Saudi Arabia deploys region’s first industrial quantum computer: What to know The announcement significantly boosts Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy away from oil by the end of the decade. Saudi Arabia
UAE showcases global AI ambitions with $1B Africa pledge at G20 The Gulf country is the world's top investor in Africa, with Emirati companies committing $100 billion to projects on the continent between 2019 and 2023, according to data from the Financial Times. United Arab Emirates
Feature Saudi Arabia leans on AI for real estate growth as gigaprojects slow The kingdom is increasingly announcing projects merging AI and real estate to cut costs while building smarter, data-driven, and more sustainable infrastructure. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Gulf AI ambitions get boost with US approval of advanced chip exports Washington has been cautious about sending sensitive advanced microchips to Middle East countries with close ties to China, fearing that the technology could end up in Beijing’s hands. Saudi Arabia
Interview Al-Futtaim targets 2026 UAE rollout for game-changer ultrafast EV charging Lucas Bellieud Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility Managing Director
Egyptian program aims to send first Egyptian into space Egypt's young but ambitious space agency is accepting applications from cititzens who would receive training to go into space as the first Egyptian by 2026. Egypt
3,000-year-old talking mummy creates dispute in Egypt Egyptians are arguing among themselves on a new study that has recreated the voice of a 3,000-year-old mummified Egyptian priest. Egypt
Death on the Nile takes a digital turn Two online platforms help families organize funerals in Egypt. Egypt
What, no connection? Internet outage further darkens life in Yemen Yemenis have long suffered a humanitarian crisis, but a severed wire makes it even worse when they can no longer connect. Yemen
Can Egypt's newest search engine root out extremism? Egypt's Islamic authority Dar al-Ifta has launched a search engine to track extremist content in the fight against terrorism and Islamophobia, but critics believe much more is needed. Egypt
Is US redesigning southern flank? Amid Turkey’s rapprochement with Russia, the United States has stepped up military cooperation with Greece, Turkey’s traditional regional rival, heralding shifts in geostrategic balances in the Balkans, the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean. Syria
Interview UAE minister draws on the past to seize possibilities of AI future In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Omar Al Olama, the UAE’s minister of artificial intelligence, laid out his country's approach to AI, stating, “We do not believe that we need to wait and be followers in the AI revolution. We need to take the lead.”
Imprisoned Hamas members end 2-week hunger strike The senior leadership of Hamas prisoners said the prisoners have ended their hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Israel Prison Service to stop using cellphone jamming devices, but Israeli media portray the strike as having little effect. Palestine
Egypt evaluates digital upgrades, prepares for more The Egyptian government is reporting advances toward achieving its goal of digital transformation in all sectors. Egypt
How Russia plans to take part in building Syria's IT sector As Syria seeks to restore some of its damaged IT facilites and build "an information society" in the country, Russian companies consider opportunities to chip in. Syria
How Iran’s startup sector can realize its potential Iran’s startup scene is rapidly growing and holds great potential, but shortcomings remain and a failure to address them will undermine the sector. Iran
Coding academy opens new opportunities for Moroccan youth 3W Academy Maroc aims at addressing youth unemployment in Morocco through accessible tech education. Morocco
