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SAMENA Telecommunications Council - Logo Industry News Briefing
October 22, 2026
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Featured Member News
 
SAMENA Council Strengthens Cross-Regional WLAN Industry Cooperation with WAA through Engagements in UAE, Oman, and China
 
 
The SAMENA Telecommunications Council and the World WLAN Application Alliance (WAA) are strengthening their institutional cooperation through a series of industry engagements in Dubai, Muscat, and Shenzhen, bringing global WLAN technology development into closer contact with telecommunications infrastructure requirements, operator priorities, and investment opportunities across the South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa (SA-ME-NA) region...
 
Zain and Ooredoo launch regional tower platform with first closing in Qatar and Kuwait
 
 
Zain Group and Ooredoo announced the first closing of their regional tower transaction, bringing together the initial tower portfolios within a regional tower platform jointly owned by Zain Group and Ooredoo Group , each holding a 50% stake...
 
 
 
Member News
 
•  MTN Group presents 2026 Y’ello Care Awards to teams bringing healthcare closer to communities
Member Logo During the evening, MTN presented the 2026 Y’ello Care Awards, honouring the colleagues and teams who worked alongside health ministries, health workers and communities during this year’s 21 Days of Y’ello...
 
•  Huawei's NG WAN Solution enters large-scale commercial use to drive carrier growth
Member Logo At the Net5.5G Intelligent IP Network Summit during UBBF 2026, John Cai, Vice President of Huawei's Data Communication Product Line, delivered a keynote speech, highlighting AI as a definitive opportunity in an uncertain...
 
 
Recent Developments
 
•  The SAMENA Council Highlights Trust, Commercial Viability and Regulatory-Industry Coordination at 6G MENA Summit 2026, Supporting TDRA’s 6G Vision
 
•  Eutelsat and EuroSkyPark expand satellite connectivity for critical energy infrastructure
 
•  Omantel Hosts SAMENA Council Leaders AXIS Conference 2026 to Drive Digital Investment in Oman
 
•  Omantel launches R&D Initiative with MIT CSAIL and leading Omani academic institutions to advance technology development in Oman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy and Regulation
 
• Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority and International Telecommunication Union organize UAE Capacity Building Week under the theme “From Connectivity to Intelligence”
The initiative forms part of a partnership aimed at strengthening national capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerating the transition from knowledge acquisition to the development of practical solutions...
 
• SDAIA and CST launch the “Its AI” campaign to rise awareness in fake clips and deepfake risks
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) have launched an awareness campaign titled “Its AI” to raise awareness of the risks...
 
Middle East
 
• Qatar Airways, QNB Group sign global digital payments partnership
Qatar Airways and QNB Group have entered into a strategic global payments partnership aimed at enhancing digital transactions, improving customer experience and supporting cross-border commerce across the airline’s...
 
• tpay selected as Vodafone Qatar’s direct operator billing aggregator
Long-standing partnership expands as tpay becomes Vodafone Qatar’s Direct Operator Billing aggregator, building on a proven track record of major digital service launches...
 
• G42 and Yann LeCun’s AMI Labs sign MoUs
G42, the Abu Dhabi-based global technology group, and its portfolio company Analog have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Advanced Machine Intelligence...
 
• du's nine-month net profit rises 10.8% to $653mln
Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) reported a 10.8% year-on-year increase in net profit to AED2.4 billion for the first nine months of 2026, supported by sustained demand for connectivity and digital...
 
North Africa
 
• Algeria opens registration for Global Africa Tech 2027 Summit
Algeria has opened registration for the second edition of Global Africa Tech, scheduled for April 12–14, 2027, in Algiers, with a focus on attracting investment into the infrastructure needed to support Africa’s...
 
3G, 4G, 5G/5G-A, Cloud, AI, Energy
 
• 1.2 billion in developing Asia Pacific still offline despite widespread 4G coverage
Around 1.2 billion people in Developing Asia Pacific remain offline despite 98% of the region’s population living within reach of a 4G network, with a US$184 billion investment gap threatening efforts to achieve...
 
• BT's EE 5G+ network reaches 80% of UK population as AI-RAN plans advance
As 5G+ coverage and usage grow, BT is also investing in technologies that could take the network further, including plans to bring AI-RAN out of the lab and onto EE’s live network for the first time next year...
 
• WHO uses AI to provide health risk information for DRC
WHO AFRO is part of WHO, the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable...
 
Content & Immersive Technologies
 
• JustWatch launches streaming service across 11 markets
JustWatch has launched its own streaming service in 11 countries, adding direct viewing to the programme discovery tools used by its existing global audience of 50 million...
 
• UNICEF, Airtel, FG expand digital learning to 2,000 Nigerian schools
The United Nations Children’s Fund, Airtel Africa and the Federal Government have expanded access to free digital learning and skills development to nearly 2,000 schools across Nigeria, reaching about one million...
 
Satellite & Hybrid Networks
 
• VEON and Starlink Mobile connect over 11 million customers through satellite-to-phone service
VEON and Starlink Mobile have announced that more than 11 million unique VEON customers have connected to Starlink's direct-to-device satellite service at least once, enabling mobile communications in locations beyond...
 
• Catton Village Hall gets full fiber broadband upgrade
This upgrade allows event organisers to access online resources, stream digital media, and facilitates cashless payments through card readers or smartphone apps...
 
 
SAMENA Trends
 
MSS Whitepaper
 
South Asia
 
• Pakistan expands digital infrastructure for AI push
Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that Pakistan had significantly expanded its digital infrastructure through a major spectrum auction, 5G deployment and nationwide fibre-optic connectivity to meet...
 
• Dialog Touch partners with HelaGo to advance the future of cashless corporate mobility
Touch Card by Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s most advanced corporate fuel management solution, has partnered with HelaGo to enable businesses to simplify employee transportation and mobility-related payments through a...
 
Global Telecom Update
 
• KDDI launches number verification v2 for secure identity verification using Google Firebase
Authentication is performed using phone numbers and SIM contract information without the need to enter authentication codes via SMS...
 
• Orange switches off 2G network across France
The move follows Orange’s 2022 announcement that it would gradually retire older mobile technologies rather than continue operating multiple generations of networks alongside one another...
 
• Thunes brings its cross-border payments network to Venezuela
Singapore-based global payment platform Thunes announced that it has expanded its cross-border payments network into Venezuela, billed as one of Latin America's critical financial corridors...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Disclaimer: Information contained herein has been obtained from sources, which we deem reliable. SAMENA Telecommunications Council is not liable for any misinformed decisions that the reader may reach by being solely reliant on information contained herein. Expert advice should be sought.
 
 
 
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