The FORGE at UM6P has selected six AI startups for Demo Day 2026. 
They tackle the “messy middle” of operations, from compliance to staffing. 
Tools include WhatsApp-based agents, PropTech platforms and restaurant management hubs. 
The focus is on becoming a digital backbone, not flashy consumer apps. 
Morocco signals AI is shifting from experimentation to everyday business integration.

Jordan launched TechWeen to boost digital skills and tackle talent shortages. 
The programme bridges lecture halls and workplaces with hands-on training. 
It targets gaps in AI, cybersecurity, software and data analytics. 
Human capital is seen as key to attracting investment and sustaining innovation. 
Leaders warn the global “race for talent” demands continuous learning and reskilling.

QSTP’s “Build for QSTP” Hackathon focused on real operational systems, not showy demos. 
University teams built AI-native tools to fix workflows and improve decisions. 
Algorithm Architects and Anthos won with practical, tailored solutions that “just work”. 
Organisers noted rising sophistication, reflecting how quickly local talent is evolving. 
The real test now is implementation, as AI shifts from buzzwords to application.

WSSL and Dilmune Cloud won the 25th StartUp Bahrain Pitch competition. 
WSSL offers a point-of-sale platform tailored for laundry services. 
Dilmune Cloud provides a “centralised” dashboard for managing hosting and applications. 
Other startups tackled logistics and “legal paperwork” through digital platforms. 
Backed by Tamkeen, Bahrain’s ecosystem is “punching above its weight”.

Egypt adds semiconductors and electronics design to a seven-year export incentive scheme. 
Incentives are “performance-based”, tied to exports achieved and jobs created. 
Officials aim to boost competitiveness and back the “Egypt Makes Electronics” drive. 
Plans include a unified digital platform to cut red tape and speed payments. 
Predictable support could attract global R&amp;D, if execution matches the promise.

Dr Talal Abu-Ghazaleh launched a $500,000 fund to back Arab inventors. 
“You invent, I will partner” to turn ideas into products. 
The fund targets early-stage intellectual property and practical commercialisation. 
He urged new AI governance and announced a digital polytechnic for 2026. 
The focus is empowering youth and building home-grown, knowledge-driven businesses.

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MasterMinds (52)

QFC and Ahli Bank sign MoU to boost fintech innovation. 
Their Digital Assets Lab will test digital assets and tokenisation use cases. 
Pilot programmes aim to move ideas “from whiteboard to working product”. 
Joint events and knowledge-sharing target a “dynamic and forward-looking” ecosystem. 
Move strengthens Qatar’s hub ambitions and aligns with National Vision 2030.

Entlaq partners again with El Gouna to host the 2026 SDR Summit. 
The “Data × Innovation” theme aims to ground policy and investment in evidence. 
Over 500 participants, including international investors, will attend sector-focused sessions. 
The SDR 2026 report spans ten sectors, from FinTech to CleanTech. 
Organisers hope clearer data drives policy reform and fresh capital flows.

Classera unveils a global push to make AI the backbone of education. 
The plan embeds AI into “everyday educational environments”, not a shiny add-on. 
It supports Vision 2030 ambitions for AI-driven learning and workforce readiness. 
Across the Gulf, AI in classrooms is a strategic race for competitiveness. 
Challenges remain around data governance, teacher training and digital inclusion.

Smart Bricks won the $1 million prize at The Pitch finale in Paris. 
The contest drew 50,000 applicants, with 100 reaching the final round. 
The startup builds ‘agentic AI infrastructure’ for global real-estate investing. 
It earlier raised $5 million from a16z Speedrun and global investors. 
The victory signals MENA startups can ‘compete — and win’ globally.

Coldwell Banker, Edafa Venture and Prime Group launch Egypt’s PropTech Hub. 
The venture will “fund, accelerate and scale” real estate tech startups. 
It builds on the 2025 PropTech Program with clearer capital strategy. 
Three pillars — Connect, Innovate, Elevate — drive digital transformation efforts. 
Success hinges on execution, linking small teams with real growth opportunities.

Contact Financial Holding reported a 27 per cent rise in operating income. 
Financing profits surged as higher-margin products and “tweaked” risk buffers paid off. 
Insurance premiums grew strongly, but higher claims led to a small net loss. 
Digital push gathered pace, with AI lending tools and 2,2 million app downloads. 
Management says the shift to a “digital-first” platform is gaining traction.

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Asharqia Chamber Incubator placed third at the Global Startup Awards. 
The contest drew 5,000 entrants from over 150 countries. 
Leaders credit “international best practices” and strong mentorship support. 
The incubator links founders with investors and long-term growth partners. 
The win signals Saudi startups are ready to compete globally.

Guzturk aims to fix Egypt’s patchy property experience with an integrated ecosystem. 
It links acquisition, design, finishing, furnishing and long-term asset management. 
Four programmes offer turnkey homes, revenue-sharing management, asset optimisation and developer support. 
Owners get transparency via an app and a single point of contact. 
The focus shifts from selling square metres to “income-producing assets”.

STV secured fresh backing from Saudi Awwal Bank for its Emerging Tech &amp; AI Fund. 
The fund, backed first by Google, is deploying “tens of millions” regionally. 
SAB calls AI a “core driver” of productivity, risk management and customer experience. 
STV targets “application-layer AI” startups solving practical business problems. 
Institutional appetite suggests AI in MENA is now a “core strategy”, not hype.

Boyot and Hybrid partner to modernise Kuwait’s property management and rent collection. 
The deal targets “digital transformation”, reducing cheques, paperwork and manual processes. 
Integrated tools aim for greater transparency, accuracy and operational efficiency. 
Leaders call it a “strategic milestone” with clear legal and organisational foundations. 
If executed well, it could reshape everyday landlord and tenant interactions.

Qashio and NEXA AI Lab aim to move firms from AI “buzzwords” to action. 
They offer a free AI audit to find quick wins in finance workflows. 
The partnership targets automation, better spend visibility and less “manual grind”. 
AI-powered receipt capture already saves teams four hours each week. 
Leaders say AI in finance is now a baseline, not optional “window dressing”.

The 25th StartUp Bahrain Pitch gathered founders, investors and ecosystem players under one roof. 
Emerging ventures in fintech, AI and digital platforms signalled broader economic diversification. 
Clear, fintech-friendly regulation helps startups test faster and “punch above its weight”. 
Growing Gulf competition could mean more capital, collaboration and cross-border opportunities. 
The event felt less a celebration, more a checkpoint in steady innovation work.

Alef Education and TMRW Edtech signed an MoU to build an AI-powered ecosystem. 
They plan to merge classroom learning with school management systems. 
The platform will be “Microsoft-native”, using Azure, Dynamics 365 and Copilot. 
The partnership targets governments and large institutions across GCC and MENA. 
Both firms will test joint opportunities before rolling out at scale.

Dubai Future District Fund commits to US PropTech specialist Camber Creek. 
The $1bn manager backs 15–20 scale-ups with a “high-conviction” approach. 
Its Beta Labs tests products with landlords before writing cheques. 
The partnership supports Dubai’s D33 Agenda and sector-focused growth. 
It could help US PropTech firms scale across the Middle East.

Visa expands its Agentic Ready programme to Oman, targeting AI-led payments. 
Banks can test “agent-initiated transactions” in a controlled, secure environment. 
National Bank of Oman joins, backing innovation with compliance and trust. 
The scheme builds on tokenisation, identity tools and “programmable” payments. 
Industry sees opportunity, but warns trust must not be compromised.

Payward’s Kraken secured VARA approval for broker-dealer, investment and management services in Dubai. 
UAE clients can access spot, margin, OTC trading and staking under local supervision. 
Direct AED funding removes cross-border ‘faff’ and simplifies global market access. 
Kraken connects Dubai traders to global liquidity through a shared order book. 
The move reinforces the UAE’s crypto hub ambitions, with regulation as “the catalyst”.

Core42 secured $550 million from HSBC to drive global AI expansion. 
The non-dilutive deal funds sovereign cloud deployments across the US and Europe. 
Dublin will anchor European operations, with Italy and France partnerships underway. 
Banks are backing AI infrastructure as an asset class, not a speculative bet. 
The move signals Gulf tech firms expanding west while keeping firm control.

Mohammed Fathy

Mohammed Fathy, Author at Arageek

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Arageek: MENA&#039;s Tech Pulse — Web3, AI &amp; Startups

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