vizmaya desk · 13 October 2026
MENA+ tech policy on 13 October 2026, in pictures
Today's briefing from Tahseen, with each headline turned into something you can read at a glance.
- UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- Egypt
- Pakistan
- Southeast Asia
- India
Today's top five
The UAE Cabinet approves spending for 2027 to 2029, up 28% on 2024 to 2026.
Riyadh airport stays closed this week after strikes.
Oman's global financial center opens in 2027.
Malaysia aims to sign its EU trade deal by then.
Kaynes Semicon seeks foreign partners for joint ventures in India.
The UAE plans to spend $79.7B over 2027 to 2029.
- Botim Business and Geidea launch loans for micro and small businesses.
- Kraken, a crypto exchange, gets full approval from VARA, Dubai's regulator, and will launch in the UAE.
- Dubai's Bluewaters district starts a four-week driverless trial with Glydways.
- Etisalat launches faster phone uploads on its 5.5G network.
Source: WAM. The 2024-26 bar is worked out from the +28% in the headline.
UAE federal spending plan, $ billion
Saudi Arabia plans a pipeline that moves 10 million barrels a day.
- The CST Commission, the space regulator, calls for global cooperation in space.
- Riyadh airport stays shut this week after strikes.
- Data center operators are pushed to protect their sites better.
- Saudi Arabia Railways doubles its train order to 20 ($359M) for the East-West line, due in 2029.
Source: Saudi Gazette
East-West pipeline: capacity to expand to 10M barrels a day
Egypt and Google give university students a free year of AI tools.
- Egypt's Elsewedy Electric proposes an electric and hybrid car plant in Algeria.
- Indonesia's wealth fund Danantara and Egypt's sovereign fund plan a joint fund.
- The regulator FRA wants non-bank lenders to report monthly.
- Bank NXT moves onto Network International's payments systems.
Source: Ahram Online (MCIT = Egypt's communications ministry)
Free AI tools for students: one year, in months
The IMF now expects Pakistan's inflation to hit 9.9% in FY27.
- Going digital could bring up to $80B in benefits over five years.
- Rules for satellite internet are nearly final.
- The goal: fibre cable at 60% of mobile towers.
- The Prime Minister forms an 11-member panel to monitor governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Source: Profit by Pakistan Today. The 3.5% growth figure comes from that article's link.
IMF forecast for Pakistan, FY27, %
Mubadala's GlobalFoundries signs a $2B deal to supply TSMC.
- U by Emaar and Visa start a 10-year rewards partnership.
- Cheap power and infrastructure should help Gulf data centers grow.
- Oman's global financial center opens in 2027.
- Syria opens a formal banking channel for Saudi oil, after 14 years.
Source: The National
What a silicon interposer does
Malaysia aims to sign its EU trade deal by June 2027.
- Indonesia's tax drive will hit online sellers and big firms.
- Malaysia brings in an e-commerce law to protect small businesses.
- Naver Cloud and FPT expand their AI partnership: AI "factories" and rentable GPUs.
- The Philippine lower house passes an age limit for social media.
Source: The Edge Malaysia. Months counted from 13 October 2026.
From today to June 2027: about 8 months
India's AI mission now lets GPU bidders sell abroad.
- HCLTech and Anthropic team up to help companies adopt AI that completes tasks on its own.
- Modi pitches India as a trusted partner as supply chains face pressure.
- Kaynes Semicon seeks foreign partners for joint ventures in India.
- A free trade push could add $140B to GDP.
Source: Economic Times
IndiaAI Mission GPU capacity: who can buy it
Sources & method
Briefing: Tahseen, Daily MENA tech policy insight, 13 October 2026. Every headline in it appears in this deck and links to its original report.
UAE: WAM · Zawya · Business Wire · Gulf Business · Tech Africa News
Saudi Arabia: Arab News · Saudi Gazette · Reuters · Utilities ME · Arabian Business
Egypt: Dzair Tube · Indonesia Business Post · Zawya · Tech Africa News · Ahram Online
Pakistan: Profit · Profit (IMF) · PhoneWorld · Tribune · TechJuice
Other MENA+: Zawya · Zawya · Arabian Business · The National · The Arab Weekly
Southeast Asia: Nikkei Asia · The Edge · Malay Mail · TechNode · Reuters
India: Economic Times · Reuters · Bloomberg · Digitimes · Business Standard
Method: Figures come from the briefing's headlines and links. The 2024-26 UAE bar is worked out from the +28%; the "about 8 months" is counted from 13 October 2026; the pipeline, interposer and GPU pictures are explanatory diagrams, not data.