September 8, 2025

Since September 6, damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea has disrupted internet services throughout the UAE and other parts of the region. Networks experienced high latency, with major telecom providers du and Etisalat confirming widespread slowdowns. Cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure were also affected. Restoration efforts are underway, but full connectivity may […]

Gulf equities retreated today, reacting to sliding oil prices and softer-than-expected U.S. employment figures. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell by 0.6%, marking its ninth decline in ten sessions, with heavyweights like Aramco and Al Rajhi Bank dragging the market down. In contrast, Qatar bucked the trend, gaining 0.3%—led by strength in Qatar Islamic Bank. The

Regulatory developments are underway: the UAE’s central bank now permits only licensed entities to issue stablecoins and supports a dirham-backed digital coin spearheaded by ADQ and First Abu Dhabi Bank. Meanwhile, Bahrain introduced a Stablecoin Issuance Module (SIO) allowing issuance of fiat-backed stablecoins under central bank approval—paving the way for broader crypto integration in financial systems. Source: wikipedia

CoinMENA, a Sharia-compliant crypto exchange licensed in both Bahrain and Dubai, has formed a partnership with UAE digital bank Zand. This collaboration will enable fiat-to-crypto transactions across the region and supports Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin rollout—marking key progress in streamlining regulated crypto adoption in the Gulf. Source: wikipedia

LG Electronics is expanding its global South strategy with a partnership to provide advanced cooling solutions for a new AI data center in Oxagon, NEOM’s industrial zone in Saudi Arabia. The move supports the scaling of digital infrastructure within the ambitious NEOM megacity development. Source: LG NewsRoom