France blames Iran for supermarket fridge hack, seeks EU sanctions French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday blamed Iran for the October cyberattack that disabled refrigeration at supermarkets across France. Iran
Turkey probes Google’s AI search tools, orders protections for news websites Turkey’s competition watchdog said it is assessing whether AI-generated answers appearing on Google Search divert traffic from news sites and impose unfair content-use terms. Turkey
OpenAI's Altman signs UAE energy, government deals amid Gulf funding push The deals deepen the company’s ties to the UAE as the ChatGPT creator pursues a massive new funding round with help from Middle East investors. United Arab Emirates
Explainer What Iran’s threats to Hormuz internet cables mean for Gulf Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to cut crucial internet and communications routes in the region if US aggression escalates. Iran
Egypt seeks to attract Chinese mobile companies fleeing India Egypt is trying to take advantage of the crisis between Chinese smartphone companies and India by providing incentives to such companies to lure them into investing in the Egyptian market. Egypt
Israel seeks technological cooperation with US What Israel perceives as inflexible American demands on data security might stand in the way of establishing true technological cooperation between Israel and the United States. Israel
Egypt explores production of green fuels for ships Egypt plans to cooperate with the Maersk global shipping group to establish a national network to produce and distribute green fuel for ships, depending on new and renewable energy sources, as the country gears up to host the COP27 climate summit. Egypt
Saudi esports success depends on local businesses, say industry players After Saudi Arabia released its esports strategy last week, members of the region’s local gaming industry say community players, developers and startups are key to actualizing the plan’s ambitious goals. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Arabia plans new AI center The agreement between the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence and King Abdullah University was made on the sidelines of an artificial intelligence summit in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Investment in Israeli food tech doubles Israel is quickly becoming one of the world leaders in cultivated meat, dairy and seafood products. Israel
Qatar issues first digital payment licenses to fintech providers Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are seeking to bolster their fintech sectors. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Central Bank approves fintech companies Lean Technologies, Mod5r Saudi Arabia recently launched a fintech strategy with the goal of becoming a regional hub for financial technology. Saudi Arabia
Israeli automotive startups dream of becoming next Mobileye Vying for the same success of Mobileye, which was bought by Intel five years ago for $15 billion, Israeli startups are doubling their efforts to appeal to foreign investors. Israel
Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project to bring huge investments to Egypt Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country will invest in Sharm el-Sheikh as part of $500 billion NEOM project. Egypt
West Bank hosts first digital tourism hackathon For the first time, Palestinians hold a digital tourism hackathon to develop innovative solutions to the problems facing the tourism industry. Palestine
Israel redefines ties with NATO as security provider During a visit of a NATO parliamentary delegation, Israel showcased high tech capabilities. Israel
