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
Who is Amir Yaryab, IRGC’s cyber commander in US crosshairs? The US State Department has offered up to $10 million for information on Amir Yaryab, who oversees a key part of Iran’s cyber operations. Iran
Saudi Arabia taps China’s MiniMax for Arabic AI model The development signals that the kingdom continues deepening AI ties with China while simultaneously pursuing major US technology partnerships, keeping the Gulf state at the center of an intensifying technology race between the superpowers. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: FutureVerse LEAP’s comeback The fifth edition of the gathering offers a temperature check for the Gulf’s AI ambitions amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war. 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
Newsletter: FutureVerse Coinbase joins UAE crypto rush By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Middle East's EV bet faces reality check By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse Red Sea tech risks resurface By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Israel launches $17m self-driving public bus project The Transportation Ministry decided on the companies that would be authorized to launch a two-year pilot program of autonomous public transportation. Israel
Dubai’s AMEA Power advances wind, solar projects in Egypt The project is one of many that Emirati entities have announced this year. Egypt could benefit from more renewable energy, but already has some solar and wind plants in the country. Egypt
Saudi Arabia to build giant solar power plant The plant, which will be partially owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, will have more output than other solar energy facilities in the region if all goes to plan. Legacy: Gulf
UAE’s cryptocurrency ambitions to continue despite FTX crash Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Saudi electric car company Ceer to build factory near Red Sea Ceer, which will be Saudi Arabia’s first electric vehicle-maker, is the latest Saudi project to help the oil-rich kingdom diversify. Legacy: Gulf
American VC fund 500 Global comes to Egypt despite tech downturn Some startups in Egypt are struggling, which is part of a wider regional trend. Egypt
Saudi Arabia approves two new AI companies Saudi Arabia and the UAE are both intent on growing their artificial intelligence sectors. Legacy: Gulf
Abu Dhabi launches new cryptocurrency hub despite downturn Despite a global slump, cryptocurrency is growing in the UAE in line with the government’s diversification goals. Legacy: Gulf
Binance CEO takes heat at Abu Dhabi event after FTX fall Changpeng Zhao maintained that crypto is the future, despite cryptocurrency exchange FTX filing for bankruptcy last week. Legacy: Gulf
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