Middle East & Africa

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 24, 2025 - UAE operator du has signed a three-year agreement with Huawei after deploying what the companies describe as the world's first 25Gbps E-band microwave link to support a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) site rollout, aiming to boost capacity and consistency where fiber backhaul is limited.

From "site upgrades" to backhaul strategy
5G-Advanced pushes more traffic through the radio layer, but the customer experience still hinges on the transport network behind it. du framed the partnership as a joint innovation framework-not just procurement-designed to keep pace with surging data transmission demand while accelerating scalable 5G-A coverage across the UAE, including areas where fiber deployment is slower or impractical.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 15, 2025 - Dubai Airshow 2025 opened at Dubai World Central with the Middle East debut of two of China's homegrown C919 aircraft, signaling a higher-profile push by Chinese aerospace players to showcase commercial, unmanned, and next-generation aviation technologies to global buyers.

C919 debut puts China's narrowbody on a new international stage
At the 19th edition of the Dubai Airshow, the appearance of the C919 marked its first showing in the Middle East, with a flight demonstration at the venue. The aircraft's presence matters beyond the air display: for airlines, lessors, MRO providers, and airport stakeholders, international showcases help shape early market perception around supply-chain maturity, support ecosystems, and longer-term export ambitions.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 15, 2025 - XPENG AEROHT has completed a public manned flight of its modular flying car, the "Land Aircraft Carrier," in Dubai and signed purchase agreements totaling 600 flying cars across the Middle East, as the company accelerates overseas expansion and rebrands as ARIDGE.

Dubai manned flight pairs technology validation with commercial traction
The October 12 milestone combined a fully manned demonstration flight with what the company described as record-breaking regional demand, lifting total global orders to over 7,000. The event was witnessed by regional dignitaries, members of the local Chinese community, and more than 100 media outlets, signaling both regulatory interest and market visibility as the "low-altitude economy" shifts from concept showcases to procurement discussions.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 15, 2025 - XPENG AEROHT has secured a manned aircraft special flight permit from the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for its modular flying car "Land Aircraft Carrier" in Ras Al Khaimah, enabling manned flight tests across the country and marking a notable step in the overseas commercialization of China's low-altitude eVTOL technology.

Aviation permission becomes a market-entry signal for advanced air mobility
The permit, granted in Ras Al Khaimah, is positioned as the first such authorization obtained by a Chinese flying car company overseas. For B2B stakeholders-from mobility operators to public-sector agencies-regulatory access is often the gating factor that turns "future mobility" narratives into measurable pilots, procurement conversations, and infrastructure planning.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - Hanwha Finance is sharpening its Middle East growth agenda as Chief Global Officer Dong-Won Kim used his opening address at Abu Dhabi Finance Week's Global Markets Summit to position South Korea-UAE financial collaboration as a long-term strategic pillar for both economies and a testbed for next-generation digital capital markets.

Strengthening a Korea-UAE "100-Year Partnership" Through Finance

Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Kim framed financial services as the connective tissue that will turn high-level Korea-UAE diplomacy into investable projects and new cross-border capital flows. He noted that "since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1980, South Korea and the UAE have continuously expanded the scope of cooperation", and stressed that Hanwha Finance intends to help carry forward a "100-year partnership" between the two nations.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - From its position as a fast-rising global capital hub, Abu Dhabi is using Abu Dhabi Finance Week's Asset Abu Dhabi forum to redefine how institutional investors think about asset allocation, risk and long-term value creation in a volatile macro environment. Hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the event's second day brought together leading capital allocators, hedge fund managers, family office leaders and policymakers to assess emerging opportunities and the next frontier of asset management.

Abu Dhabi's regulatory platform moves into the global first rank

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - MindHYVE.ai, Inc. and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) have entered into a landmark partnership designed to accelerate AI literacy, ethical AI adoption and workforce readiness across one of the world's youngest and fastest-growing regions. Under a new Memorandum of Understanding, IUCEA will champion MindHYVE's agentic learning technologies across more than 170 universities, positioning East Africa as a testbed for large-scale AI education and future-of-work transformation.

Regional higher education as a launchpad for AI fluency

IUCEA, which coordinates and harmonizes higher education across the East African Community, will act as regional advocate and facilitator for MindHYVE's platform. The collaboration is structured to give universities access to world-class AI reasoning tools, certified learning programs and structured training for emerging digital skills.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - November 28, 2025 - MWC25 Doha has closed its doors after a high-profile two-day debut that drew almost 9,500 unique attendees and positioned the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as an increasingly influential hub in the global connectivity and digital innovation ecosystem.

A Landmark Debut for MWC in the GCC

Hosted in partnership with the State of Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, MWC25 Doha marked a strategic expansion of the GSMA's flagship event series into the GCC region. The show brought together senior leaders from both policy and industry as discussions focused on digital transformation, innovation and the next wave of 5G and beyond.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - November 13, 2025 - Koelnmesse is deepening its position as one of the world's most internationally active trade fair organizers, announcing multiple successful show launches in Saudi Arabia and preparing to debut ORGATEC WORKSPACE Saudi Arabia on 16 September 2025. The expansion reflects growing demand for specialized B2B events in high-growth global markets and underscores Koelnmesse's outbound strategy to strengthen brands beyond Cologne.

Strong New Launches Signal Momentum in Saudi Arabia