Information technology (IT) in the Middle East
Information technology (IT) news, trends, articles and research for the Middle East - the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and others. This section covers IT security, data backup and recovery, networking, data centre, cloud computing, mobile applications, virtualisation, big data, virtual machines and more.
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News
23 May 2025
Data embassies and US embargo halt give Saudi AI hope
Gulf autocracy gets access to powerful AI chips subject to export ban and pursues legal reforms to make foreign computing firms feel comfortable about putting their data there Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2025
Trump visit bolsters Saudi AI
A new AI datacentre is among the initiatives the White House announced during the president’s Middle East visits Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2020
Saudi Arabia sees cyber security boom as coronavirus bites
Saudi Arabian CIOs have been forced to increase their security posture as the Covid-19 pandemic transforms working methods Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus
Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Netherlands investigates innovative privacy technology SSI
Dutch research organisation is looking into areas where self-sovereign identity technology could be used in society and business Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward
Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
Aramex ships in Rackspace Technology to accelerate datacentre downsizing and move to AWS cloud
Dubai-based international shipping and logistics firm Aramex is in the midst of a cloud-focused digital transformation designed to tighten up its last-mile delivery operations with the help of Rackspace Technology Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2020
Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals
Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Jul 2020
CW Middle East: Facing up to coronavirus
The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic – and technology is helping to lead the fight. Also read why the the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company sees its flagship digital project in high demand, and how the coronavirus has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
Egypt offers free tech scholarship to 100,000 citizens
Egypt's youths are being offered free training to help them to prepare for the careers of the future Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
How Saudi Arabia is using cloud to navigate the Covid-19 downturn
Organisations in Saudi Arabia are using cloud computing services to help them navigate challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Coronavirus: Pandemic spurs QR code app upgrade at PayPal
PayPal introduces QR code payment functionality to its mobile app to support social distancing Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Coronavirus: Bahrain sees fintech take-up surge amid Covid-19 crisis
Covid-19 has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain, which could boost the industry in the country and wider Gulf region Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2020
Flagship digital investment at Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc pays off
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company sees flagship digital project in high demand after proving its value in responding to the Covid-19 crisis Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform
The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2020
Cash use to go below 5% of total spending in Middle East
Banks expect a rapid reduction of the use of cash in the region Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2020
Coronavirus: Total outsourcing spending collapses in March
IT spending plunged in March, drastically reducing increases that had been expected in the EMEA region Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
How Bolt plans to be more uber than Uber
Overcoming competitors with brand names that have become part of the modern vernacular is a challenge Estonia-based Bolt has set itself as it takes on Uber Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Apr 2020
CW Middle East: A quarter of Middle East businesses have no women in IT
Over a quarter of businesses in the Middle East have no women in their IT departments, according to Computer Weekly’s Salary Survey, which has also revealed that 40% of Middle East-based IT professionals would change job for more money. Also in this issue, find out whether China’s public cloud provider, Alibaba, has what it takes to trouble the likes of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft in the infrastructure-as-a-service market. Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2020
Estonia offers digital tools to countries struggling with coronavirus school closures
Government and tech companies in Baltic state unite to offer advanced digital learning tools to other countries Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
UN identifies tech companies working in Occupied Palestinian Territories
United Nations Human Rights Office report names a number of technology companies that could be involved in violating human rights Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
CIO interview: Miguel Rio Tinto, Emirates NBD
The Dubai-based banking group’s CIO, Miguel Rio Tinto, talks about its ambitious digital transformation plans Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
IT Priorities 2020: IP network investments top priority for Middle East IT leaders
IT leaders in the Middle East expect to see increased spending on IP networks as digital transformation continues across the region Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Mar 2020
EC publishes approach to human and ethical implications of AI, but what will UK do?
The European Commission has published a guide to the EU’s approach to the human and ethical effects that artificial intelligence might bring Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
Thousands of UK entrepreneurs register businesses in Estonia since Brexit referendum
UK entrepreneurs are registering businesses in Estonia to make sure they can continue to trade freely in the EU Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2020
Mastercard creates 1,500 tech jobs in Ireland
New roles at tech hub in Dublin will include professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, blockchain and user experience Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2020
Azimo gets loan from European Investment Bank to build cross-border payments infrastructure in EU
UK fintech gets validation from EIB through €20m loan which will contribute to building its smartphone app-based payments infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2020
New jobs in Ireland as Brexit forces Revolut to migrate work from London
Brexit has pushed the financial technology firm into moving London jobs to Ireland Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2020
Cost-cutting and digital transformation spur increased European IT outsourcing in 2019
The need to rein in costs while digitally transforming has led to growth in traditional and as-a-service base outsourcing Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
Estonian CIO gives UK IT professionals hope as Brexit removes rights
Tech chief says Estonia’s door is open to UK IT professionals if they want to continue enjoying an EU lifestyle Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2020
UK and EU AI communities will only be globally significant if they work as one
The European Union and the UK will be left behind in artificial intelligence research and development if they take separate paths after Brexit Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
Two-fifths of Middle East IT staff would change job for more money
IT professionals in the Middle East are mostly motivated by money when it comes to finding a new job, according to a Computer Weekly survey Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2020
Over a quarter of Middle East businesses have no women in their IT department
Businesses in the Middle East are failing to balance their IT workforces between men and women, and a quarter have no women in IT roles Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
Travelex to begin restoring foreign exchange services two weeks after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack
Travelex says it is making “good progress” in its recovery and is to begin restoring electronic foreign exchange services, but is silent about whether it has agreed to pay hackers a $6m ransom to decrypt computer files Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web
Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Jan 2020
CW Middle East: Digital leads the way for Abu Dhabi oil giant
The state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is transforming its business through digital projects that range from deciding where to drill for oil and gas, to helping the company decide where to sell its final products. Also find out in this issue why the UAE is setting up a university dedicated to artificial intelligence, and read an interview with Mohamed Sater, head of IT at Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2020
Cyber gangsters demand payment from Travelex after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack
Cyber criminals are demanding payment to decrypt Travelex’s computer files after a devastating malware attack. New questions have been raised about the security of Travelex’s computer network after it emerged the company waited eight months to patch vulnerable VPN servers Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2020
Suspected ransomware attack causes worldwide disruption for Travelex
Travelex switches off computer systems and resorts to cash-only currency sales after malware attack. Insiders claim the currency exchange chain has been hit by ransomware which has left critical files containing customer data encrypted Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2019
Top 10 enterprise IT in the Middle East stories of 2019
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 enterprise IT in the Middle East stories of 2019 Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
How Saudi Arabia plans to become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East
With its young and educated population, Saudi Arabia has the potential to become a hub for tech innovation Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
How can CIOs in Europe turn innovation into a competitive advantage?
CIOs across Europe are under pressure to innovate to help businesses grow and must think differently as a result Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Cloud computing surges in the UAE in 2019
Cloud computing take-up saw a significant acceleration in the Middle East throughout this year Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Dubai’s Kentech kicks off digital transformation drive
Energy and industrial support company will go live in Oracle’s cloud next month Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2019
Swiss packaging manufacturer powers digital maintenance with GE and ServiceMax
Carton and packaging company SIG, which also sells IoT-connected machines to food and beverage firms, has developed a digital maintenance service Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2019
Collaboration is key to rapid adoption of govtech across Europe
Government technology is spreading across Europe, but policy-makers and senior civil servants are still figuring out best practices Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2019
Zain taps Ericsson for 5G network
Zain commissions Ericsson for 5G technology to meet growing data traffic demands and deliver high-quality mobile broadband and fixed wireless experiences, encompassing new business in the automotive, health and energy sectors Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2019
Saudis recruited Twitter employees to spy on critics
Court documents reveal how the Saudi Arabian government targeted Twitter employees as part of a coordinated effort to gather information on known dissidents Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2019
Abu Dhabi AI university is key to UAE’s future as the oil dries up
Abu Dhabi’s fledgling artificial intelligence university is part of a highly ambitious 30-year plan to transform the UAE’s economy and culture Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2019
Thousands apply to Abu Dhabi AI University in first week
Artificial intelligence university in Abu Dhabi gets more than 3,000 applications in the week following its application process being opened Continue Reading
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News
23 Oct 2019
Interview: Abdul Nasser Al Mughairbi, head of digital, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
Abdul Nasser Al Mughairbi is leading digital developments at Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil giant Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2019
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company uses blockchain for inter-group network
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is using blockchain internally, with plans to expand it beyond the group boundaries Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2019
Abu Dhabi AI university open for applications
New university in UAE aims to enable students, businesses and governments to increase the use of artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading
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E-Zine
10 Oct 2019
CW Middle East: Saudi banks trial biometrics in ATMs
Biometric and blockchain technologies are being used in tandem to provide ID verification at Saudi Arabian cash machines. Also read about the first government organisation in Bahrain to migrate to Amazon Web Services, and an interview with Yasmeen Al Sharaf, head of fintech and innovation unit, Central Bank of Bahrain. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2019
UK and Middle East PR firm ditches NetApp for Nutanix and Talon Fast
Four Communications needed better connectivity for collaboration between the UK and its gulf sites, so dumped server/storage for hyper-converged and a distributed file system Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2019
CIO interview: Mohamed Sater, head of IT at Mumtalakat
Mumtalakat’s head of IT, Mohamed Sater, is modernising the IT infrastructure of the organisation through cloud computing Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2019
Dubai’s Precision Group takes manufacturing into the cloud
Head of IT at mould and packaging company talks about leading its digital transformation programme Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2019
Facebook automatically generates pages for Islamic State and Al-Qaeda
Facebook algorithms have auto-generated hundreds of Facebook pages for the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia, according to a whistleblower Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2019
Inside Oman’s new tech startup drive
Oman is aspiring to be a tech startup hub and is on a mission to compete with its neighbours in the Gulf Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2019
First government organisation in Bahrain migrates to Amazon Web Services
Sovereign wealth fund’s internal IT team handled migration process, which has slashed the organisation’s technology operational costs Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
GDPR faces growing pains across Europe
The General Data Protection Regulation is over a year old now, but it faces challenges across Europe where compliance has taken place at different speeds Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2019
Middle East businesses welcome Amazon Web Services region launch
Bahrain AWS region, with three datacentres, links Middle East to AWS's global network and will help to accelerate digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
Organisations turn to AI in race against cyber attackers
Businesses are racing to automate their defences as hackers and nation states launch increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Jul 2019
CW Middle East: SAP drives digital transformation for Saudi Arabian auto company
The automotive division of Saudi Arabia’s Abdul Latif Jameel Company (ALJC) has completed one of the biggest SAP projects ever undertaken in the automotive distribution sector. Also in this issue, read about Dubai-based delivery app Fetchr’s bid to become one of the largest tech companies in the Middle East, and how a UAE startup is using digital technology to simplify medical appointment bookings. Continue Reading
- 10 Jul 2019
- 10 Jul 2019
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Feature
01 Jul 2019
Facebook’s privacy game – how Zuckerberg backtracked on promises to protect personal data
Facebook promised its users privacy then quietly abandoned its promises in pursuit of profits. Now it faces antitrust regulation Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2019
Interview: Yasmeen Al Sharaf, head of fintech and innovation unit, Central Bank of Bahrain
Yasmeen Al Sharaf heads up financial technology strategy at Bahrain’s central bank, which is on a mission to grow and diversify the sector in the Middle East island state Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2019
Saudi banks trial blockchain-based identity technology at ATMs
Biometric and blockchain technologies are being used in tandem to provide ID verification at Saudi Arabian cash machines Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Jun 2019
Should tech companies capitalise R&D spending?
Technology companies frequently ask whether they should capitalise their research and development costs. There are clear benefits, increasing reported profit and hence potential valuations, but what are the risks? Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2019
Etihad Airways uses artificial intelligence to source ideas from staff
UAE airline works with tech startup to create a platform to help it apply employees’ ideas to address business challenges Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2019
Emirates NBD builds bank of future with Amazon Web Services
UAE bank is accessing the latest technology through a close relationship with IT giant Amazon Web Services Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2019
Facebook loses bid to halt European court decision on EU-US data sharing
Irish Supreme Court dismisses attempt by Facebook to prevent the European Court of Justice considering the validity of US-EU data transfers, after Austrian lawyer Max Schrems argued that they put the privacy of EU citizens at risk Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2019
Saudi Arabia’s largest auto company completes SAP project as part of digital transformation
Abdul Latif Jameel Motors wins SAP Quality Gold Award for digital revamp programme that overhauled performance and efficiency across its business Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2019
Middle East Interview: Dubai-based Fetchr
Delivery app Fetchr is spreading across the Middle East with its mobile-to-mobile delivery service. We talk to its founder Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2019
Facebook engaged in ‘calculated’ campaign to eliminate competition, claims businessman
A US businessman is seeking damages from Facebook after accusing the social media company of unfairly blocking “humorous” Facebook pages which generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2019
Facebook co-founder: ‘It is time to break up Facebook’
Co-founder of Facebook, Chris Hughes, has published an op-ed in The New York Times calling for Facebook to be broken up, as it faces investigations from the US Federal Trade Commission Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2019
Middle East Interview: Bahrain fintech drive gathers speed
Bahrain wants to be a launchpad into the wider region for financial technology firms looking to scale Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2019
Facebook faces fresh privacy actions from regulators
Facebook faces legal action from Canada after it dismissed regulators’ findings that it failed to protect customer privacy. The firm has set aside $5bn to settle a privacy action in the US and faces a new investigation in Ireland Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2019
Egypt aims to develop coding skills earlier in education system
An Egyptian government initiative will see thousands of teenagers trained to code in HTML, CSS and Python Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2019
Etihad Airways automates customer and luggage journey monitoring
National airline of United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, will improve passenger journeys through automated monitoring Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2019
Middle East CIOs optimistic as budgets increase and digital transformations expand
Cyber security and risk management will see the biggest increase in spending, but digital transformation of businesses is a major driver of investment, survey shows Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2019
Facebook takes extraordinary legal steps to contain document leak
Facebook targets journalists and news organisations for computer searches Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Apr 2019
CW Middle East: Visibility and security of networks are top IT priorities
The 2019 Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT Priorities survey shows that enterprise buyers in the Middle East, like those in the UK and Europe, are looking to lock down their networks in the face of an almost constant barrage of threats and malicious actors. Also read how Facebook planned to use its Android app to track the location of its customers and to allow advertisers to send political advertising, and what further details operator O2 has revealed about how it is planning for the advent of 5G. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2019
Skype blocked in UAE will hit businesses as well as people
Skype has been blocked to users in the United Arab Emirates, and its effects will be felt by businesses as well as citizens Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2019
Huawei reports record numbers despite tumultuous year
Huawei has become one of the world’s largest technology companies by revenue, suggesting the accusations over its ties to the Chinese government are failing to have much impact Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2019
Middle East countries accelerate quantum computing research
Gulf countries must invest in quantum computing research to ensure they continue to to remain digital pioneers Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2019
Met Police collaborated with US prosecutors in WikiLeaks investigation
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it exchanged information on WikiLeaks staff in the UK with the US Department of Justice, which is conducting criminal investigations into the organisation Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2019
Revolutionising patient booking in the Gulf
Startup in the Gulf region is applying digital technology to solve the inefficiencies in medical appointment booking processes Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Mar 2019
CW Europe: Robots deliver savings for Dutch postal service
In this issue we look at how Dutch delivery company PostNL is reaping huge efficiency savings by using robotic technology to automate time-consuming administrative tasks, Facebook’s opposition to the referral of questions about the legality of data transfers between Europe and the US to the European Court of Justice, and how Oslo is thriving from a unique combination of business agility, a cultural receptiveness to technology, and a social desire to do good. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2019
UK among most expensive countries for mobile data
The UK ranks 136th in the world for the average cost of 1GB of mobile data, according to new statistics Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2019
Facebook asked George Osborne to influence EU data protection law
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg invited one of the chancellor’s children to Facebook’s office as part of a intensive lobbying programme to influence European data protection legislation Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2019
Facebook planned to spy on Android phone users, internal emails reveal
Facebook planned to use its Android app to track the location of its customers and to allow advertisers to send political advertising and invites to dating sites to ‘single’ people, confidential documents show Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2019
Estonia redoubles efforts to attract global IT talent
IT professionals from all over the world are being lured to Estonia through a government recruitment campaign Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2019
Bahrain plans to create a world-leading tech ecosystem
Bahrain is building a technology ecosystem that will help the country further reduce its economic reliance on the oil and gas industry Continue Reading
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E-Zine
10 Jan 2019
CW Middle East: Bahrain aims to be fintech hub
Bahrain’s government wants to make the country the go-to place in the Middle East for financial technology companies. It hopes to capitalise on its banking know-how to establish an ambitious fintech “ecosystem”. Also read about Dubai’s plans for the Smart Data platform and the UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature, and how Shell is using AI to amplify the human impact of its workforce. Continue Reading
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Opinion
31 Dec 2018
Can we live without passwords?
Can you imagine a future in which we can be secure online without having to remember an unwieldly list of passwords? Solutions are emerging that could make passwords redundant, but there will be other security problems to resolve Continue Reading
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News
27 Dec 2018
Top 10 Middle East stories of 2018
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Middle East enterprise IT stories of 2018 Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Dec 2018
Douglas Engelbart, the forgotten hero of modern computing
Half a century ago, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated an experimental computer that laid the foundations for modern computing. His vision to use computing power to solve complex problems in all areas of human activity has become reality, but not in the way that he imagined Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Nov 2018
More effective digital transformation through the power of your own people
The old model of escalating decisions up and down the management chain does not work any more. Business leaders need to delegate responsibility for projects to business and technology specialists and eliminate the fear of failure Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2018
China leapfrogs US in supercomputer deployments
China has more than twice the number of supercomputers than the US, and it is finding a ready market for its Lenovo supercomputers among US tech companies in Ireland, the latest top 500 supercomputer list reveals Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
Smart Dubai platform is the backbone of the city's transformation
Aisha bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, talks about the Smart Data platform and soon-to-be-unveiled UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature which is being touted as one of the foundations a city needs to transform Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
GSMA urges fresh action on 5G mobile spectrum
Mobile industry body says time is running out to ready enough radio frequency spectrum in the appropriate bands to account for the demands of 5G mobile networks Continue Reading
