Newsletter: FutureVerse Gulf espionage fears rattle Silicon Valley Abdulrahman Alfozan’s arrest last week drew immediate attention to the 35-year-old engineer’s connections to the Saudi government and elite circles. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Gulf tech ambitions face Trump-Xi test Gulf tech powers have plenty at stake as Xi and Trump discuss US-China AI competition. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Middle East confronts AI risks In the Middle East, governments are pouring billions into AI ambitions as Anthropic’s own Claude chatbot comes under scrutiny for creating national security risks. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse China holds its ground in Middle East AI race Last Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Egypt for the first time in a decade, with the trip coinciding with efforts by Beijing to expand its AI footprint in the country. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse LEAP’s comeback By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Economic D-day’s tech risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Israel’s OurCrowd invests in a $60 million AI hub in Abu Dhabi The Israeli investment platform will build on the UAE's efforts to become a world leader in artificial intelligence and attract more futuristic technology companies to the country. Legacy: Gulf
Abu Dhabi Global Market adopts blockchain for courts The move comes amid other financial changes in the Gulf state. Blockchain technology is also used for cryptocurrency. Legacy: Gulf
UAE’s Masdar thinks Africa poised to be hydrogen hub The African continent has a lot of potential to produce hydrogen as an energy source, but there are also many challenges, according to some observers. Legacy: Gulf
Kurdcoin founder says lack of regulation crypto's big challenge in Iraq Al-Monitor interviewed Abdurrahman Bapir, who heads Iraq’s first cryptocurrency exchange, on the appeal of cryptocurrency in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and how the crypto crash has affected the domestic market. Iraq
Germany’s Deutsche Bahn announces Egyptian high-speed rail deal at COP27 Egypt’s railway system is notorious for safety issues and German's expertise promises to help. Egypt
A reality check looms for Middle East's tech startups Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Bahrain’s CoinMENA to facilitate real estate payments via cryptocurrency The agreement with Carlton Real Estate only applies to certain coins. Cryptocurrency’s utility is increasing in the Gulf. Legacy: Gulf
Kurdistan government in Iraq hopes digitalization will bring investment The Kurdistan Regional Government has made progress digitizing government services, but investors say more is needed to attract serious capital and spur startup growth. Iraq
UAE, Egypt announce new wind farm during COP27 Wind power is growing in Egypt, which is relatively poor in oil and gas. Egypt
Egypt, Russia commence second phase of nuclear power plant construction Egypt is preparing to build the second unit of the Dabaa nuclear power plant about five months after establishing the first unit. Egypt
Saudi crown prince launches electric car company Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants the oil-rich kingdom to focus more on green technology as he seeks to diversify the economy. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Arabia establishes open banking framework Saudi Arabia wants to grow its fintech sector in line with its diversification plan, but finding the right talent could be a challenge. Legacy: Gulf