Arab Financial Services (AFS), a leading digital payments and fintech enabler in the Middle East and Africa region, has announced a strategic partnership with Libyan Islamic Bank (LIB) to accelerate the modernisation of Libya’s payment landscape.

Global digital infrastructure company Colt Technology Services said on Monday it has added a new point of presence (PoP) in Istanbul, Turkey, to meet growing demand for infrastructure capacity to support AI workloads and enterprise digital transformation plans.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has approved a commitment of up to $100 million to invest in Africa-focused technology fund managers, as the institution looks to accelerate the continent’s digital industrialisation.

Chinese device OEM Honor announced on Thursday it is partnering with Netherlands-based digital mobile service provider OWN eSIM to enable smartphone users in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to access digital services internationally.

Telecommunications and technology provider Ooredoo Kuwait has announced a strategic partnership with Hadi clinic, an acute care and general medical and surgical hospital.

Global operator Sparkle say it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NaiTel, the telecom arm of the digital ecosystem known as Aqaba Digital Hub, and international consultancy and advisory firm iLevant, to extend the GreenMed submarine cable system through Jordan.

Turkcell, Turkey’s leading telecommunications and technology company, and 5G IoT satellite constellation operator Sateliot say they have successfully completed a field demonstration of 5G NTN IoT connectivity via satellite both in Barcelona and Istanbul.

UAE-based satellite player Space42 revealed on Monday it is ready to launch direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services via its geostationary Thuraya-4 satellite via a partnership with non-terrestrial network (NTN) firm Skylo Technologies.

Iraqi telco Asiacell announced on Monday it will collaborate with local OTT and streaming platform 1001 to bundle entertainment content into its subscriber packages.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is strengthening Jordan’s position as a regional digital hub with a US$14.1 million loan to digital ecosystem Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH) in Aqaba, a coastal city located on the Red Sea.

Pan-African operator Airtel Africa has announced a delay to the planned initial public offering (IPO) of its mobile money business, initially planned for the first half of 2026. Reuters reports that the IPO will now take place in the second half of 2026.

Qatar’s Ooredoo Group announced on Thursday it has signed a partnership deal with du to land Ooredoo’s planned Fibre in the Gulf (FIG) subsea cable system in the UAE.

Algerian telco Djezzy has signed a strategic partnership deal with startup accelerator Algeria Venture and tech startup Taubyte to launch a full-stack AI development workspace for startups, developers, young talent and project leaders.

The continuing drive to use smart data analytics to improve network performance has again been in the news, this time thanks to telecommunications and ICT provider Ooredoo Qatar, which has announced the launch of a service called Smart Wi-Fi Analytics.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) said on Thursday that it will take several months to fully restore services for its Middle East (UAE) Region (ME-CENTRAL-1) after its data centres in the UAE and Bahrain sustained damage due to the war between the US, Israel and Iran.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council has reportedly approved a temporary scheme for businesses to access the global internet with fewer restrictions. The authorities had imposed a blackout since the start of the war against the US and Israel.

Saudi Arabian telco Zain KSA announced on Sunday its digital platform Yaqoot is partnering with Huawei to upgrade Yaqoot’s BSS to boost operational efficiency and make its digital services more competitive.

Digital transformation is a key phrase in many modern telecoms initiatives – and is clearly a driver for two recent strategic partnerships involving major North African operators.

Two recent announcements, from smart devices provider Honor and smart mobility specialist Valeo, have underlined the strategic important of Egypt to Middle Eastern and African ITC by growing their presence in the country.

Ooredoo Qatar announced on Sunday it has launched what it claims is Qatar’s first LTE-M service, enabling its 4G network to support large-scale IoT applications.

Following yesterday's Hughes-Air India news, another partnership has been announced for in-flight connectivity (IFC). This initiative is designed to support the evolving connectivity needs of airlines and aviation customers across Europe, Turkey and the Middle East Africa (MEA) region.

Ooredoo and DE-CIX have connected Doha IX - Qatar’s first commercial Internet Exchange (IX) – to DE-CIX Marseille.

Viasat Aviation, Turksat and SkyFive Arabia announced plans on Tuesday to enable seamless roaming for in-flight connectivity (IFC) services across Europe, Turkey and the Middle East-Africa (MEA) region.

Algeria’s telecoms regulator ARPCE last week launched a call for bids for two satellite licenses, a significant move in a sector so far only open to public companies.

Two partnerships, both announced at GITEX Africa Morocco 2026, are aimed at improve digital financial services and strengthening financial inclusion within Morocco.

AI infrastructure specialist Nexus Core Systems says it has signed an MoU with Moroccan government agencies to invest MAD12 billion (US$1.29 billion) to build an AI factory in the country next year.

Moroccan telco Inwi announced on Wednesday it has partnered with China Mobile International (CMI) to deploy what it claims is the country’s first private 5G network dedicated to industrial use.

Orange Maroc and Ericsson announced on Wednesday they have signed a partnership deal to co-develop and promote private 5G network solutions for Morocco’s enterprise sector.

Comba Telecom, a provider of wireless communication solutions, and SICOTEL Communications (SCOMM), a Moroccan telecom and ICT solutions integrator, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) linked with enabling indoor coverage.

A preliminary study has been launched to assess the readiness for deploying sixth generation (6G) telecommunications networks in Oman, albeit many elements of 6G itself are still being defined.

Turkey officially joined the 5G era on Wednesday after the country’s three main mobile operators – Turkcell, Turk Telekom and Vodafone Turkey – launched 5G services in all 81 provincial centres.