Iran internet blackout estimated to cost $37M+ daily, crippling businesses and society The ongoing digital disconnection is severely stalling commerce, draining millions of dollars daily and pushing many businesses toward collapse. Iran
Interview Qualcomm sees growing demand for edge AI in the Middle East The Middle East's young population is increasingly adopting AI through mobile devices rather than data center-based solutions, Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East and Africa, told Al-Monitor. Wassim Chourbaji Qualcomm president for the Middle East & Africa
Iran plans to create closed internet network offering tiered access: Report The shift heralds a new era in which internet access is no longer a right but a government-granted privilege, according to FilterWatch, a US-based group that monitors internet freedom in the Middle East. Iran
Tehran jams Starlink as Iranians take risks to skirt internet blackout Iranians have turned to the US internet provider to get online amid a government-imposed network blackout that began Jan. 8. Iran
Interview Youth, strong AI adoption make MENA leading region for smartphones: OPPO Lay Ren President of OPPO MENA
Saudi Arabia partners with China’s Huawei on talent development The US government has warned Middle Eastern states against doing business with the Chinese tech firm, which has been accused of intellectual theft and enabling the internment of Uyghur Muslims. News Brief
FBI admits to obtaining Israeli-made Pegasus spyware The FBI said it bought the controversial spyware tool for “product testing and evaluation only” and never deployed it. Israel
Israel to use laser air defense system within year, PM says Naftali Bennett also said he hopes ongoing talks over Iran's nuclear program "end without agreement." News Brief
Saudi Arabia to invest billions in metaverse, blockchain technology The kingdom, which is seeking to reduce its dependence on oil, made the announcement at the futuristic LEAP technology forum in Riyadh. News Brief
Low-cost internet services reach Syria's al-Bab Internet access in the countryside of Aleppo are rapidly expanding thanks to private companies and intense competition. Syria
Saudi investment fund starts gaming group The fund, which is headed by the crown prince, will work on developing video game competitions with two European companies. News Brief
Human Rights Watch staffer hacked with Pegasus spyware A digital forensic analysis determined phones belonging Lama Fakih, HRW’s crisis and conflict director, were hacked between April and August 2021. News Brief
El Salvador journalists reportedly targeted by Pegasus spyware A cyber watchdog report found the phones of at least 35 journalists and activists in the Latin American country were infected with the controversial Pegasus spyware. Israel
Egypt aims to localize car industry with Emirati support Egypt is trying its best to deliver its plan to localize the automobile industry, as it cooperates with Abu Dhabi to produce and manufacture a specific car in Egyptian factories to meet the needs of the Egyptian local market on the one hand and export it to African countries on the other. Egypt
Mosul restaurant features robot servers in first for Iraq After all recreational activities, especially western ones, were prohibited in it, the first-ever resto-café opened in Mosul, serving Western dishes to customers using a robot. Iraq
EU urged to sanction Israeli cyberfirm NSO Group Dozens of human rights groups called on the European Union to place the controversial cybersurveillance firm on its global sanctions list. Israel
US State Department phones reportedly hacked with Israeli-made spyware The apparent hack targeted US diplomats based in Uganda or officials whose work focused on the country. Israel
