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People sit in a cafe outside the Apple Store in Dubai on May 8, 2025.

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.

Traffic rolls along a main throughfare under a banner with images of past and present leaders that reads in Farsi, "Domino fall", as daily life returns to the streets following nationwide protests, in the Iranian capital Tehran on January 19, 2026. Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years. Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, a monitor said January

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."

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

What we know about UAE blocking X accounts accused of misinformation

Attendees take a picture of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe as he delivers a speech during a visit to the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum on February 10, 2018, on Saadiyat island in the Emirati capital, to launch the French-Emirati "Year of Cultural Dialogue". (Photo by KARIM SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

United Arab Emirates

Interview

AI, cybersecurity high on Mideast priorities amid global tech rivalry: Tech Mahindra

A man and woman walk along a promenade overlooking the Burj al-Arab and Dubai skyline on January 4, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Mideast’s AI startups capture record $858M in funding during 2025, doubling share

Detailed image of Middle Eastern developer in front of desktop pc monitoring a complex network, ensuring data security and efficient computing using cloud, AI and machine learning.

United Arab Emirates

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech

The Ameca humanoid robot greets visitors at Dubai's Museum of the Future, on October 11, 2022. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE's largest company IHC appoints AI bot to board

Several international companies have named AI-based entities to their leadership structures in recent years. The UAE is seeking to become a world leader in artificial intelligence.

Attendees look around the at NIO EP9 during the 2022 Central China International Auto Show on July 14, 2022, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

How UAE fits into China’s electric vehicle push

The United Arab Emirates’ electric vehicle ambitions and restrictions from the United States make the Gulf state an attractive partner for Chinese firms, but Abu Dhabi has a way to go before it meets its electric vehicle ownership targets.

Blue and gold check marks were removed from Press TV's X account.

Twitter/X removes verified status of Iranian state media accounts

The move followed a report suggesting X may be violating US sanctions by offering paid services to sanctioned Iranian organizations.

David Ryder/Getty Images

Convicted Binance founder Zhao denied permission to travel to UAE

Dubai-based cryptocurrency businessman Changpeng Zhao, who pled guilty to violating US laws against money laundering, has been denied permission to return to the United Arab Emirates for a family emergency.

An Asian farmer harvests wheat in a field in the Tabuk region, some 1500 kilometers northwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh, on April 7, 2016. Agriculture remains as problematic economic activity due to the high cost of the suppling water in a desert kingdom suffering shortage of water sources. (Photo by MOHAMED HWAITY / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMED HWAITY/AFP via Getty Images)

Can artificial intelligence aid climate solutions in the Middle East?

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

Emiratis attend the presentation of the UAE Space Agency's strategic frameworks on May 25, 2015, at the National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi.

New $4 billion AI space entity unveiled in UAE

Bayanat and Yahsat plan to merge into Space42 as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman all seek more opportunities in the space sector.

Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after witnessed a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, July 22, 2019.

Analysis

Will US pressure on UAE-China tech cooperation pay off?

Companies in the Gulf are feeling pressure from the United States over technological ties with China, according to one expert.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

High-level segment of the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai on Dec. 2, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power to develop green hydrogen project in Indonesia

Green hydrogen has potential environmental benefits as well as drawbacks and is being pursued by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.

COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (C), Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Jim Skea (R) and COP28 Director of Communications Sconaid McGeachin (L) attend a press conference at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023.

UAE’s Masdar signs $16 billion deal for wind, hydrogen projects in US, Germany

The UAE is hosting the UN climate change conference amid global calls to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

The MisrSat-2 satellite is jointly developed by China and Egypt. /China Academy of Space Technology

China, Egypt send jointly made MisrSat-2 satellite into orbit

The MisrSat-2 was assembled inside Egypt with Chinese support, making it the first Egyptian-made satellite.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

What does OpenAI firing Sam Altman mean for the Middle East?

Altman was reportedly seeking new investment from the region at the time of his firing and had built relations with Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

IDF reservists rest on a military vehicle while at a rest stop where food is prepared by volunteers on November 13, 2023 in Southern Israel.

Gaza war takes manpower toll on Israeli tech sector

David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech