Middle East and North Africa

Saudi Arabia’s PIF inked a deal with operator stc to buy a 51 per cent stake in the latter’s infrastructure business TAWAL, with the tower business then set to be merged with peer Golden Lattice Investment Company.

Microsoft laid out $1.5 billion for a stake in UAE-based G42 in a deal that gave the tech giant a seat on the AI company’s board.

Orange and online education provider Coursera launched free certification training programmes for entrepreneurs and young people in Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on emerging technology areas including AI and cybersecurity. 

Aramco signed a Memorandum of Understanding with chip company GCT Semiconductor to help create a 4G and 5G ecosystem across Saudi Arabia to provision mission-critical and public safety networks.

Batelco prepared to pitch Bahraini businesses a range of private 5G-fuelled operational and revenue benefits, based exclusively on Nokia equipment.

IDC reported smartphone shipments in Africa were up 12 per cent year-on-year in Q4 2023 to 19.8 million units, due in part to strong uptake of low-end Chinese brands across the region.

INTERVIEW: Tareq Amin, CEO of Aramco Digital, insisted the Saudi oil giant’s recently created technology unit is not interested in entering the consumer mobile segment in a traditional way, with its focus set firmly on software, platforms and private 5G.