Central Bank of the UAE introduces new anti-money laundering guidance, as Saudi non-oil economy shrinks 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in sign of faltering pandemic recovery
Here’s a look at today's biggest tech stories in the MENA+
- New anti-money laundering guidance issued, requiring banks to build internal procedures and report suspicious transactions
- HH Sheikh Mohammed announces research governance policy and new R&D council
- Emirates launches virtual reality app in Oculus store, allowing customers to explore its aircraft cabins interactively
- Etisalat named world's fastest mobile network operator for second year in row, Ookla data shows
- Emirates Mars Mission partners Dubai Airshow in "Planet X" challenge for students to build robots for deep space exploration
- Non-oil economy shrinks 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in sign of faltering panrecovery from pandemic
- E-marriages grow 28% in pandemic year
- Oman and Saudi Arabia to sign ICT agreement to boost investment and knowledge exchange
- 300,000 students leave private schools following decision to continue remote learning
- Government contractors told to buy essential food items from local companies, as mandatory localization of more sectors under study
- EGX suggests amendments to listing rules that could allow for SPAC listings
- Arab Parliament partners Inter-Parliamentary Union for Arab counterterrorism app
- Naftali Bennett becomes first Israeli Prime Minister to visit Egypt in a decade following meeting with President Sisi
- E-payments company Fawry to launch consumer finance company
- B2B e-commerce platform Capiter raises $33mn to expand across MENA
- Novel agreement with Germany to scale renewables, nature-based solutions, nature performance bonds and carbon markets in Pakistan
- Government begins discussions for $3bn repayment of CPEC investments
- US re-assessing relationship with Pakistan on "multiplicity of interests" in Afghanistan
- PTA urges social media giants to stay in Pakistan as it moves to regulate content
- Digital freight marketplace BridgeLinx raises country's largest seed round of $10mn
Other MENA+ Developments
- GCC bank loan books hit record high of $1.7tn in sign of region-wide recovery, Kamco Invest report says
- US men's grooming brand Manscaped expands to Middle East, starting with UAE and Saudi Arabia
- TPG-backed Evercare plans expansion of hospitals and clinics business it bought from scandal-hit Abraaj
- Bahraini blockchain startup Inablr to launch platform allowing sukuk ownership for $1,000
- Algeria to boost oil and gas investment by $2.6bn to $10bn in 2022 despite plans to reduce reliance on energy sector
Southeast Asia Developments
- Singapore Manpower Ministry setting up advisory committee on gig worker protection
- Malaysia government entities partner to funnel seed-stage startups into fund-matching VC program
- Indonesia expected to lead significant reduction in Southeast Asian bank branches over next decade, Roland Berger report says
- Vietnam issues resolution to create fintech sandbox for banking sector
- Singapore’s DBS Bank targets 1,000 users by year-end and 20-30% yearly growth for its digital token exchange
