Middle East

The GCC and broader Middle East.
Blockchain
Cryptography
Fintech

Stablecoin 101: how stablecoins work and why they matter

What a stablecoin is, what backs the dollar, why $300bn now sits in them, and how the US, EU and UK rules written in the last two years change the picture.
What a stablecoin is, what backs the dollar, why $300bn now sits in them, and how the US, EU and UK rules written in the last two years change the picture.
Rowen Brooks  · 
Cryptography
Retail & E-Commerce
Fintech

How payment processing fees work in fintech

Take one card payment apart: interchange to the issuer, scheme fees to Visa or Mastercard, margin to the acquirer, and why the new rails are aimed at all three.
Take one card payment apart: interchange to the issuer, scheme fees to Visa or Mastercard, margin to the acquirer, and why the new rails are aimed at all three.
Rowen Brooks  · 
Blockchain
Cryptography
Fintech

How stablecoin settlement works in cross-border payments

Follow a payment from Manchester to Lagos to see where the stablecoin removes the correspondent banks, what it costs, and why the last mile is still hard.
Follow a payment from Manchester to Lagos to see where the stablecoin removes the correspondent banks, what it costs, and why the last mile is still hard.
Rowen Brooks  · 
Fintech

OORI's Naif Alajmi on opening Saudi private markets

OORI co-founder Naif Alajmi on the CMA licence, why Saudi private markets stayed hard to reach, and the plan for GCC-wide private market infrastructure.
OORI co-founder Naif Alajmi on the CMA licence, why Saudi private markets stayed hard to reach, and the plan for GCC-wide private market infrastructure.
Rowen Brooks  · 
Fintech

What the UAE's emergency financial crisis period changes

BSA LAW's Michael Kortbawi and Nadia El Tannir on Cabinet Decision 94/2026: doubled deadlines, trustee-free settlements and priority financing for UAE debtors.
BSA LAW's Michael Kortbawi and Nadia El Tannir on Cabinet Decision 94/2026: doubled deadlines, trustee-free settlements and priority financing for UAE debtors.
Rowen Brooks  · 
Automotive
Sustainability
Real Estate

RYET and Changan target Saudi NEV talent gap with joint institute

A China-Malaysia edtech firm partners with Changan and a Saudi commercialisation group to build NEV vocational pathways for the Kingdom.
A China-Malaysia edtech firm partners with Changan and a Saudi commercialisation group to build NEV vocational pathways for the Kingdom.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Fintech
Retail & E-Commerce

NEOPAY and Deem Finance link payments data to SME credit in UAE

A UAE payments-meets-regulated-lending tie-up uses POS transaction data to pre-qualify SME working capital, bypassing traditional credit friction.
A UAE payments-meets-regulated-lending tie-up uses POS transaction data to pre-qualify SME working capital, bypassing traditional credit friction.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Space
AI & ML
Real Estate

IHC acquires 80% of Marlan Space in UAE new-space economy push

Abu Dhabi's IHC backs Marlan Space to build sovereign satellite infrastructure, linking Gulf capital to the global new-space economy.
Abu Dhabi's IHC backs Marlan Space to build sovereign satellite infrastructure, linking Gulf capital to the global new-space economy.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
AI & ML
Defence

UAE embeds agentic AI in government, sparking machine-authority debate

The UAE's Cabinet AI Advisor and 50% agentic government target raise urgent questions about where machine authority ends.
The UAE's Cabinet AI Advisor and 50% agentic government target raise urgent questions about where machine authority ends.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Fintech
Real Estate

HSBC Kuwait and Tap Payments team up on merchant acquiring

HSBC Kuwait partners with local fintech Tap Payments to modernise card acceptance and receivables for corporate clients.
HSBC Kuwait partners with local fintech Tap Payments to modernise card acceptance and receivables for corporate clients.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Cryptography

The next stablecoin explosion will come from enterprises not fintechs

Stablecoins are moving from trading infrastructure into real payment rails, with the biggest near-term opportunities in cross-border transfers and marketplace payouts

Stablecoins have been the subject of a lot of hype, but the conversation is starting to move beyond speculation.

Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Fintech

Inside QNB's Transformation: Najla Al-Mutawa on Processes, and Tech

Most banks are still navigating the slow, complex journey of digital transformation—but what if you could speed up your innovation pipeline without sacrificing compliance

Najla Al-Mutawa, EVP of Strategy at QNB, reveals how her team is accelerating AI adoption and blockchain initiatives within a heavily regulated environment, delivering groundbreaking projects in record time.

Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Defence
Quantum

Quantum Cyber names Abraham Accords diplomat to lead GCC defence push

The Nasdaq-listed autonomous defence firm bets its Gulf expansion on a former Israeli diplomat with deep sovereign-capital ties across the GCC.
The Nasdaq-listed autonomous defence firm bets its Gulf expansion on a former Israeli diplomat with deep sovereign-capital ties across the GCC.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Defence
Transportation & Logistics

BOS lands $2.3m Israeli defence order as backlog hits record $31m

The Israeli supply chain integrator's record backlog signals sustained defence procurement demand amid regional security pressures.
The Israeli supply chain integrator's record backlog signals sustained defence procurement demand amid regional security pressures.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Cybersecurity
AI & ML

Delinea targets AI agent governance at GISEC Global 2026

Delinea's runtime authorisation push at GISEC signals a regional shift from AI access control to governing what agents actually do.
Delinea's runtime authorisation push at GISEC signals a regional shift from AI access control to governing what agents actually do.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
AI & ML
Space
Biotech
Datatech

LEAP 2026 opens as Saudi Arabia bets diversification on AI

The fifth edition opened in Malham today with 1,289 registered investors representing $14.5tn in assets, though the opening-day deal total has yet to land.
The fifth edition opened in Malham today with 1,289 registered investors representing $14.5tn in assets, though the opening-day deal total has yet to land.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Defence
Energy

Parsons wins NNSA task orders to extend nuclear-smuggling shield

Two new task orders covering 25 countries bring Parsons' counter-nuclear smuggling portfolio to $90m, spanning the Middle East and Africa.
Two new task orders covering 25 countries bring Parsons' counter-nuclear smuggling portfolio to $90m, spanning the Middle East and Africa.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Fintech
Transportation & Logistics

Policybazaar.ae embeds insurance inside UAE vehicle gateway

A UAE traffic-systems platform becomes a live insurance distribution channel, collapsing vehicle registration and policy issuance into one digital transaction.
A UAE traffic-systems platform becomes a live insurance distribution channel, collapsing vehicle registration and policy issuance into one digital transaction.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Fintech
Real Estate

FOO and BENEFIT push BenefitPay past 1.9bn transactions

UAE fintech FOO hits 100 feature milestones on Bahrain's national digital wallet, serving 1.3 million active users.
UAE fintech FOO hits 100 feature milestones on Bahrain's national digital wallet, serving 1.3 million active users.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
Fintech
Real Estate
Sustainability

Uzbekistan bids to become Central Asia's fintech gateway

Tashkent's Silk Road Forum draws 6,000 delegates as Uzbekistan converts regulatory reform into a pitch for global Islamic and digital-finance capital.
Tashkent's Silk Road Forum draws 6,000 delegates as Uzbekistan converts regulatory reform into a pitch for global Islamic and digital-finance capital.
Disrupts Editorial Team  · 
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