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MENA Startup Digest

MENA Startup Digest

Latest MENA startup news, funding rounds, ecosystem updates, events, and opportunities

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TRENDING

UAE’s Startup Ecosystem Ranked #1 Globally for Fifth Consecutive Year

UAE’s Startup Ecosystem Ranked #1 Globally for Fifth Consecutive Year

Kuwaiti Founders Tayba Al-Humaidhi and Sheikha Awatif Al-Sabah Honored at Inaugural Arab Women’s Week in London

Kuwaiti Founders Tayba Al-Humaidhi and Sheikha Awatif Al-Sabah Honored at Inaugural Arab Women’s Week in London

FutureTECH by Raya Wraps Up Egypt’s First EV Accelerator, Sending Top Startups to China

FutureTECH by Raya Wraps Up Egypt’s First EV Accelerator, Sending Top Startups to China

Iraq Maps Out National AI Strategy, Eyes Sovereign Language Model

Iraq Maps Out National AI Strategy, Eyes Sovereign Language Model

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Latest News
UAE’s Startup Ecosystem Ranked #1 Globally for Fifth Consecutive Year
Kuwaiti Founders Tayba Al-Humaidhi and Sheikha Awatif Al-Sabah Honored at Inaugural Arab Women’s Week in London
FutureTECH by Raya Wraps Up Egypt’s First EV Accelerator, Sending Top Startups to China
Iraq Maps Out National AI Strategy, Eyes Sovereign Language Model
Anthropic’s AI Agents Trade Over $4,000 in Goods, Offering a Glimpse into Automated Commerce
UAE’s Comfi Secures  Million Pre-Series A to Solve SME Cash Flow Crunch
Funding
5 Min Read
April 27, 2026

UAE’s Comfi Secures $65 Million Pre-Series A to Solve SME Cash Flow Crunch

Comfi, a UAE-based B2B embedded finance platform, has announced a $65 million Pre-Series A funding round composed of both equity and debt. The company aims to tackle the persistent cash…

Bahrain’s Lola Secures  Million Seed Round To Scale Custom Cake Platform Across The GCC
Funding
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026

Bahrain’s Lola Secures $3 Million Seed Round To Scale Custom Cake Platform Across The GCC

Workspace Platform COLABS Enters Saudi Arabia, Launching 4,000 sqm Riyadh Campus
News
3 Min Read
April 25, 2026

Workspace Platform COLABS Enters Saudi Arabia, Launching 4,000 sqm Riyadh Campus

Oman’s MEG Channels 0 Million Into New Digital Energy Infrastructure Platform
News
2 Min Read
April 25, 2026

Oman’s MEG Channels $500 Million Into New Digital Energy Infrastructure Platform

Gulf Funds-Backed 0B Paramount Bid For Warner Bros. Wins Shareholder Approval
News
3 Min Read
April 25, 2026

Gulf Funds-Backed $110B Paramount Bid For Warner Bros. Wins Shareholder Approval

UAE’s Startup Ecosystem Ranked #1 Globally for Fifth Consecutive Year
Ecosystem
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026

UAE’s Startup Ecosystem Ranked #1 Globally for Fifth Consecutive Year

FutureTECH by Raya Wraps Up Egypt’s First EV Accelerator, Sending Top Startups to China
Ecosystem
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026

FutureTECH by Raya Wraps Up Egypt’s First EV Accelerator, Sending Top Startups to China

Oman’s Sohar International and Sharakah Launch Second Program to Back Women-Led SMEs
Ecosystem
3 Min Read
April 27, 2026

Oman’s Sohar International and Sharakah Launch Second Program to Back Women-Led SMEs

Main Headlines

Egypt’s iSchool Acquires Software Firm Rubikal to Build AI Infrastructure for Schools

Egypt’s iSchool Acquires Software Firm Rubikal to Build AI Infrastructure for Schools

News
3 Min Read
April 24, 2026
Saudi Venture Builder Falak Holding Acquires AI Specialist Kernel to Deepen Regional Tech Play

Saudi Venture Builder Falak Holding Acquires AI Specialist Kernel to Deepen Regional Tech Play

News
3 Min Read
April 24, 2026
Parachute16 Launches P16 Hub In Riyadh To Accelerate Startup Soft Landing

Parachute16 Launches P16 Hub In Riyadh To Accelerate Startup Soft Landing

News
3 Min Read
April 24, 2026
Oman Deploys Over RO 1.3 Billion to Boost SME Growth Under Vision 2040

Oman Deploys Over RO 1.3 Billion to Boost SME Growth Under Vision 2040

News
3 Min Read
April 23, 2026
UAE President Explores AI and Space Frontiers with SpaceX’s Musk and BlackRock’s Fink

UAE President Explores AI and Space Frontiers with SpaceX’s Musk and BlackRock’s Fink

News
3 Min Read
April 23, 2026
Saudi Fintech Giant PayTabs Acquires UAE’s TAPn’GO to Enhance Contactless Checkouts Across MENA

Saudi Fintech Giant PayTabs Acquires UAE’s TAPn’GO to Enhance Contactless Checkouts Across MENA

News
3 Min Read
April 22, 2026

Read More →

Latest Funding Rounds

Oman’s FASCANO Secures  Million to Expand its Hospitality Tech Platform

Oman’s FASCANO Secures $10 Million to Expand its Hospitality Tech Platform

Funding
2 Min Read
April 22, 2026
Oman’s HealPort Raises .2M to Unify Fragmented Global Health Data

Oman’s HealPort Raises $1.2M to Unify Fragmented Global Health Data

Funding
2 Min Read
April 21, 2026
Saudi’s Prosperity7 Leads M Investment in Creao AI to Scale No-Code App Development

Saudi’s Prosperity7 Leads $10M Investment in Creao AI to Scale No-Code App Development

Funding
3 Min Read
April 21, 2026
Egypt’s Sinai.ai Raises .45M Pre-Seed for Its Interactive AI Book Platform

Egypt’s Sinai.ai Raises $1.45M Pre-Seed for Its Interactive AI Book Platform

Funding
3 Min Read
April 21, 2026
Saudi AI Startup Signit Lands M Series A to Overhaul Enterprise Contract Management

Saudi AI Startup Signit Lands $15M Series A to Overhaul Enterprise Contract Management

Funding
3 Min Read
April 21, 2026
Qatar Investment Authority Backs B Latin American Digital Bank Plata

Qatar Investment Authority Backs $5B Latin American Digital Bank Plata

Funding
2 Min Read
April 17, 2026

Read More →

Ecosystem Updates

Sira Community and Markazia Group Partner to Launch The Drive Series for Professionals in Jordan

Sira Community and Markazia Group Partner to Launch The Drive Series for Professionals in Jordan

Ecosystem
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Ibn Zohr University Boosts Morocco’s Startup Pipeline With New Student Competition

Ibn Zohr University Boosts Morocco’s Startup Pipeline With New Student Competition

Ecosystem
3 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Orange Jordan Names 10 Finalists for its Annual Inspiring Change Award for Women Entrepreneurs

Orange Jordan Names 10 Finalists for its Annual Inspiring Change Award for Women Entrepreneurs

Ecosystem
3 Min Read
April 27, 2026
MSMEDA Launches Nationwide Training to Boost Youth and Women Entrepreneurship in Egypt

MSMEDA Launches Nationwide Training to Boost Youth and Women Entrepreneurship in Egypt

Ecosystem
4 Min Read
April 25, 2026
Gulf’s New Playbook: Saudi Arabia and UAE Build Land Corridors to Bypass Hormuz

Gulf’s New Playbook: Saudi Arabia and UAE Build Land Corridors to Bypass Hormuz

Ecosystem
4 Min Read
April 25, 2026
Morocco’s CDG Capital Teams Up with France’s Bpifrance to Supercharge Cross-Border Investment

Morocco’s CDG Capital Teams Up with France’s Bpifrance to Supercharge Cross-Border Investment

Ecosystem
3 Min Read
April 25, 2026

Read More →

Programs & Opportunities

Apply Now For Leancubator’s Startup Fundraising Support Services

Apply Now For Leancubator’s Startup Fundraising Support Services

Opportunities
3 Min Read
April 25, 2026
Omani Tech Talent Invited To Join Itqan Capacity Building Program
April 24, 2026
Capacity Building Oman Opportunity

Omani Tech Talent Invited To Join Itqan Capacity Building Program

Damascus Youth Invited To Join Youth Innovation Center Training Program
April 24, 2026
Damascus Innovation Opportunity

Damascus Youth Invited To Join Youth Innovation Center Training Program

Apply Now For Aga Khan Foundation Syria’s Solar Energy Acceleration Project
April 24, 2026
Aga Khan Foundation Energy Opportunity

Apply Now For Aga Khan Foundation Syria’s Solar Energy Acceleration Project

MENA AI Startups Invited To Join Falak’s Flagship Accelerator
April 24, 2026
Accelerator AI Falak Investment Hub

MENA AI Startups Invited To Join Falak’s Flagship Accelerator

Apply Now For Glint II Pre-Seed And Seed Funding
April 24, 2026
Egypt Entrepreneurship Funding

Apply Now For Glint II Pre-Seed And Seed Funding

Apply Now For Sharaka Capital’s Seed And Series A Funding
April 24, 2026
Entrepreneurship Funding GCC

Apply Now For Sharaka Capital’s Seed And Series A Funding

Apply Now For Intelak Hub’s 2026 Incubator And Accelerator Programs
April 24, 2026
Accelerator Incubator Intelak Hub

Apply Now For Intelak Hub’s 2026 Incubator And Accelerator Programs

Saudi Arabia Opens Applications for Three Accelerators Targeting Agri-Tech, Water, and Sustainability
April 24, 2026
Accelerator Agritech Ecosystem

Saudi Arabia Opens Applications for Three Accelerators Targeting Agri-Tech, Water, and Sustainability

Read More →

Startup News

Kuwaiti Founders Tayba Al-Humaidhi and Sheikha Awatif Al-Sabah Honored at Inaugural Arab Women’s Week in London

Kuwaiti Founders Tayba Al-Humaidhi and Sheikha Awatif Al-Sabah Honored at Inaugural Arab Women’s Week in London

Startups
3 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Egypt’s Kiwe Lands Final CBE Approval to Launch its Social Payments App and Card

Egypt’s Kiwe Lands Final CBE Approval to Launch its Social Payments App and Card

Startups
3 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Dubai’s Hala Launches Youth Ambassador Program to Cultivate Next-Gen UAE Business Leaders

Dubai’s Hala Launches Youth Ambassador Program to Cultivate Next-Gen UAE Business Leaders

Startups
4 Min Read
April 25, 2026
Egypt’s ScribeMe: Student-Led AI App for the Visually Impaired Gains Traction in 130 Countries

Egypt’s ScribeMe: Student-Led AI App for the Visually Impaired Gains Traction in 130 Countries

Startups
4 Min Read
April 24, 2026
UAE Proptech Rently Hits  Million in Transactions as it Expands Flexible Rent Payments

UAE Proptech Rently Hits $10 Million in Transactions as it Expands Flexible Rent Payments

Startups
4 Min Read
April 23, 2026
Saudi’s OmniOps Taps Grafana Labs to Deliver Sovereign Observability in the Kingdom

Saudi’s OmniOps Taps Grafana Labs to Deliver Sovereign Observability in the Kingdom

Startups
2 Min Read
April 23, 2026

Read More →

Upcoming Events

Saudi Arabia To Host UNESCO’s 2026 Global Forum On AI Ethics In Riyadh

Saudi Arabia To Host UNESCO’s 2026 Global Forum On AI Ethics In Riyadh

Events
3 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Inaugural Morocco Venture Forum Aims to Bridge Global Capital with Local VCs

Inaugural Morocco Venture Forum Aims to Bridge Global Capital with Local VCs

Events
4 Min Read
April 25, 2026
Abu Dhabi Investment Office to Co-Host Largest Make it in the Emirates Forum to Boost UAE Industrial Growth

Abu Dhabi Investment Office to Co-Host Largest Make it in the Emirates Forum to Boost UAE Industrial Growth

Events
3 Min Read
April 25, 2026
StartSmart Saudi Investment Forum 2026 Set To Transform Riyadh’s Tech Landscape This April

StartSmart Saudi Investment Forum 2026 Set To Transform Riyadh’s Tech Landscape This April

Events
3 Min Read
April 24, 2026
Al Fikra National Competition & Hult Prize Qatar Demo Day 2026 Set For Doha This April

Al Fikra National Competition & Hult Prize Qatar Demo Day 2026 Set For Doha This April

Events
3 Min Read
April 24, 2026
Viaka Consumer & AI Demo Day 2026 To Showcase Next-Gen MENA Founders This May

Viaka Consumer & AI Demo Day 2026 To Showcase Next-Gen MENA Founders This May

Events
April 24, 2026

Read More →

Tech Bytes

Iraq Maps Out National AI Strategy, Eyes Sovereign Language Model

Iraq Maps Out National AI Strategy, Eyes Sovereign Language Model

Tech
2 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Anthropic’s AI Agents Trade Over ,000 in Goods, Offering a Glimpse into Automated Commerce

Anthropic’s AI Agents Trade Over $4,000 in Goods, Offering a Glimpse into Automated Commerce

Tech
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026
AIJRF Launches Initiative to Train 100 Arab Leaders in AI and Management 4.0

AIJRF Launches Initiative to Train 100 Arab Leaders in AI and Management 4.0

Tech
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026
MBZUAI Tackles Enterprise AI’s Data Leak Problem with DP-Fusion

MBZUAI Tackles Enterprise AI’s Data Leak Problem with DP-Fusion

Tech
4 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Report: AI Set to Erase Over 1.3 Million Jobs in Morocco by 2030

Report: AI Set to Erase Over 1.3 Million Jobs in Morocco by 2030

Tech
5 Min Read
April 27, 2026
Iran-Linked Cyberattacks Escalate Eightfold, Targeting Critical MENA Sectors

Iran-Linked Cyberattacks Escalate Eightfold, Targeting Critical MENA Sectors

Tech
2 Min Read
April 25, 2026

Read More →

What’s Happening in Saudi Arabia

Vision 2030 Ignites Saudi Cybersecurity Startup Scene to Secure Regional Digital Ambitions

Vision 2030 Ignites Saudi Cybersecurity Startup Scene to Secure Regional Digital Ambitions

April 25, 2026
Cybersecurity Ecosystem KSA
Monsha’at and UBT Graduate 20 Startups From Inaugural University Accelerator

Monsha’at and UBT Graduate 20 Startups From Inaugural University Accelerator

April 25, 2026
Accelerator Ecosystem Entrepreneurship
Saudi Kingdom Holding Acquires 70% of Al-Hilal Football Club for SAR 840 Million

Saudi Kingdom Holding Acquires 70% of Al-Hilal Football Club for SAR 840 Million

April 24, 2026
Acquisition Al-Hilal Football
Saudi and UAE Firms Double Down on AI and Regional Supply Chains for Growth, HSBC Finds

Saudi and UAE Firms Double Down on AI and Regional Supply Chains for Growth, HSBC Finds

April 22, 2026
AI Ecosystem KSA
Saudi IT Firm Dar Albalad to Launch First GCC IPO Since Iran War

Saudi IT Firm Dar Albalad to Launch First GCC IPO Since Iran War

April 22, 2026
Ecosystem GCC IPO
Saudi Public Investment Fund Backs New State Street ETF, Granting European Investors Access to the Kingdom’s Market

Saudi Public Investment Fund Backs New State Street ETF, Granting European Investors Access to the Kingdom’s Market

April 22, 2026
Ecosystem ETF Fund

Read More →

What’s Happening in UAE

Emirates Association For Entrepreneurship Re-elects Sanad Al Meqbali As Chairman Until 2030

Emirates Association For Entrepreneurship Re-elects Sanad Al Meqbali As Chairman Until 2030

April 25, 2026
Ecosystem Emirates Association For Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship
Dubai Opens Real Estate Sector to Emirati SMEs Through Key Government Partnership

Dubai Opens Real Estate Sector to Emirati SMEs Through Key Government Partnership

April 25, 2026
Dubai Ecosystem Government
DIEZ and VOLT to Build 129MW AI-Ready Data Center in Dubai Silicon Oasis

DIEZ and VOLT to Build 129MW AI-Ready Data Center in Dubai Silicon Oasis

April 25, 2026
AI Data Data Center
Omnicom and Google Launch MENA-First AI Ad-Testing Tool with UAE Telco du

Omnicom and Google Launch MENA-First AI Ad-Testing Tool with UAE Telco du

April 25, 2026
AdTech du Google
Hamdan Foundation Concludes Tech Challenge with 35% Growth in Pan-Arab Student Participation

Hamdan Foundation Concludes Tech Challenge with 35% Growth in Pan-Arab Student Participation

April 25, 2026
Challenge Ecosystem Entrepreneurship
Dubai Holding Boosts UAE’s SME Ecosystem with New Digital Support Initiatives

Dubai Holding Boosts UAE’s SME Ecosystem with New Digital Support Initiatives

April 25, 2026
Dubai Dubai Holding Ecosystem

Read More →

What’s Happening in Qatar

Qatar’s Advanced Business Computing Named Google Cloud’s Top MENA Partner for 2026

Qatar’s Advanced Business Computing Named Google Cloud’s Top MENA Partner for 2026

April 25, 2026
Advanced Business Computing Cloud Google
Qatar Accelerates Quantum Computing Push to Build Knowledge-Based Economy

Qatar Accelerates Quantum Computing Push to Build Knowledge-Based Economy

April 24, 2026
Qatar Quantum Quantum Computing
Qatar and Abu Dhabi Investors Back Anthropic as Amazon Injects Another  Billion in AI Push

Qatar and Abu Dhabi Investors Back Anthropic as Amazon Injects Another $5 Billion in AI Push

April 22, 2026
Abu Dhabi AI Amazon
From Super App to Infrastructure: Qatar’s Snoonu Launches Snoonu Cloud to Power Digital Economies

From Super App to Infrastructure: Qatar’s Snoonu Launches Snoonu Cloud to Power Digital Economies

April 21, 2026
Cloud Infrastructure Qatar
European VC Speedinvest Targets MENA Startups with New Fund Backed by UAE’s Mubadala and Qatar’s QIA

European VC Speedinvest Targets MENA Startups with New Fund Backed by UAE’s Mubadala and Qatar’s QIA

April 21, 2026
Fund MENA Mubadala
Qatar Science & Technology Park Unveils Blueprint For Purpose-Driven Innovation To Scale Global Social Impact

Qatar Science & Technology Park Unveils Blueprint For Purpose-Driven Innovation To Scale Global Social Impact

April 15, 2026
Ecosystem Qatar Qatar Science & Technology Park

Read More →

What’s Happening in Egypt

Visa Targets Egyptian Innovators for Africa Fintech Accelerator as Program Alumni Hit .4B Valuation

Visa Targets Egyptian Innovators for Africa Fintech Accelerator as Program Alumni Hit $1.4B Valuation

April 25, 2026
Accelerator Africa Ecosystem
Attijariwafa Bank Egypt Boosts Women Entrepreneurs and Artisans Through Spring Bazaar Showcase

Attijariwafa Bank Egypt Boosts Women Entrepreneurs and Artisans Through Spring Bazaar Showcase

April 25, 2026
Attijariwafa Bank Bazaar Ecosystem
Sharjah Bolsters Digital Defenses with Cyber Shield Forum, Pushing Proactive Cybersecurity Strategy

Sharjah Bolsters Digital Defenses with Cyber Shield Forum, Pushing Proactive Cybersecurity Strategy

April 22, 2026
Cybersecurity Egypt Event
Egypt’s Raspire Joins Y Combinator to Take its No-Code Cybersecurity Platform Global

Egypt’s Raspire Joins Y Combinator to Take its No-Code Cybersecurity Platform Global

April 22, 2026
Cybersecurity Egypt No-Code
Egypt’s Raya Smart Buildings Targets 15 New Hubs in Ambitious Regional Expansion

Egypt’s Raya Smart Buildings Targets 15 New Hubs in Ambitious Regional Expansion

April 22, 2026
Ecosystem Egypt Entrepreneurship
Paragon-Adeer and Plug & Play Launch 500-Acre AI Campus to Anchor Egypt’s Tech Future

Paragon-Adeer and Plug & Play Launch 500-Acre AI Campus to Anchor Egypt’s Tech Future

April 22, 2026
Adeer AI Egypt

Read More →

What’s Happening in Syria

Syria Signals Major Investor Policy Shift, Embraces International Arbitration to Attract Foreign Capital

Syria Signals Major Investor Policy Shift, Embraces International Arbitration to Attract Foreign Capital

April 24, 2026
Ecosystem Investor Policy
ICT Incubator Homs Concludes Sprint 0 Bootcamp For Digital Product Development

ICT Incubator Homs Concludes Sprint 0 Bootcamp For Digital Product Development

April 24, 2026
Bootcamp Ecosystem Entrepreneurship
Central Bank of Syria Launches Digital Platform to Overhaul Foreign Exchange and Gold Trading

Central Bank of Syria Launches Digital Platform to Overhaul Foreign Exchange and Gold Trading

April 23, 2026
Central Bank of Syria Ecosystem Forex
Syria Rolls Out New Incentives for Industrial City Investors, Engages IMF and World Bank for Support

Syria Rolls Out New Incentives for Industrial City Investors, Engages IMF and World Bank for Support

April 21, 2026
Economy Ecosystem Government
Syria’s New Chapter: How Gulf and Turkish Giants Are Seizing Billions in Infrastructure and Energy Deals

Syria’s New Chapter: How Gulf and Turkish Giants Are Seizing Billions in Infrastructure and Energy Deals

April 21, 2026
Economy Gulf Infrastructure
JoinMe Empowers Syrian Women Through Silicon Valley Mentorship Program

JoinMe Empowers Syrian Women Through Silicon Valley Mentorship Program

April 19, 2026
Ecosystem JoinMe Mentorship

Read More →

What’s Happening in Morocco

German Firms Expand Morocco Footprint with Investments in Automotive, Pharma, and AI

German Firms Expand Morocco Footprint with Investments in Automotive, Pharma, and AI

April 25, 2026
AI Automotive Economy
Morocco Launches Digital Payment Pilot to Bridge Financial Gap for Rural Farmers

Morocco Launches Digital Payment Pilot to Bridge Financial Gap for Rural Farmers

April 25, 2026
Digital Payment Ecosystem Fintech
Genesis Founders Launches Venture Studio At GITEX AFRICA To Build Next Generation Startups in Morocco

Genesis Founders Launches Venture Studio At GITEX AFRICA To Build Next Generation Startups in Morocco

April 24, 2026
Africa Ecosystem Entrepreneurship
Technopark Panel Tackles Investment Readiness Gap for Moroccan Startups

Technopark Panel Tackles Investment Readiness Gap for Moroccan Startups

April 23, 2026
Ecosystem Event Investment
Morocco’s UM6P Develops Laser Technology to Turn Agricultural Waste Into Graphene

Morocco’s UM6P Develops Laser Technology to Turn Agricultural Waste Into Graphene

April 22, 2026
Agricultural Agritech Cleantech
Morocco Launches Moushaf Mohammadi in a Push for Authenticated Digital Religious Content

Morocco Launches Moushaf Mohammadi in a Push for Authenticated Digital Religious Content

April 22, 2026
Islamic Morocco Platform

Read More →

What’s Happening in Palestine

Flow Accelerator and Palestinian Ministry Host Her Story Summit to Bolster Women-Led Startups in Palestine

Flow Accelerator and Palestinian Ministry Host Her Story Summit to Bolster Women-Led Startups in Palestine

April 21, 2026
Event Flow Accelerator Her Story Summit
Palestine’s Green Forward Working Group Convenes To Advance Circular Economy Policy

Palestine’s Green Forward Working Group Convenes To Advance Circular Economy Policy

April 19, 2026
Circular Circular Economy Ecosystem
HerStory: Inspire & Connect 2026 Set To Empower Palestinian Women In Ramallah This April

HerStory: Inspire & Connect 2026 Set To Empower Palestinian Women In Ramallah This April

April 9, 2026
Event HerStory Palestine
Apply Now For The Powered By Women Business Development Program In Palestine

Apply Now For The Powered By Women Business Development Program In Palestine

April 8, 2026
Opportunity Palestine Program
Palestinian Tech in the Spotlight: Six Startups Bring AI, IoT and Fintech to GITEX Africa in Morocco

Palestinian Tech in the Spotlight: Six Startups Bring AI, IoT and Fintech to GITEX Africa in Morocco

April 8, 2026
AI Ecosystem Entrepreneurship
MENACatalyst Launches Women-Led Startup Bootcamp At Makani Hub in Palestine

MENACatalyst Launches Women-Led Startup Bootcamp At Makani Hub in Palestine

April 6, 2026
Bootcamp Ecosystem Entrepreneurship

Read More →

Entrepreneurship Across MENA

Jordan’s Business Development Center Concludes Entrepreneurship Training to Boost Youth-Led Ventures in Irbid

Jordan’s Business Development Center Concludes Entrepreneurship Training to Boost Youth-Led Ventures in Irbid

April 25, 2026
Ecosystem Entrepreneurship Irbid
Lebanon’s LAU and SYMZ CAPITAL Launch Ignition Program to Back Student Startups

Lebanon’s LAU and SYMZ CAPITAL Launch Ignition Program to Back Student Startups

April 25, 2026
Ecosystem Entrepreneurship Lebanon
Bank Muscat Backs Rikaz Award to Fuel Youth Entrepreneurship in Oman

Bank Muscat Backs Rikaz Award to Fuel Youth Entrepreneurship in Oman

April 22, 2026
Award Bank Ecosystem
UAE Kicks Off National Hackathon 2026 with a Focus on AI and Digital Impact

UAE Kicks Off National Hackathon 2026 with a Focus on AI and Digital Impact

April 22, 2026
AI Ecosystem Entrepreneurship
Queen Rania Spotlights Jordan’s Startup Scene in Meeting with Endeavor, Beyond Capital, and Ezwitti

Queen Rania Spotlights Jordan’s Startup Scene in Meeting with Endeavor, Beyond Capital, and Ezwitti

April 22, 2026
Beyond Capital Ecosystem Endeavor
Saudi Arabia’s Literature Commission Launches Second Accelerator to Back Cultural Tech Startups

Saudi Arabia’s Literature Commission Launches Second Accelerator to Back Cultural Tech Startups

April 22, 2026
Accelerator culture Ecosystem

Read More →

Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Tech

China’s DeepSeek Escalates AI Race, Launches V4 Model to Challenge OpenAI’s Dominance

China’s DeepSeek Escalates AI Race, Launches V4 Model to Challenge OpenAI’s Dominance

April 25, 2026
AI China DeepSeek
Meta to Lay Off 10% of Workforce as Focus Shifts From Metaverse to AI

Meta to Lay Off 10% of Workforce as Focus Shifts From Metaverse to AI

April 25, 2026
AI Meta Metaverse
OpenAI Drops GPT-5.5, Its Smartest Model Yet, in Push Towards an AI Super App

OpenAI Drops GPT-5.5, Its Smartest Model Yet, in Push Towards an AI Super App

April 25, 2026
AI Chatgpt GPT-5.5
Amazon Scores Major AI Win as Meta Buys Millions of Graviton CPUs

Amazon Scores Major AI Win as Meta Buys Millions of Graviton CPUs

April 25, 2026
Acquisition AI Amazon
Khalifa University Unveils Four AI AgriTech Innovations to Boost Food Security

Khalifa University Unveils Four AI AgriTech Innovations to Boost Food Security

April 23, 2026
Agritech AI Food
UAE Launches Aggressive Two-Year Framework to Automate Government with Agentic AI

UAE Launches Aggressive Two-Year Framework to Automate Government with Agentic AI

April 23, 2026
AI Government Policy

Read More →

Gaming & Esports

Morocco Proposes New Law to Regulate Children’s Access to Online Gaming Platforms

Morocco Proposes New Law to Regulate Children’s Access to Online Gaming Platforms

April 21, 2026
Gaming Law Morocco
Global Games Show 2026 Set To Highlight Riyadh As A Global Gaming Hub

Global Games Show 2026 Set To Highlight Riyadh As A Global Gaming Hub

April 21, 2026
Event Games Games Show 2026
Apply Now For The Inwi And Ministry Of Youth Gaming Startup Challenge

Apply Now For The Inwi And Ministry Of Youth Gaming Startup Challenge

April 19, 2026
Challenge Entrepreneurship Gaming

Tamatem Acquires Playable Factory To Build AI-First Gaming And Ad Tech Ecosystem

April 17, 2026
Acquisition AdTech AI
Apply Now For The Exel Gaming Accelerator Cohort 3

Apply Now For The Exel Gaming Accelerator Cohort 3

April 10, 2026
Accelerator Exel by Merak Gaming
Morocco Taps Huawei to Level Up Its Fast-Growing Gaming Sector

Morocco Taps Huawei to Level Up Its Fast-Growing Gaming Sector

April 10, 2026
Gaming Huawei Morocco

Read More →

Fintech & Digital Finance

UAE Digital Bank ruya Launches Shari’ah-Compliant Card with Flat 2% Cashback

UAE Digital Bank ruya Launches Shari’ah-Compliant Card with Flat 2% Cashback

April 24, 2026
Bank Cashback Ecosystem
UAE Fintech ABHI Partners With Federal Exchange to Modernize Cross-Border Payments

UAE Fintech ABHI Partners With Federal Exchange to Modernize Cross-Border Payments

April 23, 2026
ABHI Digital Payment Fintech
Kuwait Mandates Mobile ID for All Online Money Transfers in Major FinTech Security Overhaul

Kuwait Mandates Mobile ID for All Online Money Transfers in Major FinTech Security Overhaul

April 23, 2026
Ecosystem Fintech Kuwait
OpenAI Acquires AI Personal Finance Startup Hiro

OpenAI Acquires AI Personal Finance Startup Hiro

April 22, 2026
Acquisition AI Finance
Saudi MISPay Obtains Official SAMA License For Buy Now Pay Later Services

Saudi MISPay Obtains Official SAMA License For Buy Now Pay Later Services

April 19, 2026
BNPL Fintech KSA
Saudi Fintech Sahm Capital Plants Flag in Jeddah as User Base Tops One Million

Saudi Fintech Sahm Capital Plants Flag in Jeddah as User Base Tops One Million

April 17, 2026
Ecosystem Fintech Jeddah

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Property & Real Estate Technology

Saudi Proptech Jozo Raises SAR 8.3 Million Seed to Expand Real Estate Tokenization

Saudi Proptech Jozo Raises SAR 8.3 Million Seed to Expand Real Estate Tokenization

April 10, 2026
Funding Jozo KSA
Saudi Arabia Launches Regulatory Sandbox to Fast-Track Proptech and Urban Innovation

Saudi Arabia Launches Regulatory Sandbox to Fast-Track Proptech and Urban Innovation

April 10, 2026
Ecosystem Innovation KSA
Dubai Future District Fund Taps Global VC Second Century Ventures to Accelerate Proptech Innovation

Dubai Future District Fund Taps Global VC Second Century Ventures to Accelerate Proptech Innovation

April 8, 2026
Dubai Dubai Future District Fund Fund
Real Estate Sector Takes Center Stage at Black Diamond’s 5th Investor Conference in Cairo

Real Estate Sector Takes Center Stage at Black Diamond’s 5th Investor Conference in Cairo

April 7, 2026
Cairo Conference Egypt
Saudi PropTech Ghanem Issues Sukuk For Kingdom’s First Tokenized Real Estate Investment

Saudi PropTech Ghanem Issues Sukuk For Kingdom’s First Tokenized Real Estate Investment

April 2, 2026
Ecosystem Ghanem Investment
HITEK AI Launches Proptech Suite for Dubai Building Quality Law Compliance

HITEK AI Launches Proptech Suite for Dubai Building Quality Law Compliance

April 2, 2026
AI Dubai Proptech

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Arabic-First Technology

Arabic.AI Taps HeyBreez to Scale Enterprise-Grade Arabic Voice AI

Arabic.AI Taps HeyBreez to Scale Enterprise-Grade Arabic Voice AI

April 22, 2026
AI Arabic Arabic Tech
Egypt Eyes Microsoft Azure to Power its National Arabic AI Model, Karnak

Egypt Eyes Microsoft Azure to Power its National Arabic AI Model, Karnak

April 10, 2026
Arabic Arabic Tech Azure
UAE-Based CNTXT AI Unveils Munsit as the World’s Most Accurate Arabic Voice Platform

UAE-Based CNTXT AI Unveils Munsit as the World’s Most Accurate Arabic Voice Platform

April 1, 2026
AI Arabic Arabic Tech
Arabic.AI and Qistas Partner to Deliver Sovereign Arabic Legal AI Across MENA

Arabic.AI and Qistas Partner to Deliver Sovereign Arabic Legal AI Across MENA

March 31, 2026
AI Arabic Arabic Tech
Saudi AI Firm Navid Launches Human-Rated Arabic Text-to-Speech Leaderboard

Saudi AI Firm Navid Launches Human-Rated Arabic Text-to-Speech Leaderboard

March 25, 2026
AI Arabic Arabic Tech
Qatar’s QCRI Launches Fanar 2.0, Upgrading Its Sovereign Arabic Generative AI Platform

Qatar’s QCRI Launches Fanar 2.0, Upgrading Its Sovereign Arabic Generative AI Platform

March 18, 2026
AI Arabic Arabic Tech

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Women in Entrepreneurship

Morocco’s Industrial Workforce Now 41% Female, Surpassing Major Western Economies

Morocco’s Industrial Workforce Now 41% Female, Surpassing Major Western Economies

April 22, 2026
Ecosystem Industrial Interesting
Nouakchott Hosts International Conference to Drive Women’s Entrepreneurship in Mauritania and Beyond

Nouakchott Hosts International Conference to Drive Women’s Entrepreneurship in Mauritania and Beyond

April 22, 2026
Conference Entrepreneurship Event
Fujairah Businesswomen Council Inks Pact to Boost Female Entrepreneurship in the UAE

Fujairah Businesswomen Council Inks Pact to Boost Female Entrepreneurship in the UAE

April 22, 2026
Ecosystem Entrepreneurship Fujairah
Femi Tech Summit Jordan Edition 2026 Set To Empower Women In Tech In Amman

Femi Tech Summit Jordan Edition 2026 Set To Empower Women In Tech In Amman

April 22, 2026
Amman Entrepreneurship Event
Grassroots Revival: Women Entrepreneurs are Rebuilding Syria’s Historic Perfume Industry

Grassroots Revival: Women Entrepreneurs are Rebuilding Syria’s Historic Perfume Industry

April 19, 2026
Perfume Startups Syria
Tunisia Boosts Female Entrepreneurship with New 15,000 TND Interest-Free Loans

Tunisia Boosts Female Entrepreneurship with New 15,000 TND Interest-Free Loans

April 14, 2026
Ecosystem Entrepreneurship Startups

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Crypto Trends

Binance Cements UAE Commitment with National Civic Partnership

Binance Cements UAE Commitment with National Civic Partnership

April 22, 2026
Binance Crypto Ecosystem
Iran’s Crypto Toll: Bitcoin Payments Emerge in Strait of Hormuz Amid Sanctions

Iran’s Crypto Toll: Bitcoin Payments Emerge in Strait of Hormuz Amid Sanctions

April 19, 2026
Bitcoin Crypto Cryptocurrency
Dubai’s Tokinvest Tokenizes AED 40M UK Property, Signaling a New Era for On-Chain Real Estate

Dubai’s Tokinvest Tokenizes AED 40M UK Property, Signaling a New Era for On-Chain Real Estate

April 14, 2026
Crypto Dubai Ecosystem
Bybit Rolls Out AED Fiat Referral Campaign in the UAE with 7,500 USDT Prize Pool

Bybit Rolls Out AED Fiat Referral Campaign in the UAE with 7,500 USDT Prize Pool

March 30, 2026
Bybit Crypto Cryptocurrency
Dubai Crypto Ecosystem Expands as Relm Secures Full VARA Broker-Dealer License

Dubai Crypto Ecosystem Expands as Relm Secures Full VARA Broker-Dealer License

March 30, 2026
Crypto Cryptocurrency Dubai
Binance Bahrain Taps Beyon Connect for eKey 2.0 Digital Identity Integration

Binance Bahrain Taps Beyon Connect for eKey 2.0 Digital Identity Integration

March 25, 2026
Bahrain Beyon Connect Binance

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Sustainability & Circular Economy

Khazna Data Centers Sets Global Benchmark with First-Ever Zero Waste Certification for Dubai Facility

Khazna Data Centers Sets Global Benchmark with First-Ever Zero Waste Certification for Dubai Facility

April 22, 2026
Data Data Center Dubai
Oman’s Sohar University Taps Date Palm Waste for Award-Winning Water Pollution Tech

Oman’s Sohar University Taps Date Palm Waste for Award-Winning Water Pollution Tech

April 22, 2026
Cleantech Dates Sohar
Apply Now For WE4F 2.0 Call For Innovations In The MENA Region

Apply Now For WE4F 2.0 Call For Innovations In The MENA Region

April 6, 2026
Cleantech Energy Food
Tunisia’s BIAT Launches Green Financing Product to Back Sustainable Projects

Tunisia’s BIAT Launches Green Financing Product to Back Sustainable Projects

April 4, 2026
BIAT Ecosystem Green Economy
Morocco’s GoSwap Secures Seed Funding to Expand EV Battery-Swapping Network

Morocco’s GoSwap Secures Seed Funding to Expand EV Battery-Swapping Network

March 26, 2026
Circular Circular Economy EV
Morocco’s UM6P Patents Process Converting Mining Waste Into High-Value Fertilizers

Morocco’s UM6P Patents Process Converting Mining Waste Into High-Value Fertilizers

March 24, 2026
Circular Cleantech Mining

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Reports

DMCC Reports Record 2025 Results With Membership Surpassing 26,000 Companies

DMCC Reports Record 2025 Results With Membership Surpassing 26,000 Companies

April 24, 2026
DMCC Dubai Ecosystem
China Leads AI Research and Patents While US Dominates Top Models, New Stanford Report Finds

China Leads AI Research and Patents While US Dominates Top Models, New Stanford Report Finds

April 22, 2026
AI China Patent
Stanford AI Report Confirms UAE and Saudi Arabia as Global AI Powerhouses

Stanford AI Report Confirms UAE and Saudi Arabia as Global AI Powerhouses

April 16, 2026
AI KSA Report
UAE’s Plus VC Strengthens Ecosystem Ties With Strategic Q1 2026 Engagements

UAE’s Plus VC Strengthens Ecosystem Ties With Strategic Q1 2026 Engagements

April 15, 2026
Ecosystem Plus VC Report
UAE Central Bank Report Reveals 5.6% GDP Growth and a Major Push into Digital Finance

UAE Central Bank Report Reveals 5.6% GDP Growth and a Major Push into Digital Finance

April 10, 2026
Ecosystem Report UAE
Pemo Report: UAE AI Spending Surges 521% as Businesses Chase Efficiency

Pemo Report: UAE AI Spending Surges 521% as Businesses Chase Efficiency

April 9, 2026
AI Report Tech

Read More →

Interesting Picks

From Playground to Portfolio: How Pokemon Trading Cards Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Asset Class

From Playground to Portfolio: How Pokemon Trading Cards Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Asset Class

April 27, 2026
Digital Assets Interesting Pokemon
Gulf’s New Playbook: Saudi Arabia and UAE Build Land Corridors to Bypass Hormuz

Capital Pauses: MENA Founders Rewrite Growth Playbook as Q1 Funding Dips 20%

April 27, 2026
Funding Interesting MENA
UAE Investors Bet Big on AI and SaaS, Buying the Dip Amidst SaaSpocalypse Fears

UAE Investors Bet Big on AI and SaaS, Buying the Dip Amidst SaaSpocalypse Fears

April 22, 2026
AI Interesting Investor
From Arsenal Star to Green Tech Billionaire: Mathieu Flamini’s .7B Blueprint for a Sustainable Future

From Arsenal Star to Green Tech Billionaire: Mathieu Flamini’s $12.7B Blueprint for a Sustainable Future

April 22, 2026
Billionaire Blueprint Interesting
Sequoia Capital Raises Massive B Fund to Double Down on AI

Sequoia Capital Raises Massive $7B Fund to Double Down on AI

April 17, 2026
AI Fund Interesting
Saudi Arabia Opens Bidding for Naming Rights to Five Riyadh Metro Stations

Saudi Arabia Opens Bidding for Naming Rights to Five Riyadh Metro Stations

April 15, 2026
Interesting KSA Riyadh

Read More →

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