Browsing: Business

A new report from global digital payments firm Checkout.com has revealed a striking trend in the UAE, where consumers are embracing AI-driven shopping assistants at a pace far exceeding other global markets. The research highlights a significant gap between this surging consumer demand and the underlying infrastructure needed to support what it calls “agentic commerce.” […] The post UAE Leads Global AI Shopping Adoption, With 64% Trusting Bots Over Family, Finds Checkout.com first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

The UAE’s stability through recent months of geopolitical disruption was not improvised but the result of a deliberate, long-term economic architecture. This was the central message from H.E. Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises and the UAE’s Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, during his opening address at The Briefing by Arabian Business in Dubai. […] The post UAE’s Economic Resilience Is By Design, Not Luck, Badr Jafar Tells Dubai Business Leaders first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

A new global study from the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and IBM’s Institute for Business Value has revealed the UAE is significantly outpacing its global peers in the adoption of AI governance platforms. The report, titled ‘Orchestrating AI at scale for sovereignty and resilience’, indicates a mature and proactive approach to managing artificial intelligence from […] The post UAE Leads Global AI Governance Adoption, New Dubai Future Foundation & IBM Study Reveals first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

Egyptian fintech Blnk has secured $37.1 million in a mixed funding round to scale its point-of-sale financing operations across the country. The round consists of $12.5 million in Series A equity and $24.6 million in local debt facilities, aimed at expanding access to consumer credit for a largely underserved population. Quick Facts Total Funding: $37.1 […] The post Egypt’s Blnk Raises $37 Million to Target Unbanked with AI-Powered Credit first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

MENA startups raised a significant $454.7 million across 33 deals in May 2026, marking a 202% increase from the previous month. However, the headline figure is largely inflated by debt financing, which accounted for two-thirds of the total capital, revealing a more cautious investor sentiment than the numbers initially suggest. Quick Facts Total May funding: […] The post MENA Startup Funding Rebounds To $454.7M In May, Driven By A Surge In Debt first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

Egyptian fintech MNT-Halan has reached a $1.4 billion valuation following the first closing of a new investment round led by Al Ahly Capital, the investment arm of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE). The deal marks a significant milestone, bringing one of the country’s largest traditional financial institutions into the unicorn’s shareholder base for the […] The post Egyptian Fintech Giant MNT-Halan Hits $1.4B Valuation in Al Ahly Capital-Led Round first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

OpenAI, the $850 billion company behind the viral chatbot, is executing its most significant redesign of ChatGPT since its 2022 launch. The strategic pivot will shift the product’s focus from a consumer-facing conversational assistant to a powerful hub for coding tools and autonomous AI agents, signaling a clear push for higher-margin revenue streams ahead of […] The post OpenAI is Overhauling ChatGPT, Focusing on Enterprise and AI Agents Ahead of Potential IPO first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

UAE-founded gifting platform Zuvees has secured $1.6 million from IvyCap Ventures as part of its ongoing Series A fundraising round. The fresh capital injection brings the company’s total funds raised to approximately $3.3 million and will be used to advance its AI technology, logistics infrastructure, and international expansion plans. Quick Facts Funding: $1.6 million from […] The post UAE’s Zuvees Banks $1.6 Million to Scale its AI-Powered Global Gifting Platform first appeared on MENA Startup Digest.

The Affiliate Leaders Summit will take its next major step in 2026, evolving into a standalone global event dedicated entirely to affiliate…

Narvaez hat-trick and Arrieta heroics headline UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s rollercoaster Giro d’Italia News | Team -2nd June 2026 As the wheels stop spinning in Italy’s Grand Tour, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will look back on three weeks that had everything, brilliance, misfortune, and moments that will be talked about long after the race fades from memory. UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s race could have unravelled before it even began. Co-leaders Adam Yates and Jay Vine had withdrawn by the end of the first week, swept up in a crash that also claimed Spaniard Marc Soler. Three riders. One brutal moment. The team’s GC ho