Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Red Sea Global and Bunat VC have launched Saudi Arabia’s first dedicated AI investment fund to back AI-native startups from early to growth stages. The initiative combines capital with real-world testing environments across Red Sea destinations, supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation and innovation ecosystem.
Huawei Cloud brought together over 150 partners in Riyadh to reinforce its partner-first cloud strategy in Saudi Arabia. The event highlighted ecosystem growth, innovation, and customer impact, while recognising top-performing partners and reaffirming Huawei Cloud’s long-term commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation.
Huawei Cloud’s Saudi Arabia Partner Day highlighted the strength and diversity of its local ecosystem and underscored the company’s partner-first approach. By combining strategic investment, enablement programs, and collaborative innovation, Huawei Cloud is positioning its partners to play a central role in delivering scalable cloud solutions and supporting Saudi Arabia’s long-term digital transformation goals.
Artificial intelligence dominated discussions at Riyadh’s Absher Conference, with leaders highlighting its impact on government services, education, and media. Panels emphasized infrastructure readiness, talent development, and AI-powered storytelling, positioning AI as a unifying force driving Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation.
Saudi Arabia set a Guinness World Record by hosting the world’s largest digital solutions hackathon, uniting thousands of participants to build AI-driven public service innovations. The event highlighted national talent, unveiled new digital platforms, and strengthened partnerships supporting Vision 2030 and large-scale digital transformation.
Saudi Arabia ranked second globally in the ITU Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025, retaining “Leading” status among 193 countries. The achievement reflects strong leadership support, inclusive digital policies, cross-sector collaboration, and regulatory frameworks that drive innovation, investment, and digital economy growth.
Saudi Telecom Company, through Center3, has signed an MoU with PIF-backed Humain to form a joint venture developing AI-focused data centers in Saudi Arabia. The partnership targets 1GW of capacity, starting with 250MW, supporting the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global hub for AI infrastructure.
IBM recorded a landmark year in Saudi Arabia by empowering over 500,000 nationals with digital skills, expanding consulting operations to Al-Baha, advancing AI-driven logistics innovation, and partnering with Riyadh Air to launch the world’s first AI-native airline, reinforcing its alignment with Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s digital ambitions.
GLO Ventures and Riyadah Solutions have completed a strategic investment round to support smart mobility in Saudi Arabia. The initiative focuses on building an integrated fleet management and vehicle rental platform, enabling automation and IoT-based services, and aligning with Vision 2030’s goals for digital transformation and innovation.
Myriota has launched its HyperPulse™ 5G non-terrestrial satellite IoT network, bringing scalable, low-latency connectivity to Saudi Arabia and other global markets. Built on 3GPP standards and powered by Viasat satellites, the platform supports advanced IoT use cases and is set to expand further in 2026.