and opportunity across multiple sectors. Aligning our businesses behind a clear country strategy and strengthening execution discipline will be essential to unlocking value through collaboration across the portfolio.”
David Henderson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Al-Futtaim, said the appointment reinforces portfolio-level accountability and enables disciplined capital deployment as the Group’s footprint in Egypt continues to expand.
Tantawy brings more than 27 years of leadership experience across strategy, operations, finance, and executive management. Most recently, he served as Group Co-CEO and Managing Director at Palm Hills Developments. He previously held senior leadership roles including CEO and Managing Director at Telecom Egypt, Group Co-CEO at CI Capital Holding, and CFO at IDJ-Beyti, alongside multiple board appointments across financial services, telecommunications, education, real estate, and FMCG.
Al-Futtaim has operated in Egypt for over four decades and today maintains a diversified presence across real estate, retail, automotive, and insurance. The Group’s footprint includes Cairo Festival City and its mall, alongside recent expansion into premium education through a partnership with Dwight Schools and the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation.
The appointment signals a sharpened focus on scale, governance, and long-term value creation in Egypt, positioning the Group for its next phase of growth in the market.
An Egyptian-Emirati mobile cardiac hospital has arrived in Cairo, equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment units. The field hospital will deliver specialised heart care in underserved areas, strengthening emergency response and expanding access to critical services through cross-border healthcare cooperation.
Halal Games has launched in Egypt as a values-driven studio building original PC games without gambling mechanics or explicit content. With a small distributed team, the developer is working on a horror title focused on immersive storytelling, aiming to prove that ethical design and high-quality gameplay can coexist.
Egypt has partnered with 30 technology firms under the Digilians initiative to train 5,000 students annually in fields such as AI, cybersecurity, and software development. The programme combines academic learning with practical experience and is backed by multi-billion-pound public investment to strengthen the country’s digital workforce.
Prime Investment Group engaged with NVIDIA and MicroStrategy leaders at CES 2026, focusing on artificial intelligence, digital assets, and the future of data-driven economies. The group announced plans to double AI investments in 2026, underscoring its belief in AI and blockchain as foundational pillars of global business transformation.