Technology

Bellieud

Interview

Al-Futtaim targets 2026 UAE rollout for game-changer ultrafast EV charging

The technology, which has only been deployed in China, will enable up to 400 kilometers of car recharging in five minutes, roughly the same time as filling a petrol tank.

Lucas Bellieud

Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility Managing Director

EA office building in Austin, Texas, USA.

Gaming giant Electronic Arts taken private in $55B Saudi-backed buyout

The transaction represents a significant deal involving entities close to the Saudi Arabian and US governments.

Analysis

Gulf investors emerge as key players in US social media giants TikTok, Snap, X

With UAE tech investor MGX set to take a stake in TikTok's US operations, investors from the Middle East could cement their role in America's social media landscape.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

PayPal headquarters pictured in San Jose, California, on Oct. 15, 2015.

PayPal bets $100M as Middle East’s Gulf fintech giants amplify competition

The move from the US payments giant comes amid a flurry of activity that has further cemented the Gulf’s fintech sector on the map for global investors — including Saudi Arabia's Tamara, which recently secured a $2.4 billion financing deal.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

Google Pay, China’s Alipay+ launch in Saudi Arabia amid cashless push

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

China-made flying car makes first test flight in UAE: What to know

An Xpeng AeroHT X2 Flying Car is seen on display in Hong Kong on May 17, 2024

United Arab Emirates

Lebanon grants license to Musk's Starlink in bid to address sluggish telecomms

Ray of sun over the box and antenna during Unbox reliable data transmission and connection with SpaceXs Starlink.

Iran eyes launch of 4 satellites, open Chabahar space port by spring 2026

A picture obtained on Dec. 14, 2013 from Iran's ISNA news agency allegedly shows the launch of the Pajohesh (research) rocket containing a live space monkey named Fargam (Auspicious) at an undisclosed location in Iran.

Xi Jinping Abdulmajid Tebboune

Algeria, China sign 19 agreements during Tebboune's visit, including energy, technology

Xi Jinping received Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his delegation at Beijing's Great Hall of the People to discuss bilateral relations.

Twitter or Threads? Egypt's activists join but not sold on Meta's idea yet

Activists weigh concerns about misogyny and chaos on the pre-existing platform vs. censorship and data collection on Meta's new offering.

Dubai crypto authority suspends BitOasis

The cryptocurrency platform BitOasis' license was suspended by Dubai's VARA due to noncompliance of licensing requirements.

United Arab Emirates

Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

UAE sees higher Chinese car sales as China faces decline at home

China relied on overseas markets to maintain 56% of its vehicle sales in June, and the Middle East is a hot spot.

United Arab Emirates

This photo illustration created in Washington, DC, on July 6, 2023, shows an image of Elon Musk reflected in the opening page of Threads, an Instagram app. Twitter threatened to sue Meta just hours after the Instagram parent company launched Threads, an app it hopes will beat out the struggling site owned by Elon Musk. In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, published by online news outlet Semafor on July 6, 2023, Musk lawyer Alex Spiro accused the company of "unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade s

Arab users flock to Meta's Threads as it takes on Twitter

Threads has seen a variety of new users from the Middle East since its launch Wednesday including influencers and even heads of state.

A man walks near an autonomous 10-seater car during a trial run along Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard on Sept. 1, 2016.

UAE awards China’s WeRide first license to operate self-driving cars

The UAE permit will allow the Guangzhou-based driving technology company to test its level 4 human-free and fully autonomous vehicles on public roads throughout the emirates.

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia leads AI global index for strategy as Israel tops Mideast rankings

Saudi Arabia topped the global chart for AI government strategy, which measures the depth of national spending commitments and strategies, while other Middle East and North Africa (MENA) states lagged further behind, beginning in 23rd place.

Technicians work at the headquarters of the Israeli company 1MRobotics.

Analysis

How Israel’s government can ensure tech sector recovery

Data shows that fundraising for Israeli technology firms fell more than 65% in the second quarter from over $5 billion in the same period in 2022.

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) shake hands ahead of their talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on March 21, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Etienne Oliveau/Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Snubbed by Biden, Israel’s Netanyahu will visit China as it expands influence

Pursuing other diplomatic opportunities, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he will soon visit China.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Saudi Arabia Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (2L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R).

Top Saudi officials travel to China to attend 'Summer Davos' as ties deepen

The kingdom’s economy minister and other top officials will participate in the so-called Summer Davos as China-Saudi ties continue to gain momentum.

An Israeli Nature and Parks Authority employee dives in the Red Sea to remove corals that grew on columns supporting the Europe Asia Pipeline.

Israel to build land fiber-optic cable between Mediterranean, Red seas

Israel's Finance Ministry reached an agreement with an Israel state-owned energy company to construct a multi-optic-fiber between Ashkelon and Eilat, with the goal of turning the country into an international communication corridor.

Sam Altman, US entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and founder and CEO of artificial intelligence company OpenAI, speaks at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv on June 5, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel’s Netanyahu calls Elon Musk, Sam Altman, pledges national AI strategy

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is currently visiting Israel where he met with President Isaac Herzog but only held a phone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.