Family businesses account for 60% of UAE's GDP, KSA to reward cybercrimes whistleblowers, Amazon Bazaar launches in MENA, Grab and GoTo in talks for merger, Apple to make $28B of iPhones in India
Here’s a look at today's biggest tech stories in the MENA+:
- Legend UAE, Hilo partner to develop electric two-wheeler battery swap, charging ecosystem
- UAE to implement OECD's updated crypto common reporting standards in 2027
- Gecko Robotics to build factory by 2026 following partnerships with local firms
- Al Fakher Advanced Inhalation Rituals eyes Nasdaq listing next year
- Family businesses still account for 60% of GDP
- STC, Nokia complete MEA's first 7GHz 6G trial
- SDAIA's SAMAI initiative trains 1M citizens in AI skills, 52% of whom are women
- NCA introduces reward for whistleblowers of cybercrimes
- Savvy seeking China gaming deals, could be hampered by foreign ownership rules
- Govt seeks bids for 3 mining complexes in Riyadh, Makkah
- Govt working to finalize privatization transaction by this year
- Egyptians head to polls for parliamentary elections, with results due 11 December
- Egypt aims to double India trade to $12B, leveraging strategic logistics, industrial position
- NTRA to offer new frequency bands to four telcos
- Trials begin on 2,000-km high-speed railway project
- Tax-to-GDP ratio rises to 10.3% on expansion of collections
- Govt considers PKR-backed stablecoin to promote financial access, crossborder transactions
- Veon to grow bundled digital services business
- FBR faces pushback for leveraging social media surveillance to tackle tax evasion
- Google to open local office after launching Chromebook manufacturing
Other MENA+ Developments
- MENA's largest social networking, gaming firm Yalla plans Riyadh regional HQ
- Low-cost shopping app Amazon Bazaar launches in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman
- Talabat sees strong demand, engagement across multiple verticals
- Orange, Inwi, Maroc Telecom launch 5G network across Morocco
- Syrian president Al-Sharaa to meet Donald Trump in US visit
Southeast Asia Developments
- Grab, GoTo in talks for merger potentially supported by Danantara
- Youtube extends Thailand shopping affiliate program to Lazada, following Shopee partnership
- Thai Industry Ministry pushes for EV battery recycling investments
- XTransfer, OCBC partner on SME crossborder financial services
- Malaysian central bank publishes 3-year roadmap for tokenization of real-world financial assets
India Developments
- Apple to make $28B of iPhones in India next year, up 21%
- DPIIT signs deals with 50 firms to promote startups, manufacturing
- Govt, RBI, banks in talks for mergers to create globally competitive banks
- Gaming market to cross 500M players this year, spending over $1B
- Corporate Affairs Ministry plans study to assess impact of Digital Competition Bill ex-ante rules
