What we know about UAE blocking X accounts accused of misinformation A number of X accounts including Al Arabiya Breaking are now not accessible in the Gulf state as Abu Dhabi navigates regional turmoil. United Arab Emirates
Analysis India's Modi arrives in Israel as fears grow of US-Iran conflict The Indian prime minister’s visit highlights growing cooperation on defense, AI, drones and regional trade, while signaling closer diplomatic coordination. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Interview AI, cybersecurity high on Mideast priorities amid global tech rivalry: Tech Mahindra The Indian tech company's Middle East head, Sahil Dhawan, believes these three forces are reshaping business priorities in the region.
Crypto crash collides with UAE’s big bet on digital assets After hitting record highs in 2025, Bitcoin’s sell-off is roiling global markets and making waves in the UAE. United Arab Emirates
Interview Qualcomm sees growing demand for edge AI in the Middle East Wassim Chourbaji Qualcomm president for the Middle East & Africa
Antisemitism skyrockets on Twitter as Israel's requests go ignored With the number of antisemitic posts on social media on the rise, Israel’s Foreign Ministry focuses on tracing such dangerous trends and battling them on the platforms they are published on. Israel
Saudi Arabia increases stake in EA gaming by 55% The PIF held 16.01 million shares in Electronic Arts (EA) before Q4 2022, but after Q1 2023, it held 24.81 million shares. Saudi Arabia
Turkey’s opposition warns against deepfakes ahead of fateful elections As the presidential race heats up in the lead-up to Turkey's consequential elections, the country’s main opposition party accuses the government of plotting a cyberwar against Erdogan’s top rival. Turkey
UAE reprimands cryptocurrency firm OPNX The company, which is planning a transparent crypto platform, allegedly did not receive the necessary regulatory authority from the UAE. Legacy: Gulf
In water-starved Middle East, large ChatGPT data centers are a threat The UAE announced its record-breaking green data center in February of this year. The Moro Hub, created by the digital arm of DEWA, became the largest solar-powered data center, according to Guinness World Records. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Arabia opens four special economic zones with eye on foreign investment The special economic zones offer incentives such as competitive corporate tax rates, 100% ownership of companies and flexibility in employing foreign labor. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis Middle East unlikely to slow down on AI, ChatGPT rollout Astra Tech, backed by Abu Dhabi AI company G42, said it created the first Arabic language ChatGPT last Wednesday. Also this week, the number of signatories of the open letter increased more than sixfold since last Monday’s 3,000, highlighting the growing concern about unregulated AI. By Salim A. Essaid
Bahrain launches 'Golden License' to attract major investment, jobs Only companies with major investment and project portfolios will be eligible for the license, with either a $50 million value or a plan to create 500 jobs in the country, according to the Bahrain Economic Development Board. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi firms face 6.7% higher Twitter verification fees than US Syria, Sudan, Iran, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are not on the price list and appear to be unable to purchase this subscription. Legacy: Gulf
Report: Israel tech sector still among world’s strongest Judicial fallout and layoffs have not hurt the industry's world standing, according to a report from Dealroom.co and Tel Aviv Tech. Israel
UAE, India to boost cooperation via digital currency The Emirati Central Bank has begun implementing its digital dirham strategy following a financial cooperation agreement with India and the UAE's cryptocurrency push. Legacy: Gulf
Elon Musk denies report that Saudi Arabia, UAE intend to invest in SpaceX An arm of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and an Abu Dhabi-based company were reported to be looking to invest in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to The Information, which cited people familiar with investor discussions. Legacy: Gulf
