Telecom Egypt says it has established a new point of presence (PoP) in Jordanian Tier III carrier-neutral data centre Aqaba Digital Hub that it says will enhance connectivity across the Middle East for businesses and hyperscalers.

The Iraqi government has announced plans to construct the country’s first data centres in partnership with Nokia.

The Tunisian government has reportedly announced plans for a staggering 138 projects to accelerate the digital modernisation of government administration over the period 2025–2026.

The latest government attack on internet connectivity – and one of the most drastic so far – comes from Afghanistan, where ruling group the Taliban this week imposed an internet ban on the northern Balkh province, where a Wi-Fi shutdown was confirmed on Tuesday. The Taliban has said that the fibre optic internet ban will eventually be nationwide.

Saudi Arabian telco Zain KSA is set to make a play in the insurtech space via its financial investment arm, Al Sayra Holding Company, which has formed a JV with global insurance specialist Prevensure to buy a stake in Saudi-based brokerage firm Green Shield Insurance Brokers Ltd (GSIB).

In what is proving to be a busy week for digital payments news in the Middle East and North Africa, a fintech and a major bank have recently announced a partnership to accelerate digital payments in Libya.

There’s been a flurry of digital payments news this week from Saudi Arabia involving a wide variety of major names in the market, notably Ant International, Google Pay and Thunes.

SLA Digital, a global provider of direct carrier billing, has announced a partnership with VUZ, which describes itself as an immersive video platform revolutionising digital experiences. The collaboration, say the partners, will enable a seamless mobile payment option for VUZ customers across the Middle East and Asia.

Vodafone Oman and digital financial service platform developer Software Group said on Monday they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on developing digital financial services in Oman.

Ericsson announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with Zain Bahrain to supply RAN gear to the operator’s network capacity and enhance coverage of its 4G and 5G networks.

Iraqi telco Asiacell says it has launched the country’s first Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) service that enables users to make and receive voice calls in spaces with Wi-Fi coverage in areas – especially indoors – where cellular signal quality is poor.

Orange has appointed Thierry Millet (pictured) as CEO of Orange Money Group, replacing Aminata Kane.

Qatar-headquartered telecommunications and ICT provider Ooredoo and airline Qatar Airways have announced a strategic partnership to enhance artificial intelligence (AI), cloud and cybersecurity capabilities in Qatar.

Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), and VentureOne, ATRC's venture builder, in collaboration with technology group e&, say they have launched QuantumConnect, a next-generation hardware-based encryption solution, in the UAE.

There’s been a flurry of submarine cable deals in Iraq recently, including two contracts announced this week, one with Batelco and the other involving a company called Breeze Investments.

Smartphone shipments in Africa climbed 7% to 19.2 million units in Q2, continuing an upward trend fuelled by easing inflation and currency stability in key markets.

Kuwait Airways announced on Monday it has signed a joint cooperation protocol with stc Kuwait to explore ways to integrate digital services in the telecoms and aviation sectors in ways that can benefit customers of both companies.

Service provider Orange Egypt says it has signed an exclusive money transfer partnership with Enjaz Payment Services, one of the largest fintech companies in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Whish Money, a Lebanese fintech company, has collaborated with payments giant Mastercard to enable inbound and outbound remittance flows for consumers in Lebanon.

NaiTel, a licensed telecommunications service provider in Jordan and the telecom arm of Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH – Jordan's largest carrier-neutral data centre), and telecom services provider Telecom Egypt, have announced the completion of the laying of the 15-kilometre express subsea cable Coral Bridge connecting Egypt and Jordan, the first direct subsea cable between the two countries in over 25 years.

Turkey is officially going ahead with 5G spectrum auction plans. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced earlier this week that the 5G frequency tender would take place in October.

Chinese technology company Lenovo has announced plans to establish a regional headquarters (RHQ) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, along with the appointment of its executive leadership team for the country, marking what Lenovo describes as a key milestone in the company’s regional growth strategy.

The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and e& money, the fintech arm of technology group e&, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide wage protection services via the e& money platform. This enables individuals to manage salary payments for domestic workers in line with applicable legislation and regulatory frameworks.

Data centre news is still pouring in from the Middle East, including recent announcements of significant developments in Dubai and coastal Oman.

e& UAE says it has launched a new business continuity service – billed as "monitoring-as-a-service (MaaS)" – that it says provides enterprises complete observability over their infrastructure environments.

Hytera Communications, a provider of professional communications technologies and solutions, says it has successfully deployed its SmartOne Unified Communication Platform to support the Iraqi Ministry of Interior (MoI) in overhauling Baghdad’s emergency services.

Operator and global technology group e& UAE has deployed what is described as the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC’s) first dual band 64T64R MetaAAU (active antenna unit), an advanced radio unit from technology vendor Huawei, on its live 5G network, a new technology that not only improves how 5G networks perform but also uses less energy and reduces the amount of equipment needed.

UAE telecoms operator du says it has partnered with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University’s 6G Research Center, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to launch what it says is the first AI model that serves critical telecom functions related to customer service in Arabic. 

Kalaam Telecom Group, a regional provider of digital infrastructure and ICT solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Silah Gulf, a customer experience and business process outsourcing provider, to jointly advance digital innovation and elevate service delivery standards across the region.

Orange has raised its full-year targets after its Africa and Middle East unit was once again recognised as the group’s primary growth engine.

Morocco’s telecommunications regulator, the ANRT, has awarded 5G licences to the country’s three main operators - Maroc Telecom, Inwi, and Orange Morocco - raising MAD2.1 billion (US$210 million) for state coffers and marking a major step forward in the country’s national digital transformation agenda.

Nokia announced on Monday that it is supplying its subsea optical solutions for the Medusa Submarine Cable System owned by AFR-IX Telecom that aims to connect North Africa and Europe when it goes live later this year.