Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Algeria’s green light for 5G marks a major step toward building a competitive digital economy. With three operators rolling out services in parallel and a clear nationwide timeline, the country is positioning itself for faster connectivity and new waves of innovation. The six-year plan and early focus on pilot provinces indicate a structured, scalable approach to nationwide 5G adoption.
Zain Group is accelerating disability inclusion across its eight markets with three new initiatives aligned to its WE ABLE 2030 strategy. The company partnered with Business Disability Forum, expanded its GROW training program for graduates with disabilities, and introduced Individual Development Plans to support career growth for employees with disabilities across the region.
Pakistan is preparing its first National Fiberization Policy to deliver minimum 100 Mbps fixed broadband nationwide. Backed by the World Bank, the plan includes 8–10 million new fiber house passes and 80% tower fiberization. A consulting firm will map gaps, guide PPP investments, recommend regulatory reforms, and strengthen resilience for Pakistan’s digital future.
Sri Lanka’s national telecom operators (Dialog Axiata, SLT-Mobitel, and Hutch), in coordination with the government and partners like Huawei, are working around the clock to restore vital communication networks across the country following severe damage from Cyclone Ditwah’s deadly flooding and landslides.
NBB and Batelco by Beyon have signed an MoU to explore collaboration across their retail and loyalty ecosystems. The agreement focuses on aligning loyalty programmes, offering bundled services, and integrating digital platforms to deliver tailored customer experiences, supporting Bahrain’s wider goals for digital innovation and connected retail services.
Zain KSA has launched Mobile-Homestar, the world’s first one-hop-to-home architecture, enabling mobile devices to directly access home computing, storage, and services without public cloud dependency. Powered by 5G-A, MEC, and intelligent algorithms, it revolutionizes gaming and smart-home use cases while preparing for future AI workloads. Designed to be open and scalable, the solution marks a major leap in intelligent mobile connectivity.
Saudi Arabia’s telecom sector generated nearly $21.5 billion in revenues in the first nine months of 2025, with profits rising 5.72% as digital adoption surged. stc accounted for 80% of total sector profits, while Mobily and Zain KSA delivered strong growth. Demand for 5G, cloud services, IoT and AI continues to drive expansion, supported by Vision 2030’s digital transformation agenda.
Saudi Arabia’s GO has rebranded to Etihad GO Telecom as part of a strategic shift aimed at strengthening its presence in the telecom and technology sectors. Approved by shareholders in October, the new identity aligns with the company’s plans to boost technical capabilities, expand digital services, and support Saudi Vision 2030’s national digital transformation agenda. The company’s Tadawul ticker has now been updated to GO TELECOM.
Ooredoo Kuwait has launched exclusive roaming offers for fans traveling to Qatar for Arab Cup 2025, including a free one-day 15GB data pass and a 50% discounted roaming pack with 500GB data and 500 minutes. A new permanent 2TB roaming package has also been introduced. The company aims to deliver high-value, seamless connectivity for supporters during the tournament and beyond.
Asiacell and Seamless Distribution Systems have expanded their 10-year partnership by deploying a next-generation Sales & Distribution platform to modernize Iraq’s telecom retail ecosystem. Announced at MWC Doha 2025, the new system unifies Asiacell’s nationwide retail network under a smart, data-driven framework that improves partner performance, enhances operational efficiency, and strengthens customer experience. Both companies say the upgrade marks a major milestone in Iraq’s digital and retail transformation.