Newsletter: FutureVerse Aramco venture arm bets Saudi startup future on deep tech Saudi Arabia is entering a new phase of venture-backed growth targeting fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, quantum computing, robotics and renewable energy. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Syria’s post-war tech risks A US-Iran agreement may be easing regional tensions, but risks to Middle East tech infrastructure continue to grow. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Gulf logistics startups ride Hormuz trade shift As cargo flows are rerouted across the Arabian Peninsula, overland freight networks are suddenly becoming critical infrastructure. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Explainer Saudi investors could emerge as key winners from SpaceX’s historic IPO A new disclosure from Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding ahead of SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut shows just how valuable Elon Musk's relationship with Gulf investors has become. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: FutureVerse Gulf AI bets near payoff By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Iran eases wartime internet blackout By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Rebuilding Syria’s digital economy By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse US-Gulf tech ties face war test By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse MENA tightens control over online space New restrictions across MENA are reshaping access to the internet. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse NEOM’s new logistics look Saudi Arabia recasts NEOM as a regional logistics hub amid war disruption. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iran names US tech, finance firms in new Middle East threat list Firms listed as potential targets included Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Palantir and Nvidia, while banking giant JPMorgan and UAE-based AI firm G42 were also listed. Iran
Analysis Iran’s longest-ever internet blackout leaves 99% offline: What to know Facing a historic internet blackout, Iranians are locked in a struggle with authorities to find loopholes to get around this communications crackdown, leading to "shutdowns within a shutdown." By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse AI and the fog of war From battlefield AI to tech investment risks, the US-Israel-Iran war is reshaping the region’s digital landscape. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
What we know about UAE blocking X accounts accused of misinformation A number of X accounts including Al Arabiya Breaking are now not accessible in the Gulf state as Abu Dhabi navigates regional turmoil. United Arab Emirates
Newsletter: FutureVerse The Gulf’s new front: data corridors Amid a broader rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two Gulf powers are backing rival connectivity corridors in the region. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Interview AI, cybersecurity high on Mideast priorities amid global tech rivalry: Tech Mahindra The Indian tech company's Middle East head, Sahil Dhawan, believes these three forces are reshaping business priorities in the region.
Mideast’s AI startups capture record $858M in funding during 2025, doubling share The growth represents a sizable jump from recent years, when local AI companies captured just a sliver of dealmaking, and Magnitt now predicts funding for MENA’s AI startups will easily surpass $1 billion in 2026. United Arab Emirates
Uber snaps up Getir in Turkey as Mubadala exits battered delivery bet For Uber, the $335 million deal marks a fresh bet on a populous growth market and comes at quite the discount — as recently as 2022, Getir was valued at nearly $12 billion. Turkey
Crypto crash collides with UAE’s big bet on digital assets After hitting record highs in 2025, Bitcoin’s sell-off is roiling global markets and making waves in the UAE. United Arab Emirates
UAE launches sovereign open-source AI model K2 Think: What to know The Gulf state is one of the few countries in the world developing its own sovereign open-source AI model to counter the dominance of the United States and China in the sector. United Arab Emirates