Topic: digital economy
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80% of World Population Now Has Digital Access, DEN 2025 Reports
80% of the global population now has access to digital technologies, with internet access expanding to over four in five people in the studied countries, highlighting significant progress in worldwide connectivity. The report identifies persistent gaps, such as only 3.1% of female graduates enter...
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Sri Lanka's Digital Economy Hits Rs. 1.3 Trillion, 4.5% of GDP
Sri Lanka's digital economy is valued at Rs. 1.3 trillion, accounting for 4.5% of GDP, driven by e-commerce and digital services reshaping consumer habits and global competitiveness. E-commerce leads this growth, contributing Rs. 735.2 billion to GDP, with projections of 10.8% annual growth and a...
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Dubai Chamber, 28DIGITAL Partner to Boost Tech Startup Growth
The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and 28DIGITAL have formed a strategic partnership to support tech startups by enhancing market discovery, investment facilitation, and international expansion between Dubai and Europe. Signed at the Expand North Star 2025 event, this alliance aims to strengthe...
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GITEX Expands to Latin America, Fuels $950B Digital Boom
Latin America's digital economy is projected to reach nearly $950 billion by 2026, with GITEX launching its inaugural Latin American edition in São Paulo in 2027 to accelerate this growth. GITEX LATAM will showcase Brazil as a tech hub, leveraging its digital infrastructure and economic leadershi...
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Egypt's Tech Talent Boom: Fueling the Digital Economy
Egypt is experiencing a significant rise in technology talent due to national initiatives, including a summer program that trained thousands of students in high-demand fields like AI and cybersecurity. The program emphasizes inclusivity, with participants from all governorates and women making up...
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Dubai Holding, Palantir Launch Aither to Drive AI Transformation
Dubai Holding and Palantir Technologies have launched Aither, a joint venture to accelerate AI adoption in the UAE by combining Palantir's AI platforms with Dubai Holding's regional expertise. Aither builds on an 18-month collaboration that has already improved efficiency and decision-making in s...
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Dubai's Global Platform: Fund Your Startup and Scale Worldwide
Expand North Star in Dubai is a premier global event for startups seeking international expansion and investment, organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, with the 2025 edition taking place from October 12th to 15th at Dubai Harbour. The event ...
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Jordan Leads Arab World in Cybersecurity, Ranks 20th Worldwide
Jordan ranks first in cybersecurity in the Arab world and 20th globally, achieving a 98.6% score in the Global Cybersecurity Index, as highlighted at the Invest in Digital Economy Forum in Amman. The country's success is driven by its skilled youth and robust ICT sector, which includes 2,000 comp...
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Kazakhstan & Qatar Forge Digital Transformation Partnerships
Kazakhstan and Qatar are advancing digital transformation through AI, blockchain, and cloud computing to modernize economies and enhance public services. Kazakhstan has launched initiatives like the Crypto City pilot zone and a national AI strategy, while Qatar is collaborating with IBM and pilot...
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Iraq Launches First Commercial Government Data Centers
Iraq has launched its first government-operated commercial data centers, marking a major step in modernizing its digital infrastructure for both public and private sectors. A partnership between Iraq's General Communications and Information Company and Nokia International will establish advanced ...
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WE-Elevate Unites DCO and Members to Boost Women in Digital Business
The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) is fully expanding its WE-Elevate program to all Member States to empower women entrepreneurs by providing tools for thriving online. The program, successfully piloted in Rwanda, offers digital capacity-building through online learning, mentoring, and e-...
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Whole Machines Power Belt and Road's Digital Future with High-End Computing
High-performance processors and integrated systems from firms like Hygon are accelerating digital transformation in Belt and Road nations, particularly in the Middle East. These domestically developed CPUs and DCU accelerator cards meet international benchmarks and support complex workloads, AI t...
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Circle CEO: Building an 'Economic OS' for the AI Era
Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, envisions a global financial transformation powered by digital currency technology, which he describes as an "economic operating system for the internet." Circle's USDC stablecoin, backed by U.S. dollars, is promoted as a superior tool for efficient cross-border pay...
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Bexprt and AWS Partner to Accelerate Saudi Arabia's Digital Transformation
Bexprt and AWS have formed a strategic multi-year alliance to accelerate Saudi Arabia's digital transformation by advancing cloud computing, AI, and resilience solutions for businesses and the public sector. The partnership will host Bexprt's proprietary AI platforms within the AWS Saudi Arabia R...
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Morocco Boosts Digital Access with ADD-CTPES Partnership
A new partnership between ADD and CTPES in Morocco aims to boost digital access, entrepreneurship, and inclusion in the Rabat–Salé–Kénitra region. The collaboration will provide entrepreneurs with access to infrastructure like Fablabs, technical mentorship, and connections to national digital pla...
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Oman Launches Hadatha Center to Boost Cybersecurity and Digital Independence
Oman has inaugurated the Hadatha Center for Cybersecurity Manufacturing to strengthen national cyber defenses and promote digital autonomy, marking a key step in building a resilient digital economy. The center, led by the Ministry of Transport and Middle East College, aims to position Oman as a ...
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Gulf's First AI Centre of Excellence Launches to Boost Innovation
The Gulf region's first Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence has been established in Abu Dhabi through a partnership between Australian and UAE entities, marking a key step in the UAE's sovereign AI strategy. The Centre aims to develop homegrown AI capabilities by focusing on local ta...
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2Connect to Build Hungary's Largest Telecom and ICT Infrastructure
2Connect is a major Hungarian wholesale telecommunications infrastructure provider formed by merging assets from Invitech, Antenna Hungária, DIGI, and One Magyarország within the 4iG Group. It operates an extensive network including 42,000 km of optical cable, 15,000 microwave endpoints, and 12 d...
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UAE-Zhejiang Trade Soars 20% to $9.3B in H1 2025
Bilateral trade between the UAE and China's Zhejiang province grew by nearly 20% in the first half of 2025, reaching $9.34 billion, reinforcing the UAE's position as Zhejiang's key trading partner in West Asia. Electric vehicle exports from Zhejiang's Ningbo port to the UAE surged by 273% in the ...
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ITIDA Boosts Tech Jobs in Egypt's Tier-2 Cities via Beni Suef Fair
ITIDA is expanding Egypt's digital economy into tier-2 cities, such as Beni Suef, by hosting employment fairs to connect local talent with major companies and boost the nation's IT outsourcing profile. The fair featured 11 companies offering over 650 jobs in IT, BPO, and contact centers, with ITI...
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Vodafone Oman & Software Group Boost Digital Financial Services
Vodafone Oman partners with Software Group to develop next-generation digital financial services, aiming to accelerate Oman's digital economy and enhance financial inclusion. The collaboration utilizes Software Group's DigiWave Digital Banking Platform and digital channels to provide tailored fin...
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Visa Launches First Local Cloud for Payments in Saudi Arabia
Visa has launched its first locally hosted cloud payments infrastructure in Saudi Arabia to support the country's digital economy goals under Saudi Vision 2030. The platform enables faster, more secure payment processing for businesses and will soon support recurring digital wallet transactions a...
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AWS and e& Launch AI Nation to Upskill 30,000 UAE Professionals
AWS and e& have launched the "AI Nation – Afaaq" programme to train 30,000 UAE professionals in AI and cloud computing, part of a $1 billion strategic alliance. The initiative provides 30,000 AWS certification vouchers and access to AWS Skill Builder and Cloud Coach sessions to prepare participan...
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Oumla Secures $2.4M to Develop Saudi Digital Asset Infrastructure
Oumla raised $2.4 million in seed funding, led by Core Vision with support from Avalanche and angel investors, to advance Saudi Arabia's digital asset infrastructure. The company provides custody, management, and tokenization solutions for digital assets, targeting corporations, banks, and govern...
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OpenAI, G42, Microsoft Lead AI-Native Society Talks at GITEX 2025
GITEX GLOBAL 2025 in Dubai will serve as a key forum for defining comprehensive national AI strategies, bringing together technology pioneers and policymakers to discuss infrastructure, governance, and societal integration. The event features influential leaders like Sam Altman and senior officia...
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Paysky Unveils Revolutionary Fintech Solutions at MTN Summit 2025
The MTN Fintech Summit 2025 in Johannesburg highlighted Paysky's advanced digital payment solutions and its strategic partnership with MTN Group to expand financial services across Africa. Paysky and MTN are collaborating to scale the MoMo platform, aiming to connect merchants and consumers acros...
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Hexaware Taps Sri Lanka's Tech Talent for AI Growth
Hexaware Technologies is expanding in Sri Lanka to build expertise in AI and leverage local talent for its global technological goals. The company is developing a versatile local workforce through programs like Mavericks for graduates and reskilling initiatives for mid-career professionals. Sri L...
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Microsoft sued for misleading millions of Australians over 365 subscriptions
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is suing Microsoft for allegedly misleading 2.7 million customers by not disclosing a cheaper "Classic" plan option when introducing Copilot AI features and price increases. Microsoft's communications presented subscribers with only two choices: ...
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Qatar Boosts Tourism with Digital SME Workshop
Qatar is conducting digital workshops for local SMEs in tourism and hospitality as part of the SMEs Go Digital Program to integrate advanced technologies and AI into their operations. The initiative provides comprehensive support including digital readiness evaluations, customized transformation ...
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Amazon Launches First Abu Dhabi Fulfillment Centre with ADIO
Amazon has launched its first fulfillment center in Abu Dhabi through a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, enhancing the UAE's e-commerce and logistics infrastructure. The facility aims to speed up deliveries, increase product availability, and support local businesses, especially ...
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Saudi Aramco Buys Stake in PIF's AI Firm HUMAIN
Saudi Aramco is acquiring a minority stake in HUMAIN, with both PIF and Aramco contributing AI assets and expertise to scale operations and enhance Saudi Arabia's position as a global AI hub. The partnership aims to accelerate talent development, innovation, and industrial AI applications, levera...
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Qatar's First Commercial Internet Exchange Launches in Doha
Qatar has launched its first commercial Internet Exchange, Doha IX, in partnership with Ooredoo and DE-CIX, aiming to establish the country as a regional connectivity hub. Doha IX provides a secure, neutral, and high-performance interconnection environment for various networks, reducing latency a...
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UAE, Russia Partner on AI for Smarter Government Budgeting
The UAE and Russia are strengthening their strategic financial partnership, with a key focus on integrating artificial intelligence into government budgeting, payroll management, and revenue forecasting to enhance public financial management. This collaboration, highlighted in the second UAE-Russ...
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Morocco Unveils Digital Transformation Plan to U.S. Tech Leaders
Morocco has launched its Digital 2030 strategy to become a leading technology hub, focusing on cybersecurity, AI, and digital government to drive socioeconomic progress and modernization. The strategy targets increasing the digital economy's GDP contribution to 6% and creating 240,000 specialized...
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Jordan Post, Youth Ministry Empower Young Entrepreneurs in E-Commerce
A new partnership between the Jordan Post Company and the Ministry of Youth will provide comprehensive e-commerce training to young people across the Kingdom, equipping them with skills to launch and scale online businesses. The program will be rolled out through the national network of youth cen...
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Alipay+ Expands to Saudi Arabia, Enabling QR Payments for Merchants
The Saudi Central Bank and Ant International are partnering to introduce cross-border QR payments by 2026, enhancing financial inclusion and supporting Saudi Vision 2030. This integration will allow Saudi merchants to accept payments from over 1.7 billion users across 36 digital wallets, boosting...
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MoneyHash & Moyasar Forge Strategic Saudi Partnership
MoneyHash, a payment orchestration platform, has partnered with Saudi fintech firm Moyasar to enhance Saudi Arabia's digital payment infrastructure and support its financial modernization goals. The collaboration combines MoneyHash's payment orchestration expertise with Moyasar's local market kno...
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Orange Egypt's Dr. Ayman Amiri Named Mobile Europe's CTO of the Year 2025
Dr. Ayman Amiri, CTIO of Orange Egypt, has been named Mobile Europe’s CTO of the Year 2025 for his significant contributions to telecommunications. He also received the Gamechanger of the Year award for his strategic vision in advancing 5G integration and boosting Egypt’s digital economy. His lea...
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UAE's G42 and Microsoft Launch $15.2B Data Center Expansion
Microsoft and G42 have formed a $15.2 billion partnership to build a 200-megawatt data center in the UAE, set to launch by 2026 to boost the nation's digital transformation. The initiative strengthens Microsoft Azure's sovereign cloud services, emphasizing data security, compliance, and responsib...
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Google Pay Launches in Saudi Arabia via SAMA's Payment Network
Saudi Arabia has launched Google Pay via its national payment network mada, marking a major step in its digital transformation and payments infrastructure enhancement. This initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030's Financial Sector Development Program, aiming to reduce cash reliance and promote ...
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India Pioneers AI-Powered E-Commerce with ChatGPT, Gemini & Claude
India is launching a pilot program enabling shopping and payments directly through AI chatbots like ChatGPT, with plans to integrate Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, leveraging its large digital user base and payment infrastructure. The initiative, developed with NPCI and Razorpay, uses UP...
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Master AI Search: Your Enterprise Visibility Blueprint
The rise of generative AI is fundamentally changing search, shifting from keyword-based results to AI-synthesized answers, which requires brands to become authoritative sources that AI systems reference. To be discovered by AI, content must be technically sound, genuinely helpful, and optimized t...
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Future Games 2025: UAE Hosts Next-Gen Global Sports
Abu Dhabi will host the Games of the Future 2025 from December 18-23, featuring phygital sports that combine physical athleticism with digital gaming technology, aligning with the UAE's 2031 vision and Year of Community. The event aims to empower youth, advance the digital economy, and strengthen...
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UAE and Google Launch "AI for All" Initiative
The UAE has launched the "AI for All" program in partnership with Google to provide comprehensive AI training to citizens and residents of all ages and backgrounds, aiming to build a technologically skilled society. The initiative is designed to equip individuals with foundational AI knowledge an...
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Uber Partners with Checkout.com for Global Payment Processing
Uber has partnered with Checkout.com to handle payment processing for its global ridesharing and food delivery services, leveraging Checkout.com's acquiring and gateway capabilities. The collaboration aims to enhance payment reliability and customer experience by utilizing Checkout.com's global r...
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Meta AI Now Speaks Urdu in Pakistan
Meta has launched its AI platform with full Urdu support in Pakistan, aiming to make advanced AI tools accessible and relevant for local communities by integrating the nation's most widely spoken language. The initiative includes partnerships with Pakistan's government and educational bodies, fea...
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UiPath Opens Riyadh Office to Boost Saudi Vision 2030 with AI
UiPath opened its new regional headquarters in Riyadh on October 22, 2025, expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia to support the adoption of agentic automation and AI in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The company's automation solutions are already improving efficiency in key Saudi institutions, and...
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Saudi Regulator Seeks Public Input on D2D and Satellite Network Rules
Saudi Arabia's CST is seeking public input to develop regulations for Direct-to-Device (D2D) communication and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), aiming to enable satellite connectivity for mobile devices and improve coverage in remote areas. The consultation will assess use cases, business models, ...
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GITEX GLOBAL: Dubai's Innovation Hub Expands
GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star are relocating to Dubai Expo City in 2026, marking a strategic reinvention to align with global tech advancements and enhance the event experience. The move includes a permanent shift to a winter schedule during Dubai's peak tourism season and unifies the events...
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Qatar Airways Embraces IPv6 with CRA Backing
Qatar Airways has integrated IPv6 into its digital systems with support from the CRA, aligning with Qatar's national strategy to enhance digital capabilities and meet the demands of a digital economy. IPv6 provides a significantly larger address pool than IPv4, enabling support for modern technol...
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