UAE’s Yahsat has restored Thuraya satellite services in parts of Southeast Asia and China by reconfiguring its Thuraya 2 satellite after Thuraya 3 experienced an anomaly. However, service remains unavailable in the Asia-Pacific region east of Thuraya 2’s footprint.
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has launched Falcon 2, featuring Falcon 2 11B and Falcon 2 11B VLM models. These efficient, multilingual, and multimodal AI models surpass competitors and are open-source, providing developers with advanced tools for various applications. TII plans to further enhance these models with advanced machine learning capabilities.
Fils, a UAE-based digital infrastructure provider, has teamed up with Arab Financial Services (AFS) to promote sustainable practices and climate action across the Middle East and North Africa. This partnership leverages Fils’ fintech technology and AFS’s digital payments expertise to integrate sustainability into business operations, financial transactions, and customer journeys.
Bahrain’s Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) has partnered with Thales to revamp the kingdom’s ID card system, enhancing biometric and security features and aligning with global digital standards. This initiative supports Bahrain’s 2030 Economic Vision and aims to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce market is set to reach $14.78 billion this year and $25 billion by 2029. WebCastle Technologies, recently entering the Saudi market, won the Best E-Commerce Agency Award at the 6th Middle East Retail & E-Commerce Summit and Awards KSA for their role in accelerating digital growth.
Yango will showcase its advanced business process optimization solutions at Seamless 2024 in Dubai. Highlights include autonomous last-mile delivery robots, an AI-driven robotic pick-and-place platform, and comprehensive tech solutions for e-grocery businesses. These innovations aim to enhance operational efficiency and provide a competitive edge for Middle East businesses.
STEMpedia has successfully concluded the fifth edition of its global innovation fest, Codeavour 5.0 International. The competition encourages children to develop innovative projects using PictoBlox, a visual programming software, while learning AI, coding, and robotics. Supported by various organizations, the event attracted over 1200 participants from 18 countries.
Wink Pay, in collaboration with Visa and Codebase Technologies, has launched Lebanon’s first service for instant issuance of Visa prepaid virtual cards. This innovative solution facilitates secure, transparent payments and digital financial inclusion, targeting over 5 million Lebanese, particularly benefiting those without traditional bank accounts.
Moroccan Minister Ghita Mezzour discussed potential AI collaborations during her meeting with OpenAI in San Francisco. The discussions aimed at tailoring AI systems for Morocco’s needs and leveraging the country’s tech talent. This visit highlights Morocco’s commitment to becoming a central hub for technological innovation.
Zain Group releases its 13th annual sustainability report titled “A Pathway to Value Creation,” highlighting efforts to address social, economic, and environmental challenges through its connectivity services. The report outlines Zain’s alignment with global sustainability standards and its initiatives across climate change, responsible operations, inclusion, and youth engagement.
