Technology

Analysis

Netflix teams up with MBC’s Shahid in Saudi Arabia: An end to streaming wars?

A new agreement between MBC Group and the US industry giant appears to signal a shift in the Middle East's streaming market, with top players opting for collaboration over competition.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MAY 16: U.S. President Donald J. Trump talks to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he departs the Al Bateen Executive Airport on May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Trump is on the fourth and final day of his visit to the Gulf to underscore the strategic partnership between the United States and regional allies including the UAE, focusing on security and economic collaboration. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

AI pivot: Trump loosens export rules, opening path for Gulf tech surge

Gulf states have been lobbying the Trump administration to loosen export restrictions on AI technology, although concerns have lingered among some within the current administration over security risks regarding China.

Jared Szuba

Samuel Wendel

By Jared Szuba , Samuel Wendel

An image of Karim Attiyeh.

Meet Karim Attiyeh, youngest Arab American billionaire of Lebanese origin

Karim Attiyeh, a Lebanese-born technologist, has been named by Forbes Middle East as the youngest billionaire of Arab origin in the United States, joining the list of the 125 richest immigrant billionaires in the US.

Citing security threats, Sudan blocks WhatsApp calls: What to know

The restriction comes as Sudan's civil war continues to devastate telecommunications infrastructure.

Latest News

Israeli startups raise $1.6B in June as war with Iran fails to rattle investors

People visit the "EcoMotion Week" trade show on May 11, 2022, in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.

Elon Musk calls Lebanon’s Aoun, signals plans to bring Starlink to Beirut

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday held a phone call with billionaire businessman and former senior figure in the Trump administration Elon Musk, during which the two discussed the potential of Musk entering Lebanon’s telecom and internet sectors. What happened: A statement from the Lebanese presidency said that in their phone call, Musk “expressed his deep interest in Lebanon and its telecommunications and internet sectors.” Musk also expressed his desire for his companies to “have a presence

Analysis

Israel's war in Iran redefining AI’s warfare role: The Gulf is taking notes

A drone flies beside a damaged building following a strike by an Iranian missile in the Israeli city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, early on June 15, 2025.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Analysis

Syria’s internet reboot takes shape amid outreach to Gulf telecoms

Men walk past shops selling mobile phones in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital on January 12, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

5g egypt

Egypt launches 5G network as North Africa's digital push accelerates

North African states are moving to introduce high-speed internet and data-intensive applications to business and government sectors in the face of increasing demand.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

AI chips, drones, jets: A look at Trump's $3.2 trillion megadeals during Gulf trip

Amid photo ops and lavish receptions, President Donald Trump’s Gulf trip yielded $3.2 trillion in announced deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE — though some details remain vague.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

US eases foreign investment rules days before Trump Gulf visit: What to know

Gulf states are estimated to manage 40% of the world’s sovereign wealth and are some of the biggest investors in the United States.

Khaldoun al-Mubarak, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Mubadala Investment Company, speaks at a panel session during the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 12, 2024. (Photo by RYAN LIM / AFP) (Photo by RYAN LIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Mubadala investments soar by 33% as UAE deepens AI ties with US

Mubadala made 119 billion Emirati dirhams ($32.4 billion) worth of investments in 2024, up 33.7% from the previous year, according to a Thursday statement from the UAE fund.

United Arab Emirates

Sheikha Mayes Al-Thani speaks at inaugural USQBC-SelectUSA event in Washington, DC, February 25, 2024.

Interview

Qatar’s digital future offers opportunities in AI, energy, says head of US-Qatar Business Council

Talent, not just capital, is key to sustainable growth, says Sheikha Mayes Al Thani.

Sheikha Mayes Al Thani

Sheikha Mayes Al Thani

Managing Director, US-Qatar Business Council

Yasser Hassan

Exclusive

'Cloud First' policies give Saudi Arabia, UAE edge in AI race: Amazon exec

In March 2024, AWS announced plans to invest $5.3 billion in Saudi Arabia to launch a cloud infrastructure region in the kingdom by 2026.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

chip

How UAE AI firm's past China links stalled this US chipmaker's IPO

Cerebras Systems executives had been hoping that the Trump administration would fast-track the national security review that has left the chipmaker’s initial public offering in limbo for five months, Reuters reported Tuesday.

United Arab Emirates

Sheikh tahnoon

UAE seals cloud deal with Microsoft, Core42 as Sheikh Tahnoon visits US

The deal follows Microsoft's $1.5 billion investment last year in G42 to accelerate AI development.

United Arab Emirates

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon makes first US visit since Trump reelection: What to know

The UAE's influential national security advisor, who chairs some of the country's most important funds and firms, will reportedly meet with White House officials and business leaders including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

United Arab Emirates

NYSE

Analysis

US stock plunge poses dilemmas for Gulf investors while exposing PIF, Mubadala risks

Middle East investors are bracing for steep losses and questioning about their long-term investments in America amid a drop in the US stock market.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Saudi digital economy expert Deemah Al-Yahya speaks onstage during the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square, New York, Sept. 24, 2024.

Interview

As AI superpowers clash, Saudi tech diplomat pushes collaboration over competition

Deemah AlYahya

Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, accompanied by his son, X Musk, speaks to the press as President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office at the White House, Washington, DC, Feb. 11, 2025.

Elon Musk's Boring Co. to build Dubai Loop network of tunnels

The loop is a network of underground tunnels, similar to one being developed in Las Vegas, that allows passengers to be transported nonstop, in electric vehicles, to 11 stations.

United Arab Emirates