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
Qatar signs deal with Google Cloud Qatar is seeking to digitize its economy and government, while Google Cloud wants to expand in the Middle East. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Aramco launches sustainability fund The more than $1 billion new Saudi fund will invest in hydrogen, ammonia and other alternative fuels to oil. Legacy: Gulf
Israel announces metaverse embassy in South Korea The UAE also recently launched offices in the digital world. Israel
Residents in Israel warn against wave of server farm construction With Google and Amazon winning the tender for a Cloud region in Israel, more data centers will be coming, but some residents have concerns about the environment and quality of life. Israel
Dubai-based crypto firm to offer payment card The partnership between BitOasis and Mastercard could make cryptocurrencies more usable for daily purchases. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi company to develop green hydrogen in South Africa The kingdom has shown a particularly strong interest in both South Africa and green hydrogen in general this year. Legacy: Gulf
Animal-free dairy plant to open in UAE The United Arab Emirates is getting its first vegan dairy production facility as demand for non-animal-based products rises in the Gulf. United Arab Emirates
Israel gets Google Cloud region Cities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia will also soon gain access to the service, which provides advanced cloud computing. Israel
Israel moves to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions Ahead of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next month, the Israeli government is focused on reducing greenhouse emissions within the industrial sector. Israel
Israel pushes aquaculture cooperation in answer to global food security Israel’s Agriculture Minister Oded Forer talks with Al-Monitor about the first-ever international summit on food grown in the sea and the desert, held this week in Eilat. Israel
NFT art, industry boom in Israel Israel might have gotten a late start on NFT art, but it's catching up quickly with active artists and groups on all social networks. Israel
Qatar brings new solar power plant into operation The French energy giant TotalEnergies is the Gulf nation's partner in the project. Qatar