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SAMENA Telecommunications Council - Logo Industry News Briefing
August 28, 2026
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Featured Member News
 
stc Group showcases its innovative solutions as Strategic Partner of LEAP 2026 for the fifth consecutive year
 
 
stc Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading digital enabler, will participate in LEAP 2026 as the strategic partner for the fifth consecutive year. Taking place from August 31 to September 3 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham, the event will bring together more than 600 start-ups, 1,000 speakers, and 1,800 exhibitors from around the globe under the theme “Into New Worlds”...
 
 
 
Member News
 
•  MTN Group advances Africa’s AI-ready digital infrastructure ecosystem through strategic partnership
Member Logo Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, economies and societies at an unprecedented speed. As demand for cloud computing, AI workloads and data-intensive digital services accelerates, access to resilient, scalable...
 
•  Huawei recognized as a Leader in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Storage Platforms, 2026
Member Logo The tech analyst firm Gartner® has released the "Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Storage Platforms, 2026". Huawei has earned a spot in the Leaders Quadrant, the only non–North American vendor to do so...
 
 
Recent Developments
 
•  Cisco expands secure AI factory with NVIDIA for the rack-scale era
 
•  SAMENA Council Welcomes Zetrix AI to Advance Telco-Led AI Services and New Digital Revenue Opportunities
 
•  Omantel Explores Collaboration with GalaxySpace on Next-Generation Satellite Connectivity Opportunities
 
•  Born in Riyadh. Sold Out in Paris. stc and EWC a Winning Partnership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy and Regulation
 
• Malaysia to tighten e-commerce platform regulations amid complaints
Malaysia is reportedly planning to toughen oversight of e-commerce platforms operating in the country, to include requiring them to be registered with the government...
 
• Nigeria’s NCC grants MTN conditional approval for IHS deal
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted MTN Nigeria a conditional Approval-in-Principle (AiP) for its proposed acquisition of IHS Towers’ Nigerian business, adding a key regulatory milestone to MTN...
 
Middle East
 
• FOO and BENEFIT mark 100 platform upgrades for Bahrain’s BenefitPay wallet
UAE-based FinTech solutions provider FOO and Bahrain’s electronic financial transactions company BENEFIT have completed 100 Change Requests for BenefitPay, marking a major development milestone in the evolution of...
 
• Oman turns to AI to tackle diabetes-related blindness
An artificial intelligence-powered screening programme in Oman has cut waiting lists at specialist eye clinics by 87% and identified more than 12,000 diabetic patients requiring further examination, as the sultanate expands...
 
• Jordan to host Replit event focused on AI-powered software development
Jordan will host a specialised Replit event on August 29, bringing together developers, entrepreneurs, students and technology enthusiasts to explore AI-powered software development and emerging development tools...
 
• Sharjah launches new cyber security strategy 2026–2031
Sharjah Digital Department (SDD) has launched the Sharjah Cyber Security Strategy (SCSS) 2026–2031, following its approval by the Sharjah Executive Council, marking a new phase in strengthening the emirate’s...
 
South Asia
 
• Nepal Telecom provides free services to Bhotekoshi flood victims
Nepal Telecom has provided free voice, SMS and internet services to people affected by the Bhotekoshi floods, following a directive from Information and Communications Minister Dr Bikram Timilsina to support communications...
 
• Bangladesh to establish $13 million AI hub with South Korean support
Bangladesh will establish a $13 million national artificial intelligence hub in Dhaka with financial and technical support from South Korea, creating a dedicated centre for AI training, applied research and collaboration...
 
3G, 4G, 5G/5G-A, Cloud, AI, Energy
 
• Telkom Kenya commits Ksh1 billion to 4G, 3G and fiber network expansion
Telkom Kenya has announced a Ksh1 billion investment programme to improve mobile connectivity and strengthen service quality as it seeks to compete more effectively with market leaders Safaricom and Airtel...
 
• Tokyo wards tap NTT 5G to become smart city hubs
Japanese operator NTT DoCoMO partnered with Mitsubishi Estate to develop 5G-driven smart districts in Tokyo...
 
• Wahyd brings Agentic AI into LocomotePro, and it answers the phone
Wahyd has integrated Agentic AI into LocomotePro, its transport and fleet management platform, adding an assistant that handles customer conversations by text and voice, works in four languages, and hands off to a human when...
 
Global Telecom Update
 
• One NZ and 2degrees building a joint network
One NZ and 2degrees have jointly proposed combining their radio access network (RAN) infrastructure into a new, separately owned wholesale company that would own, manage and operate the active kit on mobile sites, then sell...
 
• Cambodia’s Metfone expands digital partnership with Canadia Bank
Viettel’s Cambodian subsidiary Metfone announced that it has expanded its partnership with Canadia Bank with an MoU to explore ways to cooperate in digital infrastructure, digital solutions, cybersecurity, green...
 
 
SAMENA Trends
 
MSS Whitepaper
 
North Africa
 
• Telecom Egypt joins FTSE Emerging Markets Index after Mid Cap upgrade
Telecom Egypt has entered the FTSE Emerging Markets Index after being upgraded from the Small Cap to Mid Cap segment of the FTSE Global Equity Index Series, following FTSE Russell’s semi-annual review for September...
 
Satellite & Hybrid Networks
 
• Korean Air to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi from September via Starlink
Korean Air will begin offering free in-flight Wi-Fi powered by SpaceX's low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service Starlink starting in early September...
 
• NTIA approves all 56 BEAD final proposals to expand broadband availability
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it has approved its last Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Final Proposal, completing approval of all 56 state and...
 
Content & Immersive Technologies
 
• CH Media brings eight national free-to-air channels under 3+ brand
CH Media is bringing its eight national free-to-air channels together under the 3+ brand as part of a major rebranding of the Swiss media company’s television portfolio...
 
• Videoland seeks approval to acquire Viaplay’s Netherlands business
Dutch streaming platform Videoland has applied to competition regulator ACM for approval to acquire Viaplay’s activities in the Netherlands, a deal that could significantly strengthen its sports content offering and...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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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