Saudi Arabia taps China’s MiniMax for Arabic AI model The development signals that the kingdom continues deepening AI ties with China while simultaneously pursuing major US technology partnerships, keeping the Gulf state at the center of an intensifying technology race between the superpowers. Saudi Arabia
Starlink expands Middle East footprint with UAE launch: What to know Starlink’s Emirati debut expands the range of connectivity options available and is a significant step in the country’s efforts to bolster its digital infrastructure. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
China's Xi to visit Egypt for first time in decade as military, Huawei ties grow The visit comes as Chinese telecoms giant Huawei seeks to supply more than 2,000 advanced AI chips for Egyptian government data centers. Egypt
Culture Iran war hits Saudi gaming drive as Esports Nations Cup pushed to 2027 The postponement is a blow for the kingdom, which has made growing its esports sector one of the main priorities under its Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia
Interview Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF Jihad Azour Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund
Interview Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO Olivier Badard CEO of Armada Holding
Pegasus intel project brings Israel more trouble With the NSO affair continuing to develop, Israel — the world champion of cyber technologies — might get into significant diplomatic trouble precisely because of that. Israel
Israel 'looks into' NSO cyber-espionage affair Reports in Israel say the government has set up an interministerial team to 'look into' the export of Israeli-made Pegasus software and allegation over its abuse against politicians and journalists worldwide. Israel
UAE likely partner in Israel's moon mission The funding sources for Israel's ambitious Beresheet 2 have not been divulged, but there are hints that the United Arab Emirates may well be teaming up with Israel on a moon landing. Israel
Israeli firm NSO Group tied to high-level hacks A sweeping investigation found the names of world leaders, human rights defenders and journalists included on a leaked list of 50,000 alleged surveillance targets. Israel
Microsoft says Israeli company's malware used to hack dissidents, activists Microsoft said around half of the victims were located in the Palestinian territories, and many of the remaining targets were based in the Middle East. Israel
Facebook says Iranian hackers spied on US military personnel using fake accounts The social media company said the hackers baited targets into clicking on malicious links that would infect their devices with malware. Iran
Iran rolls out matchmaking app to curb declining birthrate The Hamdan app aims to create "healthy" families and pair "bachelors seeking permanent marriage” with a wife. Iran
US-made drones downed over Yemen weren't military's, CENTCOM says The Houthis said they wrecked two US drones over Yemen's contested Marib province. Yemen
Imagery suggests Iran failed to launch satellite, set to try again Iran appears to be planning to launch a Simorgh satellite that the Islamic Republic may have failed to get off the ground earlier this month. Iran
Israeli women lead food tech revolution Israeli women researchers are developing award-winning projects in the fields of food tech and smart agriculture. Israel
Iran to acquire Russian high-resolution recon satellite Russia is set to give Iran a satellite that could spy on Tehran's potential military targets. Russia
US air defenses shoot down drones near Iraq air base Drones were intercepted and brought down near the air base that hosts US forces. Iraq
