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
Can modernization of Egypt’s railway network avert train accidents? Egypt signed an agreement worth 145 million euros ($177 million) with the African Development Bank as part of its recent plan to improve its railway system to prevent crashes. Egypt
Israel to get own cloud in deals with Amazon, Google In a bold move, Israel has signed a series of contracts with Amazon Web Services and Google to provide the government with cloud services. Israel
Is Muslim Brotherhood using Clubhouse app to mobilize Egyptian support? Many security sources and social media activists fear the Muslim Brotherhood could exploit the Clubhouse app to promote its ideas and recruit new operatives in Egypt. Egypt
NASA engineer from Gaza following escalation with concern Loay Elbasyouni, who grew up in the Gaza Strip and attended UNRWA schools, helped design the first NASA helicopter that hovered over Mars in March 2021. Culture
Saudi Arabia buys into e-commerce A crown prince bent on modernization, young and tech-savvy consumers, and a global pandemic are transforming commerce in the desert kingdom. DONT USE - Gulf Pulse
Idlib residents resort to virtual coins to make ends meet Residents of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria have resorted to digital currency to make some money by using only a cellphone connected to the internet. Syria
Dubai to import self-driving cars Dubai will be the first international market for the US self-driving vehicle company Cruise. United Arab Emirates
Egyptians react to new app bringing dead to life A new application that allows the animation of pictures of the deceased caused controversy among religious institutions in Egypt. Egypt
UAE probe reaches Mars' orbit Hope Probe launched in July and is the first Mars mission conducted by an Arab state. United Arab Emirates
Emirati investors highly interested in Israeli high-tech, agro-tech According to estimates, $1 billion in investments between Israel and the United Arab Emirates were made in the last two months of 2020. United Arab Emirates
Hi-tech rivalry between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh heats up Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman is sparing no effort to lure business from the IT and other sectors in Abu Dhabi to the kingdom. Originals
Egypt’s future as internet cable hub at risk from proposed Google fiber optic network Google intends to build a new corridor for internet traffic via a fiber optic network for the first time between Israel and Saudi Arabia, linking Asia to Europe, which is seen as a threat to Egypt's future as a major transit point for international submarine cables. Egypt
