Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Kuwait Investment Authority-backed Raqami Islamic Digital Bank will launch in Pakistan next month with a $100 million investment. The fully digital, Shariah-compliant bank targets individuals and SMEs, expanding financial inclusion and reinforcing growing Gulf interest in Pakistan’s banking and digital finance sector.
Zarea has signed a $2 million MoU with Chinese agri-platform Wang Chuang Xi Jun Chang Agri to bring advanced seeds, agronomic services, and scalable production systems to Pakistan. The partnership aims to modernise the agri-value chain, boost productivity, and enable cross-border technology transfer and trade.
PTA has licensed nine local VPN providers and launched a free registration portal, with over 30,000 users already enrolled. The move supports secure remote work for businesses and freelancers while strengthening oversight through new IP whitelisting rules to curb misuse and enhance cybersecurity.
Pakistan has spent over Rs52bn to extend telecom services to remote areas through the Universal Service Fund, but uneven coverage persists due to low commercial returns, security concerns, and infrastructure gaps. Officials told parliament that private operators drive expansion, and improved law and order is key to attracting investment and closing connectivity gaps.
Pakistan’s local mobile phone manufacturing fell in 2025 due to weak demand and longer replacement cycles, with output down 4 percent year-on-year. Despite the slowdown, locally assembled devices still met 93 percent of domestic demand. Analysts expect a recovery driven by currency stability, easing inflation, and improving consumer confidence.
Zarea has signed a $2m MoU with China’s Wang Chuang Xi Jun Chang Agri to introduce modern seed technologies, agronomic services, and scalable production systems in Pakistan. The partnership targets productivity, supply-chain efficiency, and export linkages, accelerating the modernisation of Pakistan’s agri-value chain.
Zarea has signed a $2m MoU with China’s Wang Chuang Xi Jun Chang Agri to introduce modern seed technologies, agronomic services, and scalable production systems in Pakistan. The partnership targets productivity, supply-chain efficiency, and export linkages, accelerating the modernisation of Pakistan’s agri-value chain.agritech, pakistan, china
agritech, pakistan, china
agritech, pakistan, china
USF and Jazz have launched Rs. 1.16 billion broadband projects across nine districts in Punjab and KP, targeting 533,000 rural residents. The initiative strengthens Pakistan’s Digital Nation agenda, accelerates inclusion, and expands high-speed connectivity through public-private collaboration.
Pakistan’s local plants produced 30.21 million mobile phones in 2025, dwarfing commercial imports. Output included 15.64 million smartphones and 14.57 million 2G devices, with smartphones now forming 71 percent of phones on local networks. Despite this, imports still crossed $800 million in five months.
Wateen Telecom has partnered with Nayatel to provide nationwide carrier-grade connectivity across Pakistan. The agreement delivers Layer-2 services over Wateen’s fibre backbone, offering 100Gbps+ capacity and resilient metro networks. The collaboration strengthens Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and enables Nayatel to deliver reliable, high-speed broadband at scale.