Technology

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman on July 10, 2026.

Interview

Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF

The fund's Middle East director, Jihad Azour, told Al-Monitor that the big Gulf energy producers now have more capacity to absorb the shock.

Jihad Azour

Jihad Azour

Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund

A student attends a training seminar at the Tourism Ministry Training center in the city of Riyadh on August 30, 2022.

Interview

Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO

Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

This photo illustration taken in Damascus on May 20, 2026, shows the X account of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on a smartphone displaying his tweet to President Donald Trump.

Syria reports sabotage of undersea internet cable between Tartous and Alexandria: What to know

The affected cable connects Syria to Egypt and is one of four cables that link to the coastal city of Tartous.

The headquarters of SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, with a Falcon 9 booster in March 2024.

Explainer

Saudi investors could emerge as key winners from SpaceX’s historic IPO

A new disclosure from Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding ahead of SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut shows just how valuable Elon Musk's relationship with Gulf investors has become.

Latest News

Iran partially restores internet after 88-day blackout: What to know

An Iranian woman walks past a mobile phone shop at the Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

Oman enters Gulf AI race with new special economic zone in Muscat

Haitham AL-SHUKAIRI / AFP via Getty Images

Who is Handala, the hacktivist group US ties to Iranian intelligence?

Flag of Iran on a computer binary codes falling from the top and fading away.

Iran names US tech, finance firms in new Middle East threat list

People sit in a cafe outside the Apple Store in Dubai on May 8, 2025.

A U.S military convoy is seen on the main road in Raqqa, Syria July 31, 2017. REUTERS/ Rodi Said - RC1664C87120

After Syria, Pentagon ramps up electronic warfare efforts

A new team at the US Defense Department is addressing the growing Russian threat to American military technology after Moscow's jamming complicated the Syrian battlefield.

Will Egyptians pay to WATCHiT?

WATCHiT, Egypt’s homegrown response to Netflix, is under fire from Egyptians who resent the fees it charges, artists who resent its monopoly and hackers, who've challenged its security.

Palestinian rapper Ibrahim Ghunaim (MC Gaza) looks on as a child gestures, at his video game shop in Gaza City, August 16, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem SEARCH "SALEM RAPPER" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. - RC1123875E80

Arabs in video games often out of step with times

Popular video games often depict minorities as exaggerated stereotypes restricted to predictable roles, but game developers in the Middle East could help break that mold for Arab characters.

New app assesses Islamic preachers in Gaza

Gaza’s Ministry of Religious Endowments launched a smartphone app allowing worshippers to assess preachers and find out in which mosque they will be delivering Friday sermons across the Gaza Strip.

Here’s how Iran wants to take its financial system on the blockchain

A major project commissioned by the Central Bank of Iran aims to incorporate blockchain technologies in the country’s banking and financial system, and potentially employ a sovereign rial-backed cryptocurrency.

Netanyahu’s government neglects scientific education

Judging by budgets and funding, Israel is focused on settlements, not advancing scientific education.

Members of the Israel spacecraft, Beresheet, are seen in the control room in Yahud, Israel April 11, 2019. Courtesy Space IL/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS -THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1E55AEFCC0

Israelis not giving up on moon mission

Despite the crash of the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet on the surface of the moon, young Israelis feel inspired.

Egypt switches to digital payments

The Egyptian government will start implementing a law soon, regulating non-cash payments and switching to electronic payments in some cases.

Iraqis leading efforts to enrich Arabic Wikipedia

Young Iraqis, along with regional partners, lead the efforts to promote knowledge and enlightenment in the Arab World.

How this blockchain startup could help people transform traffic in Iran

A private sector Iranian blockchain startup is offering a unique mix of decentralized facilities that could enable the general public to meaningfully tackle traffic congestion in Iran and beyond.

Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA) questions Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen as she delivers the semi-annual testimony on the "Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of the Financial System" before the House Financial Services Committee in Washington, U.S., September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - D1BEUDXPKMAA

Intel: How Trump administration is using loophole to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia

Representations of the Ripple, Bitcoin, Etherum and Litecoin virtual currencies are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture, February 13, 2018. Picture is taken February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration - RC1993E31370

Iran turns to crypto to enable easier spending by tourists

Iran’s government and private sector are eyeing cryptocurrencies to resolve a decadeslong lack of international payment channels in the Islamic Republic.