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
Inside Morocco’s digital divide: girls fighting for education in lockdown While the internet has kept many going through coronavirus lockdowns, the digital divide could mean that many Moroccan students will fall behind. Morocco
UAE's Mars probe launches following weather delays Hope lifted off on Monday in the first-ever Mars mission for a country in the Arab world. Originals
UAE Mars mission again delayed due to weather The Hope probe is now scheduled to launch Monday from Japan. United Arab Emirates
UAE’s historic mission to Mars postponed over poor weather The orbiter is now scheduled to launch from the Japanese island of Tanegashima on Thursday. Originals
Amnesty loses battle against Israeli spy-technology company The Tel Aviv court ruled that Amnesty International failed to present sufficient evidence in its claim against spy-technology company NSO. Israel
Amnesty blasts Bahrain, Kuwait for 'highly invasive' COVID-19 tracing apps Amnesty International has warned apps used to trace the movements of possible COVID-19 cases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Norway put the privacy of citizens at risk. Bahrain
China apparently left out of Israel's 5G network tender The first phase of the tender for building the 5G wireless network in Israel has passed its deadline, with Chinese bidders apparently left out. Israel
Services emerge to help Middle Eastern men beat high costs of marriage In Gaza and Egypt, men are seeking help from religious authorities and matchmaking services to persuade their prospective brides' families to lower financial demands. Palestine
Artists reflect on age of anxiety in Sharjah A group of contemporary artists explore the ways everyday technologies have altered our collective consciousness and created the age of anxiety, but the exhibit in Sharjah has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. United Arab Emirates
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
