Tech UAE telco e& loses appeal in Moroccan antitrust case UAE telco e& (formerly Etisalat) has lost its appeal against an anti-competitive practices compensation payment in a Moroccan court. Maroc Telecom, which is 53 percent owned by e&, is now required to pay AED2.3 billion ($626 million) to Casablanca’s Wana Corporate (Inwi). It was first ordered to pay the compensation by the Commercial Court of […] July 4, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Buy now, pay later growing fast in UAE and Saudi Arabia A tech-savvy society, an expanding ecommerce market and the appeal of flexible financing options is fuelling the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) sector, according to industry experts. BNPL – when people can make immediate online purchases and spread payments over interest-free instalments – has grown in popularity in the Gulf since the Covid-19 pandemic. […] July 3, 2024
Analysis Manufacturing Water shortage and talent hole hinder Gulf chips ambition Plans by the UAE and Saudi Arabia to become centres of computer chip manufacturing are threatened by everything from shortages of engineering talent to a lack of water, experts have warned. The ambitions of the two countries will fail unless they invest in training and form partnerships, they say. The demand for high-end semiconductors, otherwise […] July 2, 2024
Tech Mubadala-backed GlobalFoundries buys new semiconductor tech Chipmaker GlobalFoundries, backed by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, has bought the rights to a new technology to boost power in electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and data centres. It bought the gallium nitride (GaN) technology from semiconductor company Tagore Technology for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition includes a team of Tagore engineers with expertise in […] July 2, 2024
Finance UAE introduces regulations to clean up crypto market The UAE has taken steps towards regulating its payments sector with the introduction of Payment Token Services Regulation in an attempt to push out fraudulent crypto companies and attract legitimate businesses. The new regulations introduced by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) focus heavily on stablecoins – digital currencies pegged to a real-world asset […] June 28, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Riyadh IT company wins $10m project with Saudi AI authority Al Moammar Information Systems, a Riyadh-based technology company, has secured a SAR39 million ($10 million) project with the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA). Al Moammar, a listed company formed in 1996, invested $5 million in the giant American artificial intelligence research company OpenAI earlier this year. OpenAI is known for its large language AI […] June 27, 2024
Finance UAE’s e& buys Turkish cloud provider GlassHouse The UAE telecom operator e&, formerly Emirates Telecommunications Group company and Etisalat, has acquired the Turkish cloud services provider GlassHouse through its wholly owned subsidiary e& enterprise. A binding agreement has been signed between e& enterprise and Mediterra Capital, a private equity firm that provides investments in Turkey, to take over 100 percent of GlassHouse […] June 26, 2024
Manufacturing UltraTech of India scales back bid for RAK Cement India’s UltraTech Cement, one of the largest cement makers in the world, has scaled back its offer to acquire a larger stake in an Abu Dhabi-listed, Ras al-Khaimah-based company. UltraTech was initially looking to acquire an extra 31.6 percent stake (158 million shares) in RAK Cement Co for White Cement and Construction Materials (RAKWCT). However, […] June 26, 2024
Analysis Artificial Intelligence US scores geopolitical win with Abu Dhabi-Microsoft tie-up Microsoft’s $1.5 billion investment in Abu Dhabi’s artificial intelligence company has received a significant vote of confidence from US authorities. Tarun Chhabra, a senior White House adviser on technology, said on Monday that the US government has raised no objections to the Silicon Valley giant’s partnership because G42 had severed ties with the Chinese tech […] June 26, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Qatar’s Ooredoo signs AI deal with chipmaker Nvidia US chipmaker Nvidia has signed a deal with Qatari telecommunications provider Ooredoo Group to bring its artificial intelligence technology to five countries in the Middle East, the companies announced on Sunday. Ooredoo will be the first company in the region to offer direct access to Nvidia’s AI and computer chips to its customers in Qatar, […] June 24, 2024
Banking & Finance IMF endorses Middle East interest in digital currencies Countries in the Middle East can promote financial inclusion and boost cross-border payments by adopting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the International Monetary Fund has said. A CBDC is a form of digital money, similar to cryptocurrency except that its value is fixed by a central bank and is equivalent to the country’s fiat currency. […] June 20, 2024
Analysis Markets Rise in startup exits a sign of UAE’s ‘market maturity’ Startup exits – when a new company sells its ownership or stock, for profit or at a loss – are rising sharply in the Gulf, which observers say is proof of a maturing ecosystem. Across the Middle East and North Africa, 43 startup exits were recorded in 2023, up from 15 in 2015, according to […] June 20, 2024
Tech US firm to invest $50m in Mena climate tech A US venture capital firm backed by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio plans to invest $50 million in Mena climate tech startups over the next five years. Princeville Capital is targeting mature startups with strong growth potential, facilitating quick exits and a clear path to profitability, its co-founder Joaquin Rodriguez Torres told AGBI. The firm has […] June 14, 2024
Tech Saudi gaming company courts giants of Japan and South Korea Japanese and South Korean gaming companies such as Nintendo and Kakao are being targeted by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, which wants them to set up in the kingdom to make products aimed at local consumers. Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy, told AGBI: “If locally made Arabic games tap into the ancient lore and history […] June 12, 2024
Media & Advertising Social media warning after UAE telemarketing crackdown The days of persistent cold calls in the UAE may be numbered, thanks to a government crackdown. However, industry experts told AGBI that the telemarketers may migrate to alternative channels such as social media platforms and WhatsApp. The Ministry of Economy and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority have announced new regulations to curb […] June 11, 2024
Analysis Health Wearable tech shoppers track price as well as health Gulf consumers who are interested in wearable tech – smart watches, rings, glasses and implants – are opting for mid-range gadgets rather than premium devices, industry experts have told AGBI. Dubai retailer Jumbo Electronics reported 50 percent year-on-year growth in the AED600-1,000 (about $163-$272) price segment in the first four months of 2024. The AED1,000-1,500 […] June 10, 2024
Tech Saudi Arabia campaign aims to attract chipmakers Saudi Arabia has launched a National Semiconductor Hub in a bid to attract international chipmakers. The kingdom is targeting at least 50 semiconductor design companies to set up business by 2030, aiming to cut its reliance on imported computer chips. The global semiconductor industry, once plagued by shortages, is now showing signs of recovery and […] June 6, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Prince Alwaleed part of Elon Musk’s $6bn AI funding round Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI has secured $6 billion in a series B funding round led by investors including Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and his investment firm Kingdom Holding Company. The round, which also included investments from Dubai-based Vy Capital and US companies Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, will assist the commercial […] May 28, 2024
Retail Middle East phone users turn to Chinese budget brands Middle East consumers are embracing budget-friendly Chinese smartphone brands, as global favourites such as iPhone and Samsung suffer a slump in sales. The Middle East’s smartphone market is flourishing, with shipments excluding Turkey reaching more than 12 million units in the first quarter of 2024, a year on year increase of 39 percent, a report […] May 24, 2024
Finance Mubadala trims stake in US chipmaker GlobalFoundries Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company is offloading some of its holdings in chipmaker GlobalFoundries. A Mubadala subsidiary is offering to sell $950 million worth of GlobalFoundries shares, two years after the US semiconductor manufacturer went public on Nasdaq. Mubadala Technology Investment Company will receive the funds from the secondary public offering, which […] May 23, 2024
Artificial Intelligence IBM to help Saudi Arabia train AI models in Arabic Saudi Arabia has signed a deal with US tech giant IBM to develop the kingdom’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) said on Tuesday that its Arabic language AI model, ALLaM, will be trained on IBM’s platform to run more efficiently. This will also add new language skills […] May 22, 2024
Banking & Finance Investment app Sarwa fined by Dubai and Abu Dhabi regulators Investment platform Sarwa Digital Wealth has been fined AED1,151,000 ($313,500) by regulators in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for offering shares and securities without an approved prospectus. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) said on Tuesday that it had imposed a penalty of AED701,815 on the fintech. On the same day, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority […] May 21, 2024
