DXB airport opens Dubai's first air taxi station, Barclays plans Saudi regional HQ, Oman gets boost for AAM push, Thailand readies draft data center power rules, China surpasses US as India's top trading partner
Here’s a look at today's biggest tech stories in the MENA+:
- ADIB becomes UAE's first bank to get Open Finance Provider license
- DFSA eases rules, allowing some portfolio managers to operate from outside UAE
- DXB airport opens Dubai's first air taxi station
- Jerah Group plans local battery materials manufacturing, small modular reactors
- G42-backed AI firm Domyn launches sovereign model for regulated industries
- $7B Landbridge rail project progresses with award of design contract
- Kingdom Holding buys majority stake in SPL football club Al Hilal from PIF
- Barclays working to obtain banking license, open regional HQ despite war
- Finance Minister warns that recovery will be prolonged even if war ends now
- PIF’s strategy shift could disrupt sports investments
- IMF says Egypt financially stable despite war spillover
- Egypt well-positioned to hit $60B FDI target by 2030
- Egypt seeks deeper AfCFTA cooperation to support exports
- Egypt to focus on EVs in auto industry localization
- New AI drone system to boost environmental, urban oversight
- Trump says he could visit Pakistan for US-Iran peace deal
- Govt pushes PayPak card to reduce reliance on international payment networks
- Electricity outages hit internet services nationwide
- NA panel recommends tax reduction on mobile phones
- FDI inflows fall 27% in 9MFY26
Other MENA+ Developments
- Israel, Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire
- Salesforce’s enterprise AI now available for Gulf SMEs
- Qatar’s QIA backs Plata’s $405M Series C funding round
- Clean Motion partners Averroes for local e-mobility manufacturing, GCC rollout
- AeroVecto, Skyportz partner to develop Oman advanced air mobility infrastructure
Southeast Asia Developments
- Brazilian cross-border payments firm Ebanx expands to Southeast Asia
- Thailand readies draft data center power rules
- Philippine digital bank GoTyme adds stock trading
- E-commerce industry raises concerns over classification in Indonesia child safety rules
- Vietnam to extend preferential special consumption tax rates on EVs until 2030
India Developments
- Govt forms governance, economic body to coordinate development of AI policy
- Experts urge regulators to develop framework for autonomous AI agents
- China surpasses US as India's top trading partner
- India aims to access US' $250M Pax Silica seed fund
- India's electronics exports surge on smartphone demand, narrowing gap with oil shipments
