Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Snap Inc. opened a new office in Doha’s Msheireb Downtown to strengthen Qatar’s creative economy and digital ecosystem. The move supports Qatar National Vision 2030, expands Snap’s MENA footprint, and follows plans for the region’s first AR Academy to empower local creators and innovators.
Gulf Bridge International (GBI) has partnered with Nokia to deploy a next-generation optical network across the Middle East, using a new terrestrial route through Iraq to link Europe, Asia, and the Gulf. The system will deliver 50Tbps capacity with 100G–400G services, improving regional resilience and supporting the region’s growing cloud and digital economy.
Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality has expanded its digital services to 206, aiming for over 400 in the near future. The Oun app and website have revolutionized municipal access, with 93% of transactions completed electronically and AI integration set to enhance future services.
Qatar ranked first in engineering and technology research in the 2025 ARCIF report, which recorded massive growth in Arab scientific publishing—367% more journals and 6,800% more cited authors since 2016. Egypt led overall impact, while Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Palestine excelled in other key categories.
Ooredoo has been named Frost & Sullivan’s 2025 MENA Company of the Year in Telecom and Enterprise Cloud Solutions for its innovation in AI, cloud, and sustainability. The recognition highlights Ooredoo’s leadership in digital transformation, social responsibility, and customer-centric growth.
Qatar Foundation and Canada held a high-level roundtable on AI’s role in education and society, highlighting responsible innovation, inclusivity, and global collaboration. The dialogue explored joint initiatives in research, ethics, and digital learning to advance equitable and human-centered AI adoption.
Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has introduced 20 new e-services under its 2024–2030 strategy to achieve full digital transformation. Accessible via NAS, the initiative aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 and enhances secure, user-focused digital government service delivery.
Qatar has been ranked first in the Arab world for engineering and technology research in the 2025 ARCIF report. The study highlights a decade of remarkable growth in Arab scientific output, with Qatar emerging as a leader in innovation and regional knowledge development.
Qatar processed 55.08 million payment transactions worth $4.58 billion in September, led by point-of-sale and e-commerce channels, according to the Qatar Central Bank. Instant payment and mobile wallet systems continue to drive financial inclusion and digital transformation nationwide.
Vodafone Qatar signed a five-year deal as the exclusive telecom partner of the Seashore Phoenix Games, providing connectivity and digital experiences to power Qatar’s premier fitness competition and support community sports innovation through 2029.