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November 2022 

CONTENTS 

P36 | FINTECH 

P40 | FITNESS, LIFESTYLE & FASHION 

TECHNOLOGY 

P8 | LAUNCH EXPRESS 

P84 | HEALTHCARE 

P90 | INDUSTRIAL TECH 

P44 | COVER STORY 

P10 | ENTERPRISE IT 

P94 | DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 

P52 | MARKETING TECH 

P14 | SPACE TECHNOLOGY 

P24 

P20 | TECH MY MONEY 

P28 | GADGET REVIEWS 

P56 | CRYPTO & DIGITAL ASSETS 

P58 | APP EXPRESS 

P26 

P32 | LATEST TECH 

P34 | AI & ML 

P62 | CYBERCRIME 

P68 | FUTURE TECH 

P80 | BIOTECH 

P82 | HOME TECH 

P42 

P64 


November 2022 / 7

PAUSEME FOR 

MICROSOFT TEAMS 

Ever had back-to-back Teams calls and thought, “I 

just need a quick second to ____”? The PauseMe 

Microsoft Teams gives you the freedom you 

need. Easily step away from your laptop with this 

Bluetooth button. 

With just one click, you can mute or unmute your audio 

or show or hide your video in your MS Teams meeting. 

Take a little break to get water, stretch, or address that 

quick personal task with the peace of mind that with 

a single click of your PauseMe you can jump back into 

your work day. 

No additional software installation is required—it works with Teams—so it’s ideal for corporate laptops. With a compact 

design, it’s a sleek addition to your office and great for remote work. Seamlessly toggle between on and off settings using 

this gadget. Avoid awkward situations where personal moments display on work calls and reduce your virtual meeting 

fatigue. 

MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 9 

Do anything you want anywhere 

with the Microsoft Surface Pro 

9 versatile tablet. Designed for 

working, gaming, streaming, and 

creating, this powerful device 

blends what you want in a tablet, laptop, 

and studio. 

It is made with a high-grade aluminum 

casing, it comes in multiple anodized 

colors: Platinum, Sapphire, Forest, and 

Graphite. Moreover, designed with a built-in 

kickstand, it also lets you achieve just the 

right viewing angle at any given moment. 

With a 13-inch PixelSense display, its 

edge-to-edge screen has up to a 120 Hz 

refresh rate. Not only that, but it also has 

an HD camera, Omnisonic speakers, and 

directional microphones. With a custom G6 

chip, in response to your tactile signals— 

and digital ink on the screen feels like 

writing with pen and paper. Finally, choose 

from 2 processors: 12th Gen Intel Core on 

the Intel Evo platform with Thunderbolt 

4 or Microsoft SQ powered by Qualcomm 

Snapdragon with 5G. 



SANDMARC MACRO 

LENS FOR IPHONE 14 

Capturing every detail from your iPhone 14 will be so much easier with the Sandmarc Macro Lens for iPhone 14 

Series. This iPhone 14 lens lets you experience the intimate intricacies the world has to offer. 

Additionally, this iPhone lens edition comes with an iPhone case to give you the maximum benefits of using this 

lens. It’s also made of premium multi-coated optics. This lens comes with a lens case mount along with a clip mount 

if you wish to use your own case or have no case at all. 

Together with the precision-engineered glass and industrial aluminum body, this iPhone lens set makes a great accessory 

for your iPhone. Getting up to 30x macro photos from your iPhone 14 will not be that difficult anymore. It is only priced at 

99.99$ so go hurry and get yourselves one available at the nearest store or online. 



ENTERPRISE IT 

BEEAH LAUNCHES AI-DRIVEN 

FACILITY TO BOOST ‘ZERO-WASTE’ 

TO LANDFILLS GOAL 

Enhancing the capabilities of its four-square-kilometre integrated waste management 

complex, BEEAH Recycling, the pioneering waste processing, and material recovery business 

under BEEAH Group, has launched a new recycling facility. The Commercial and Industrial 

(C&I) waste recycling facility is the tenth and latest addition to BEEAH Recycling’s Waste 

Management complex, which is aiming to help Sharjah achieve 100% landfill waste diversion 

this year. 

How is this project 

beneficial? 

The C&I and SRF 

facilities add to eight 

other waste processing 

facilities in BEEAH Recycling’s waste 

management complex, including the 

Material Recovery Facility for mixed 

recyclables, the Metal Recycling 

Centre for cars and automobiles, the 

Industrial Waste Water Treatment 

Plant for industrial wastewater, the 

Construction and Demolition Waste 

facility for debris from construction 

sites, the Biomass facility for cellulose 

and carbon-based waste, the 

Alternative Raw Material facility for 

marine debris, effluents and oil spills, 

the Tyre Recycling facility for old tyres, 

and the Medical Waste Processing 

facility for biohazardous medical 

waste. Now, with a total of 10 facilities 

in its waste management complex, 

BEEAH Recycling is set to steadily 

increase landfill waste diversion rates 

in the emirate of Sharjah and achieve 

100% landfill waste diversion by the 

end of 2022, making it the first city to 

achieve zero waste to landfill in the 

Middle East. 

A little more information about the C&I 

facility and BEEAH 

The C&I recycling facility is the first 

of its kind in the region, with a robotics 

and AI system that automatically 



detects, identifies, and separates 

different types of waste. It will 

supplement the waste processing 

efforts at BEEAH Recycling’s Material 

Recovery Facility (MRF), which is the 

largest facility of its kind in the Middle 

East and the third largest in the world. 

Previously, the MRF was the primary 

location for the separation of mixed 

recyclables in BEEAH Recycling’s 

Waste Management Complex. With 

the addition of the AI and Roboticsenabled 

C&I recycling facility, BEEAH 

Recycling is set to enhance efficiency 

of material recovery and increase 

landfill waste diversion. 

Insights shared by great minds! 

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of 

BEEAH Group, said: “We are proud 

of the latest development at BEEAH 

Recycling, which aligns with our 


Group’s vision to pioneer a sustainable 

quality of life for all. We believe that 

achieving a zero waste to landfill 

future is a cornerstone for tomorrow’s 

sustainable, smart cities, and we 

look forward to achieving this goal 

for Sharjah. By employing future 

technologies and AI vision to optimise 

material recovery, we are accelerating 

towards zero-waste targets and 

creating a positive impact for society, 

the environment, and the circular 

economy.” 

Speaking about the recycling 

facility, Daker El-Rabaya, CEO of 

BEEAH Recycling, said: “With the use 

of robotics and AI, the C&I facility 

processes waste and recovers 

material from mixed recyclables 

faster and more effectively for 

reintroduction into the economy. Not 

only are we enhancing the capabilities 

of our integrated complex, but we 

are setting a new benchmark on how 

valuable material can be recovered 

from waste in a way that saves time, 

labour and cost. Combining our new 

C&I facility with the SRF facility, we 

have demonstrated that integrated 

waste processing can drive our goals 

of sending zero waste to landfill for 

the first time in the Middle East. At the 

same time, we are generating value 

two-fold; from recovered materials 

and waste-derived fuels.” 

-feature@thetechnologyexpress.com 


DATA & DATA INTELLIGENCE 

FIFA ANNOUNCES PLAYERS 

IN THE WORLD CUP WILL 

RECEIVE AN ANALYSIS APP 

With a new World Cup 

application, soccer’s 

global governing body 

continues to modernize 

its operations online. 

Every player at the Fifa World 

Cup in Qatar will easily access 

their performance data thanks to a 

dedicated mobile application. 

World soccer’s governing body will 

use manual and automated techniques 

to collect and analyze match events, 

tracking data and physical performance 

metrics from each match. 

Following the final whistle, each 

player receives information and media 

synced with match footage and still 

photos. 

Players may use this information 

to evaluate their performance or to 

interact with fans on social media 

by posting match photographs and 

information. This will increase interest 

in the event underway on November 20. 

According to Johannes Holzmüller, 

director of football technology and 

innovation for FIFA, “for the first time 

at a FIFA World Cup, not only the 

participating teams but also all players 

will have the opportunity to get direct 

access to their performance data 

and the related video clips after each 

match.” 

“This player-centric development 

is based on direct player feedback 

and is another wonderful example of 

how FIFA is utilizing technology to the 

fullest extent possible by enhancing 

the football experience for the main 

players on the pitch,” according to a 

release from FIFA. 

Players are becoming more 

interested in learning about their 

performance statistics and becoming 

more aware of the importance and 

sensitivity of this information. As a 

result, FIFA and the international 

players’ union FIFPRO created a player 

data rights charter to guarantee 

privacy under regulations like the 

European general data protection law 

(GDPR). 

According to Simon Colosimo, 

deputy general secretary of FIFPRO, 

“players have clearly expressed to us 

that they want more access and profit 

from the acquisition of their data.” 

The FIFA Player App is a successful 

conclusion that will activate personal 

data rights and offer new resources for 

players at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, 

especially when combined with the 

charter of player data rights revealed 

earlier this week. 

We anticipate that FIFa and FIFPRO’s 

collaborative work on player data 

will continue to help male and female 

players in various ways, including 

health and performance, in-game 

technology, and matchday experience. 

The application was tested in the Arab 

Cup. 

The application, which just debuted 

to the World Cup participating teams, 

was tested during the recent Dohahosted 

team’s workshop and allowed 

players from various teams to access 

data on their performance. 

According to Johannes Holzmueller, 

FIFA Director of Innovation and 

Football Technology, “participating 

teams, as well as all players, will have 

direct access to their performance 

data and related videos after each 

match.” This is a groundbreaking 

example of how FIFA utilizes cuttingedge 

technology to enhance the 

football experience for the game’s 

most important players while on the 

field. 

This innovation is the first tangible 

result of the existing cooperation 

between FIFA and FIFPRO to develop 

standards and best practices for 

the collection, protection, and use of 

personal performance data of players, 

as the two bodies are working to 

create a charter of footballers’ data 

rights to develop these standards, with 

players transparently informed of their 

rights related to privacy following what 

is stipulated in applicable legislation, 

such as the European General Data 

Protection Regulation. 

According to Simon Colosimo, 

Deputy Secretary-General of FIFPRO, 

“the players have made it very plain to 

us that they want to access and profit 

from more data on their performance.” 

improving players’ rights to their data 

and giving them access to new tools 

for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 

2022. 

“We also anticipate that the 

cooperative efforts between FIFA and 

FIFPRO on player data will continue to 

provide everything that would assist 

the players in a variety of areas, 

including health, performance, gamerelated 

technology, and matchday 

atmosphere,” he added. 




CYBER SECURITY 

EMIRATES NUCLEAR ENERGY CORPORATION (ENEC) 

SIGNS AN AGREEMENT WITH CYBER SECURITY COUNCIL 

TO BOOST THE CYBERSECURITY OF THE ENERGY SECTOR 

The UAE Cybersecurity Council and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) have 

signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish guidelines and standards for 

cybersecurity in the country’s energy industry. 

Mohamed Ibrahim Al 

Hammadi, managing 

director and chief 

executive officer of 

ENEC, and Dr. Mohamed 

Hamad Al Kuwaiti, head of cyber 

security for the UAE government, inked 

the agreement at ENEC’s headquarters 

in Abu Dhabi. 

The partnership is an extension of 

ENEC’s dedication to strengthening 

resilience, increasing cybersecurity, 

and implementing best-in-class 

technology in the renewable energy 

industry in the UAE. The MoU will 

strengthen the strategic alliance 

between the two organizations by 

sharing knowledge, skills, and training 

assistance. ENEC will also contribute 

specialists to creating a national 

security operations center. 

DECISIVE ACTION 

“This is a vital step in creating the 

national cyber strategy and further 

expanding its intellectual resources,” 

stated Al Hammadi. ENEC places a 

high priority on cyber security as 

we endeavor to guarantee that we 

are prepared to handle any potential 

cyber issues. With the assistance of 

the UAE Cyber Security Council, we 

are dedicated to collaborating closely 

to share best practices and ensure 

that the UAE solidifies its position as 

a global innovator through a cuttingedge 

network infrastructure. 

Due to the world’s quality shift in 

cybersecurity and the strengthening 

of the country’s global leadership, 

the UAE ranks fifth globally for its 

robust cyberinfrastructure in a report 

published by the Global Cybersecurity 

Index 2020 by the International 

Telecommunication Union. 


According to Dr. Al Kuwaiti, we 

aim to develop the crucial cyber 

sector to lower risk, boost trust, 

promote growth across all sectors, 

and enhance preparation. The MoU 

intends to combine resources and 

talents to create and spread cuttingedge 

solutions that will improve and 

make it easier to create secured 

infrastructure. 

FORESIGHT 

He also emphasized that modernizing 

technical systems and ensuring that 

these systems are continuously 

updated following the newest 

standards are essential to the nation’s 

objective of entering the digital world 

through sophisticated and secure 

infrastructure. This encourages the 

transmission and exchange of foreign 

information and services, which 

in turn serves to improve the UAE 

cybersecurity sector’s competence in 

the world arena. 

The MoU builds on the success of 

the first CyberEnergy Leadership 

Forum, which ENEC held last month 

in association with the UAE Cyber 

Security Council, in conjunction with 

the US Departments of State and 

Energy, and with the assistance of 

eminent international experts. More 

than 117 professionals participated in 

the session, highlighting best practices 

for facilitating the transition to 

renewable energy while discussing the 

state of cybersecurity today. 

A national event to exchange 

information on important cyber 

security strategy and execution 

problems will be co-hosted by the 

Cyber Security Council and ENEC 

in 2023. The forum works with local 

and international stakeholders to 

improve resilience and establish new 

benchmarks of excellence, aligning 

with ENEC’s support for and alignment 

with the UAE National Cyber Security 

Strategy. 

PRACTICE CONSISTENTLY 

The Cyber Security Council and 

ENEC will work together to create 

and carry out regular exercises for 

the energy sector as a reaction to any 

cyber events under the conditions of 

the MoU. The Barakah nuclear Power 

Station, owned and constructed by 

ENEC, is the world’s first entirely 

digital nuclear power plant and 

incorporates the most cutting-edge 

nuclear technology. To handle potential 

cyber risks, the Cyber Security Council 

will also collaborate with ENEC to 

create and hold regular exercises for 

the energy industry. 

The ENEC-built Barakah Nuclear 

Power Plant employs the most cuttingedge 

nuclear technology available, 

and all systems cooperate with the 

council’s authorized cyber standards to 

assure compliance. 



SPACE TECHNOLOGY 

SPACE MINING 

Space mining is the hypothetical exploitation of materials from asteroids and 

other minor planets, including near-Earth objects. 

Asteroid mining is a 

hidden gem 

Notable asteroid mining 

challenges include the 

high cost of spaceflight, 

unreliable identification of asteroids 

that are suitable for mining, and the 

challenges of extracting usable material 

in a space environment. Asteroid sample 

return research missions illustrate the 

challenges of collecting ore from space 

using current technology. As of 2021, 

less than 1 gram of asteroid material has 

been successfully returned to Earth from 

space. In-progress missions promise to 

increase this amount to approximately 

60 grams. Asteroid research missions 

are complex endeavors and return a tiny 

amount of material relative to the size 

and expense of these projects. 

The beginning of enormous 

projects? 

Starting with the fact that space 

belongs to no country, complicating 

traditional methods of resource 

allocation, property rights, and trade. 

With limited demand for materials 

in space itself and the need for vast 

amounts of energy to return materials 

to Earth, creating a viable industry will 

turn on major advances in technology, 

finance, and business models. That said, 

there’s no grass growing under potential 

pioneers’ feet. Potential economic, 

scientific and even security benefits 

underlie an emerging geopolitical 

competition to pursue space mining. The 

United States is rapidly emerging as a 

front-runner, partly due to its ambitious 

Artemis Program to lead a multinational 

consortium back to the Moon. But it 

is also a leader in creating a legal 

infrastructure for mineral exploitation. 

The United States has adopted the 

world’s first space resources law, 

recognizing the property rights of private 

companies and individuals to materials 

gathered in space. 

However, the United States is hardly 

alone. Luxembourg and the United Arab 

Emirates are racing to codify spaceresources 

laws of their own, hoping 

to attract investment to their entrepot 

nations with business-friendly legal 

frameworks. China reportedly views 

space-resource development as a 

national priority, part of a strategy to 

challenge U.S. economic and security 

primacy in space. Meanwhile, Russia, 

Japan, India, and the European Space 

Agency all harbor space-mining 

ambitions of their own. Governing these 

emerging interests is an outdated 

treaty framework from the Cold War. 

Sooner rather than later, we’ll need 

new agreements to facilitate private 

investment and ensure international 

cooperation. 

Plenary science about space 

mining 

In the past several decades, planetary 

science has confirmed what has long 



SPACE TECHNOLOGY 

been suspected: celestial bodies are 

potential sources for dozens of natural 

materials that, at the right time and 

place, are incredibly valuable. Of these, 

water may be the most attractive in the 

near-term, because with assistance from 

solar energy or nuclear fission — H2O 

can be split into hydrogen and oxygen 

to make rocket propellant, facilitating 

in-space refueling. So-called “rare 

earth” metals are also potential targets 

of asteroid miners intending to service 

Earth markets. Consisting of 17 elements, 

including lanthanum, neodymium, and 

yttrium, these critical materials are 

required for electronics. And they loom 

as bottlENECks in making the transition 

from fossil fuels to renewables backed 

up by battery storage. 

The Moon is a prime space mining 

target. Boosted by NASA’s mining 

solicitation, it is likely the first location 

for commercial mining. The Moon has 

several advantages. It is relatively close, 

requiring a journey of only several days 


by rocket and creating communication 

lags of only a couple of seconds a 

delay small enough to allow the remote 

operation of robots from Earth. Its low 

gravity implies that relatively little energy 

expenditure will be needed to deliver 

mined resources to Earth orbit. 

Technology also reinforces just in 

time. 

The prospects for space mining are 

being driven by technological advances 

across the space industry. The rise 

of reusable rocket components and 

the now-widespread use of off-theshelf 

parts are lowering both launch 

and operations costs. Once limited to 

government contract missions and 

the delivery of telecom satellites to 

orbit, private firms are now emerging 

as leaders in developing “NewSpace” 

activities, a catch-all term for endeavors 

including orbital tourism, orbital 

manufacturing, and mini-satellites 

providing specialized services. The space 

sector, with a market capitalization of 

$400 billion, could grow to as much as 

$1 trillion by 2040 as private investment 

soars. 

But despite the high-profile 

commercial advances, governments still 

call the shots on the leading edge of 

space resource technologies. The United 

States extracted the first extraterrestrial 

materials in space from the Moon during 

the Apollo missions, followed by the 

Soviet Union’s recoveries from crewless 

Luna missions. President Biden recently 

borrowed one of the Apollo lunar rocks 

for display in the Oval Office, highlighting 

the awe that deep space can still 

summon. 



GAMING 



Developer WB Games 

Montréal has released 

a new trailer showing 

gameplay footage from 

the PC version of the 

upcoming Gotham Knights game. The 

game is scheduled to debut on October 

2022. Ray tracing, extremely high 

frame rates, 4K resolution, ultrawide 

and multiple monitors support, and 

Intel AI-enhanced upscaling make 

this game the best-looking one in 

the Batman world for consoles and 

computers. 

All the versions of Gotham Knight 

show off an incredibly detailed 

Gotham City that Batgirl, Red Hood, 

Nightwing, and Robin must protect 

since Batman has seemingly been 

killed. Players must go through many 

narratives to get the whole plot since 

each character’s story will present the 

events from their point of view. Since 

each of these heroes has distinct skills 

and playstyles, each tale will seem 

different from the others and increase 

the game’s replay ability. 

There are some of the foes that 


players will already be familiar with, 

such as Mr. Freeze, but there are 

others, like the Court of the Owls, that 

players have never encountered in the 

prior Batman games. We have no idea 

how strong these new adversaries 

are since they have never before 

appeared in the movies. It’s good to 

see fresh antagonists exclusive to fans 

of the Batman comics or the Gotham 

television series, which is their own 

significant media appearance. 

Batman was the only character 

you could play, as in earlier Arkham 

games; you weren’t given a choice 

(outside of the DLC). So, when you can 

choose whom, you want to play with, 

utilizing their weapons and vehicles 

that you haven’t had the opportunity to 

use before, Gotham Knights will give 

you an entirely new experience. We 

can’t wait to cruise Gotham on Batgirl’s 

motorcycle; based on the video, it looks 

incredible. Additionally, it will be good 

to have the choice of controlling one of 

the male heroes or a female hero and 

exploring Gotham from the perspective 

of someone other than Batman. 

Glimpse: A world without Batman 

The Dark Knight has passed 

away; therefore, the game will start 

in Gotham City without him. We 

will have to assume control of the 

situation the way he did via the Batfamily 

member’s Batgirl, Nightwing, 

Red Hood, and Robin. Since we are 

taking on the job as a team, all of the 

former friends of the caped crusader 

must prevent all the criminals from 

wreaking utter havoc in the city and 

trying to fill the void left by the finest 

investigator in the whole globe. 

Gotham Knights is a must-play game 

for fans of the Batman franchise or 

even just great-looking games full 

of action and fun characters that we 

haven’t had a chance to play before. 

Whether you play on a console or a 

computer, you’ll love defending Gotham 

with all these characters you wouldn’t 

often play as. They’ll have big shoes to 

fill now that Batman has departed. 



SOFTWARE 

THE NEW 

GOOGLE 

PIXEL 7 

PRO 

At its essence, Google is 

a software corporation. 

Even though the Google 

Pixel 7 Pro and its smaller 

sibling are the most recent 

in a long line of excellent phones, 

the company is still in charge of 

Android as a whole. It still provides 

its hardware items with exclusive 

characteristics, nevertheless. After 

all, it must set itself apart from the 

competition. Because of this, the 

Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both 

have a ton of new features that are 

unique to them. 

Enhancements to Direct My Call 

Great phones have always been 

available with Pixel. They allow you to 

use Google Assistant to make callers 

explain their intentions before you can 

speak to them, and they provide some 

of the best spam protection available. 

This area has improved with the Pixel 7 

series, particularly with Direct My Call. 

In 2021, Direct My Call was released. 

It aids in navigating the audio menus 

you occasionally encounter when 

calling business hotlines. Direct My 

Call, available on Pixel 6 and older 

models, transcribes whatever the 

automated system on the other end of 

the call says, gradually constructing 

a list of alternatives you may choose 

from to proceed. This is different 

for some Pixel 7 lines since Google 

collaborated with a few businesses 

to make it possible for the phone 

call menu to display in full before the 

person on the other end of the line 

walks you through all the options. 

The morning weather forecast 

On the home and lock screens of the 

Pixel phones, there is an At a Glance 

widget in the upper-left position. 

The Pixel 7 series is the same way. 

The widget allows for rapid peeks 

at contextual data, including linked 

devices, stopwatches and timers, 

future calendar appointments, package 

arrival information, fitness tracking 

information, and more. 

Expanded morning weather 

forecasts are an additional helpful 

feature added to the widget in the 

Pixel 7 series. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro 

show you the maximum and minimum 

temperatures as well as a brief 

verbal description of the predominant 

condition you can expect instead of 

showing the current temperature and 

weather conditions at the bottom of 

the widget, as At a Glance does on 

every other Pixel throughout the day. A 

simple yet stylish touch. 

Voicemail transcriptions that are 

done automatically 

Google Messages is a standard 

phone app. It supports the more 

recent and superior RCS standard 



SOFTWARE 

and lets you to send and receive SMS 

messages. RCS enables the exchange 

of high-definition pictures, videos, 

audio messages, and more with read 

receipts using your cellular data or 

Wi-Fi. 

Google’s automated voice message 

transcriptions for the Pixel 7 are 

now made locally on your phone, 

eliminating the need to upload audio to 

servers. This allows you to understand 

what someone is trying to say without 

listening to them, which is useful 

when you’re in a noisy setting or 

uncomfortable leaving a voicemail. 

Upgrades to recorders 

One of the most sophisticated apps, 

Google Recorder, is only available 

for Pixel phones. It transcribes what 

you record automatically, making it 

simple to follow lectures or locate 

particular passages in an interview 

you performed. The icing on the cake 

is that everything takes place locally 

on your smartphone; no audio is ever 

sent to Google (unless you utilize 

Recorder’s cloud backup feature, 

that is). With the option to categorize 

people, the app on the Pixel 7 and 

Pixel 7 Pro assists you in telling apart 

various sounds. Up to three people 

were supported in Google’s demos, 

but it wasn’t apparent whether the 

functionality had any upper bounds. 

Like ourselves, writers at Android 

Police are anticipating it because it is 

designed to interview use cases. 

Voice typing and voice instructions 

You may use a few voice commands 

with Google that don’t begin with “Ok 

Google” or “Hey Google.” With new 

silent knowledge, the Pixel 7 broadens 

that. When you can’t get to your phone 

to incoming mute calls manually and 

want to start with something other 

than the hotword, you may easily do 

it using this. It’s comparable to how 

you may say “Stop” on your Google 

Assistant bright display when a timer 

goes off. 

With enhanced on-device machine 

learning capabilities, voice typing was 

greatly improved on the Pixel 6, and 

the Pixel 7 takes things a step further. 

The advanced dictation capability on 

the new Pixel series is accessible to 

users who speak Italian, Spanish, and 

French, thanks to the addition of new 

language support. Additionally, the 

business included emoji suggestions 

and the ability to choose a specific 

emoji that you are familiar with to the 

voice typing mix. 

Zoom, enhanced night mode, and 

photo unblur 

Google debuted a new photo unblur 

tool in the photography realm. This 

removes motion blur from images that 

are slightly out of focus or have more 

motion blur than you would prefer. The 

program works nicely on pictures that 

aren’t totally wrecked but that you’d 

like to see clearer. The Pixel 7 is one 

of many cameras capable of using this 

feature. Any image in your library is 

suitable for using it. 

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro cameras have 

an enhanced night mode that can take 

pictures up to twice as quickly as the 

Pixel 6 could. Our Pixel 7 vs Pixel 6 

comparison can attest to this. You also 

have more control over the night mode. 

When it’s dark outside, you can turn off 

night mode, activate max night mode 

for a more detailed image, or revert to 

normal night mode by tapping a little 

shortcut in the lower-right corner of 

the screen. 

Not to mention, digital zoom has 

increased. Except for a new 5x 

telephoto camera on the Pixel 7 Pro, 

the Pixel 7 does not include additional 

hardware compared to the Pixel 6. 

With Super Res Zoom, the software 

can now extract more information. 

On the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, all the 

megapixels in the sensor area are 

used as individual pixels when you 

zoom in by a factor of two. This yields a 

better outcome than the Pixel 6, which, 

regardless of zoom, uses Pixel binning 

on the 50MP camera to produce a 

12MP image. 

Detection of coughing and snoring 

in the bedtime mode 

The new bedtime mode for the Pixel 

7 can be helpful if you charge your 

phone at night next to your bed. You 

may program it to automatically turn 

on when you set your phone after a 

specific time, blocking notifications and 

calls until your alarm goes off or until 

a particular time in the morning if you 

don’t have an alarm. You can change 

a few more settings, like having your 

screen go grayscale automatically 

at night, turning off the always-on 

display, and adjusting the wallpaper’s 

brightness. Whether or not you charge 

your phone, you may still set it to 

automatically activate bedtime mode 

after a specified amount of time has 

passed. 

Additionally, you have the option of 

turning on cough and snore detection. 

This offers you a general notion of 

the level of your sleep and a sense 

of whether you need to consult a 

doctor about issues like sleep apnea. 

The feature operates locally on your 

device; no audio is sent to a server for 

analysis. Because it uses Android’s 

Private Compute Core, cough and 

snoring detection won’t display the 

microphone indicator when it’s active. 

Similar to Google Assistant’s hotword 

detection, which uses the microphone 

without a signal, this uses the 

microphone. 

upcoming features 

Later this year, Google will release 

a few additional features exclusive 

to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Clear Calling 

enhances the audio quality of phone 

calls when you’re in a noisy area. 

Additionally, you receive free access 

to Google’s VPN for five years, 

providing you with a fundamental 

layer of security when using public 

Wi-Fi networks to browse the internet. 

The latter is guaranteed to arrive 

in December 2022, but the release 

date for Clear Calling has yet to be 

determined. 

Google reaffirms its identity as a 

software corporation with the Pixel 

7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Except for a few 

minor hiccups typically fixed with a few 

upgrades soon after debut, the Pixel 

lineup has always had great software. 

Due to the custom Google Tensor G2 

CPU and plans for additional chips, 

Google may increase the number of 

exclusive features unavailable on other 

or older phones because they depend 

on the processor’s unique cores and 

capabilities. 




TECH 

MY 

MONEY 

APPLE GLASSES 

Afuturistic, first-generation 

wearable product in the 

pipeline may be the Apple Glass 

augmented reality glasses. 

Apple Glasses (aka Apple Glass) is 

consumers’ next step in augmented 

reality. A “predictive, foveated virtual 

reality system” and a head-wearable 

device were both granted U.S. patents 

by Apple. Both are components of 

the tech giant’s long-rumored mixed/ 

augmented reality head-mounted 

display system. 

The Apple Glass, a working name for 

the planned Mixed Reality headset, is 

anticipated to be unveiled sometime 

in 2022 and go on sale in early 2023 

or Q4 2022. 

The next iteration of the Apple M1 

SoC, based on TSMC’s manufacturing 

process, is reported to power the 

Apple Glass. This desktop-level chip 

is similar to the one found in the iMac. 

Regarding the screen, there are 

rumors about a high-definition Micro 

OLED display. For connectivity, we 

know that the devices will feature 

Wi-Fi 6E standards, possibly with 

the support of an Apple-developed 

modem chip. 

Apple Price: $499 

Display: high-resolution 4K micro- 

OLED with up to 3,000 pixels per inch 

UI: Starboard 

Camera: Over 12 cameras, both low 

and high resolution 

Wireless charging features 

Wi-Fi 6E support 

Apple release date: Second quarter 

of 2023 



TECH 

MY 

MONEY 

RTX 4090 

T 

he RTX 4090 from Nvidia is the 

new flagship of the company’s 

Ada Lovelace architecturebased 

new generation of graphics 

cards. It provides new technology, 

improvements, and a significant 

improvement in GPU performance. 

With significant enhancements to 

ray tracing and deep learning super 

sampling (DLSS) performance, it aims 

to serve the next generation of video 

games. 

In its GTC keynote talk on September 

20, Nvidia unveiled the RTX 4090, 

announcing that the new card will be 

on sale on October 12 for $1,599. Later 

on, it will be joined by the RTX 4080 


16GB ($1,200) and RTX 4080 12GB 

($900), all of which will be on sale in 

November (Nvidia hasn’t yet provided 

a specific launch date). 

The RTX 4090 is constructed using the 

most recent TSMC 4nm technology 

and is based on Nvidia’s new Ada 

Lovelace architecture. That makes it 

possible for unparalleled efficiency 

and a significantly smaller design. 

The RTX 4090 manages to have much 

higher clock rates while having more 

than 50% more CUDA cores than the 

RTX 3090. Similar memory setups are 

used, with 24GB of GDDR6X operating 

at a 384-bit width. 

Price: $1,599 USD 

Architecture: Ada Lovelace 

Process node: 5nm TSMC 

CUDA cores: 16,384 

Ray tracing cores: 144 3rd-gen 

Tensor cores: 576 4th-gen 

Base clock speed: 2235MHz 

Boost clock speed: 2520MHz 

VRAM GDDR6X: 24GB 

Memory speed: 21Gbps 

Bus width: 384-width 

TDP: 450W 


TECH 

MY 

MONEY 

One of the dangers of previewing 

a game is that they’re still 

projects in the middle of 

development - sometimes, like with 

Stray Blade, you can be reminded of 

this fact more often than others. The 

forthcoming Action RPG from Point 

Blank Games has a lot of intriguing 

concepts. Still, when we got a chance 

to play a pre-Alpha build of the game 

at last week’s 505 Games LA Demo 

Days, it vacillated between being ready 

to play and needing a bit more time to 

develop before making its semi-public 

debut. 

You take on the role of an unknown 

“Adventurer” in Stray Blade, who has 

finally located the fabled country of 

Acrea, the Lost Valley. Till death. You 

are revived by your new friend Boji and 

discover that you cannot leave Acrea. 

Your goal is to explore the conflicttorn 

valley and work to re-establish 

equilibrium by learning fighting 

techniques as Boji gathers lore. Boji 

can revive you if you pass away during 

combat. The great thing is that you 

bring about change in whatever you do. 

When you return to an area, whether 

you win or lose, the effects of your 

prior deeds will produce a change 

you must account for. This allows you 

to discover a setting that is always 

changing. 

Additionally, the surroundings are 

lovely. On your quest to get stronger 

and liberate yourself from this lovely 

environment, there is a lot to explore, 

from old city ruins to lush woods to 

chilly tunnels. Keep an eye out for 

Stray Blade! 

Developer: Point Blank Games 

Publisher: 505 Games 

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Microsoft 

Windows, Xbox Series X|S 

Release: 2023 



TECH 

MY 

MONEY 

KOHLR 

SUMMON YOUR ULTIMATE 

SHOWER WITH A MERE TOUCH 

Kohler Co., a global lifestyle 

brand, expands its smart home 

portfolio with the new digital 

shower system. Boasting the popular 

features of the brand’s popular digital 

showering collections, the new voiceenabled 

system allows consumers 

to create presets for sound, water, 

steam, and lighting, delivering 

the ultimate customized spa-like 

showering experience, placing it in a 

category all on its own. Homeowners 

can use voice commands, or a wallmounted 

interface to access presets, 

make adjustments, and use the 

system’s eco settings to control water 

usage. 


This is showering re-envisioned at 

the most basic level. The Statement 

Showering Collection brings a range 

of unique shapes and an array of sizes 

to the shower, breathing new life into 

well-loved standards and marrying 

the latest in technology with enduring 

craftsmanship. Innovative sprays 

elevate the showering experience, 

and universal compatibility means the 

system works wherever in the world it 

is installed. 

Seven immersive spray experiences 

offered within the collection include 

a Deep Massage spray composed of 

twisting jets that knead sore muscles 

and a Cloud spray that swathes the 

body in a warm mist. Other spray 

options include a Full Coverage Rain, 

a dense, wide Sweep, and Ribbon 

Massage that cascades in an angled 

stream. Additionally, the collection 

offers an Infinity spray – interlaced 

water streams create three experience 

zones in a single spray – the droplets 

closest to the nozzle rinse, while 

the middle zone massages, and the 

farthest stream provides coverage 

“Showering is so much more than just 

getting clean. It is a chance to feel 

rejuvenated, a moment to focus on 

self-care,” says Lun Cheak Tan, Kohler 

VP of Industrial Design. 


WHEELS 

2023 DODGE CHALLENGER 

SRT HELLCAT 

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat 

is where tires go to die. It’s one of 

the last coupes with Americanstyle 

V-8 thunder under its hood. The 

Challenger SRT Hellcat lineup’s most 

reserved model spews 717 horsepower 

from its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 

engine. But there’s so much more: 

output from the Hellcat Redeye model’s 

version of this engine jumps to 797 

horsepower. And the meanest, nastiest 

Hellcat Redeye, the Widebody Jailbreak 

edition, deploys 807 horsepower. All 

Challenger SRT Hellcats help you 

toward a suspended license with a 

hard-working eight-speed automatic 

transmission and rear-wheel-drive—a 

configuration that is always ready to 

deploy billows of smoke from each of 

its massive, 12-inch-wide rear tires. 

While souped-up rivals such as the 

Chevy Camaro ZL1 and Ford Mustang 

Shelby GT500 are more road-course 

friendly, the SRT Hellcat has surface- 

prepared drag strip energy. And a lot 

of it. The more everyday all-wheel 

drive, V-6, and smaller V-8 equipped 

Challenger are reviewed separately. 



WHEELS 

SPECIFICATIONS 

VEHICLE TYPE 

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2-door coupe 

Displacement: 376 cu in, 6166 cc 

Power: 797 hp @ 6300 rpm 

Torque: 707 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm 

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode 



WHEELS 

2022 MASERATI GHIBLI 

With designer looks and 

twin-turbo power, the 2022 

Maserati Ghibli brings a ton 

of Italian attitude to the mid-size 

luxury sedan party. Four-cylinder 

engines are damned, the Ghibli offers 

a 345-hp twin-turbo V-6 as standard 

while upper trims come with either 

a 424-hp version of that engine or a 

580-hp twin-turbo V-8. To go along 

with its powerful engines, the Ghibli’s 

chassis is set up for driving thrills—it’s 

a joy to pitch down a curvy back road. 

Unfortunately, it may be too focused 

on fun, as the Ghibli doesn’t stack up 

well against rivals in the luxury and 

comfort categories, as its rear seat 

is less accommodating than rivals 

such as the Audi A6 or the Mercedes- 

Benz E-class. A host of leather, wood, 

and metal trims dot the Ghibli’s cabin 

to upscale effect, but several knobs 

and switches appear to be lifted 

directly from the Stellantis (Maserati’s 

parent company) parts bin. Still, the 

Maserati’s styling and performance 

make it endearing, plus its relative 

obscurity means it turns heads like 

Italian exotics from Ferrari and 

Lamborghini. 



WHEELS 


Horsepower (bhp): 350 

Torque (Nm): 500 

Transmission: Automatic 

Top Speed (Km/h): 270 

Seating Capacity: 5 Seater 

Acceleration 0-100 Km/h (sec): 5.5 



GADGET 

REVIEWS 

DJI AVATA 

First-person view drones have taken off 

recently. These special gadgets are the 

closest you can go to feeling like you’re 

flying like a bird because they let you put on a 

headset and control a drone from a first-person 

perspective. 

The DJI Avata, the company’s most recent iteration 

of this technology, was just introduced. It is 

designed to be more resilient and prepared for 

any unlucky collisions. It may be controlled with a 

joystick that replicates your hand movements or a 

controller. Ingenious features like the capability to 

employ bespoke routes, track a person or vehicle, 

and go back to the beginning place if it deviates too 

far are also included. 

DJI OSMO MOBILE 6 

In terms of camera gear, DJI has diversified throughout the 

whole market, producing many action cameras, drones, and 

accessories. The DJI Osmo Mobile 6, a gimbal you can use with 

your smartphone, is one of their most recent products. 

By balancing your motion while shooting, you can get clean footage 

even if you are sprinting, driving, or flinging yourself around. 

With DJI’s ActiveTrack 5.0 software, you can effortlessly track 

subjects while maintaining their presence in the frame while 

moving. 

Numerous buttons for zooming, cinematic blurring, and other 

similar effects are also included on the gimbal. 



GADGET 

REVIEWS 

MARSHALL ACTON III SPEAKER 

Marshall has been producing a wide range of Bluetooth speakers over the years, despite being best known for its 

enormous amps used on stage. Acton, Stanmore, and Woburn Speakers’ third edition have just been released. 

Of Marshall’s three new speakers, the Acton is the least expensive. The Acton is built with a sustainable design 

utilizing 70% recycled plastic and vegan components, similar to the Stanmore and Woburn. 

This speaker optimizes its equalization (EQ) using Placement Compensation technology based on its surroundings. This 

indicates that it will adjust and make adjustments for any adjacent reflecting surfaces that can degrade the sound quality. 



WEB3 BROWSERS, KNOW MORE 

The growth of blockchain has But in contrast to the previous 

Web 3 browsers first don’t appear 

led to many people talking two generations, where the same to be all that different from older 

about a new evolution of the kind of browser was used to explore browsers, but closer examination 

internet or the web as we the internet, the third generation’s reveals significant differences between 

know it. The third iteration browsers are different since they them. The emphasis on comprehending 

of the web is said to be underway. The 

period of non-interactive websites that 

enabled users to read the creator’s 

operate on the blockchain and aim 

to address the problems that early 

browser users were encountering. 

data through semantics rather than 

through keywords or numbers is one 

characteristic that distinguishes Web 

data was known as Web 1.0. 

3 browsers, which is why many people 

The second generation, Web 2.0, WHAT ARE WEB3 BROWSERS? refer to it as the semantic web. 

gives the user editing control and 

enables website interaction. As a 

result, the user takes on a co-creative 

role on the platform, which boosts the 

appeal of social media and blogs. In 

this case, the user contributes to the 

web by providing resources important 

to its upkeep. 

Then, the rise of the blockchain and 

the decentralized capacity it offers 

users has led to discussions about 

the third generation of the web. The 

decentralized web, the name of this 

internet generation, aims to provide 

greater security, customization, and 

privacy. 

Web3 browsers are browsers 

used to access the internet. Unlike 

standard browsers, these browsers 

employ decentralized technology and 

operate on the blockchain. Web 3 is a 

network that operates on Ethereum 

or other networks that aims to unite 

decentralized applications with 

decentralized money (DApps). 

For individual users to control 

what they want to do with their data, 

integrate their money into this data, 

and run apps without worrying about 

privacy concerns that have dominated 

past web versions, Web 3 aims to 

transform how it functions. 

The web’s decentralization is 

another crucial aspect. Contrary to 

the past, the web is now centered 

on community, and personal data is 

utilized to improve communities. The 

individual’s data is solely accessible 

to them, and the emphasis here is 

decentralization. The control over data 

is in the hands of the user on Web 3 

browsers. 

WEB 3.0 FUNDAMENTALS 

For many obvious reasons, web 3.0 

has become one of the buzzwords 

in the world of technology. It is the 

next development in the technology 



of the internet. Consider web 3.0 

a decentralized network with 

permissionless apps and protocols 

running on public blockchains. Web 1.0 

was the first version of the internet, 

providing simple web pages with static 

content. 

Web 2.0 

In the next shift, web 2.0 introduced 

massive changes in the internet 

with interactive social and medical 

applications, user-generated content, 

and online marketplaces. In a time 

when everyone had easy access to cell 

phones and high-speed connectivity, 

Web 2.0 flourished. Web 2.0 has also 

enabled significant advancements in 

the caliber of programs used to access 

internet services. 

Web 2.0 has, however, been dogged 

by several grave data privacy issues. 

Many social networking sites and 

technology firms are under fire for 

neglecting data privacy to maximize 

revenues. For instance, targeted 

advertising has significantly increased 

in terms of intrusiveness, impacting 

how different people interact online. 

The Rise of Web 3.0 browsers 

Web3 browsers are the next step 

in the web’s growth. Web 3.0’s main 

goal is to provide consumers with 

more influence over centralized 

institutions by removing their authority 

from them. Web 3.0 technologies use 

decentralized apps (dApps) that are 

cryptographically secure and public 

blockchains, which might be preferable 

to centralized software and websites. 

One of the main causes of the rise 

in popularity of dApp browsers or 

web 3.0 browsers is the benefits of 

decentralization. 

For instance, consumers are 

rewarded financially for interacting 

with content or seeing carefully 

selected adverts on decentralized 

social media platforms and web 

3.0 browsers. The fact that web 3.0 

solutions and platforms do not sell 

user data to the highest bidders is 

crucial. Web 3.0 also provides a strong 

platform for interoperability and 

makes it possible to monetize data. 

Users receive a significant portion of 

the revenues from their data. 

HOW ARE WEB3 BROWSERS 

CHANGING THE ONLINE 

EXPERIENCE? 

Web 3.0 browsers enable you to use 

the standard functionality of browsers 

and are essentially decentralized apps. 

They enable you to retain ownership 

of your data and the lion’s share of 

its revenue. The release of several 

new web 3.0 projects has resulted 

in a steady expansion of the web 3.0 

domain. 

Additionally, several tools and 

services are possible through the 

numerous web3 initiatives, allowing 

WEB3 

you to work outside the centralized 

web. Web3 internet browsers are 

altering how people view online 

interactions, especially with the 

addition of several services like IoT 

communications and decentralized file 

storage. 

BOTTOM LINE 

The growth of web3 browsers 

clearly indicates the world’s 

transition towards a new age of 

internet technology. The established 

norms of online interactions and 

data control rights are changing due 

to decentralized applications and 

cryptocurrency. Most importantly, 

the change to web3 necessitates 

innovative solutions that can adapt 

to the demands of evolving digital 

experiences. 

The idea behind the Web3 browser 

is crucial for transforming how users 

view the internet and use online 

services. The main goal of web3 is for 

consumers to control their finances, 

possessions, and data on digital 

networks. Web 3.0 browsers can act 

as the entry point to decentralized 

apps and the digital economy, just 

like traditional browsers can. Right 

now, find out more about web3 

technologies. 




LATEST TECH 

ABU DHABI ACCOUNTABILITY 

AUTHORITY INKS DEAL WITH G42 

TO EMPLOY THE LATEST TECH 

Apreliminary agreement 

was reached between the 

Abu Dhabi Accountability 

Authority and Presight. 

ai, a division of the 

artificial intelligence firm G42, to apply 

cutting-edge technology to improve 

the effectiveness of government 

operations. 

According to the deal, ADAA will 

employ Presight.ai’s AI, cloud, and 

big data tools to improve the parties’ 

public finance and auditing procedures 

and to intensify anti-corruption 

initiatives, the authority said in a 

statement 

The agreement was signed by Haifa 

Al Balooshi, the ADAA’s director of 

information technology, and Adel 

Al Sharji, chief operating officer of 

Presight.ai, at the Gitex Global Week in 

Dubai. 

The partnership will “fortify our 

capacity to apply best practices in 

governance and achieve the authority’s 

directive to preserve public funds 

and assets by keeping pace with 

digital transformation processes and 

utilizing the cloud environment,” Ms. Al 

Balooshi said. 

This will “reduce environmental 

risks and operational costs, enhancing 

security and regulatory compliance, 

and thus contributing to enhancing the 

overall competitiveness of the emirate 

of Abu Dhabi”, she said. 

The Abu Dhabi government is 

encouraging the use of digital 

technologies to streamline the 

services of entities. Government units 

have either led their own initiatives or 

partnered with other organizations to 

help them realize their goal. 

Last month, the Ministry of Economy 

unveiled its new headquarters in the 

metaverse, where it will provide its 

full portfolio of services to users in the 

virtual world. 

In August, the Abu Dhabi Global 

Market, the emirate’s financial free 

zone, and the Abu Dhabi Residents 

Office signed a partnership that aims 

to encourage more investments and 

retain talent using the former’s digital 

platform. 

Global technology companies are 

also playing a part. In September, US 

software company Oracle opened a 

technology collaboration center in 

Abu Dhabi that aims to help public and 

private sector organizations leverage 

the use of emerging technology to 

boost their bottom lines. 

The agreement between the ADAA 

and Presight.ai will see a range of 

technology solutions that will be 

adapted to improve the authority’s 

services, which is part of the Abu 

Dhabi government’s vision for a 

technology-oriented government 

sector. 

This will “strengthen the application 

of best governance practices 

and introduce new monitoring 

technologies, all to enhance Abu 

Dhabi’s competitiveness in global 

governance indices”, Mr. Al Sharji said. 

The latest agreement follows a 

December 2021 partnership between 

the two sides, in which ADAA became 

the first government entity to 

completely migrate its data center to 

G42 Cloud’s infrastructure. 




FUND ING 

N EWS 

Aramco launches Taleed program 

to accelerate SME growth in Saudi 

Arabia 

Aramco announced the launch of a 

new program, “Taleed”, which aims 

to accelerate the growth of Small 

and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in 

Saudi Arabia — helping boost their 

contribution to economic development 

and support job creation. 

The program targets sustainable 

SME growth across multiple sectors 

through a portfolio of 20 initiatives, 

providing a wide range of support 

from capability building and strategy 

development to training, market 

access, advisory services and 

business planning. 

ArabyAds acquires influencer 

marketing indaHash 

IndaHash, an influencer marketing 

platform, has been bought by 

ArabyAds, an AdTech business in the 

MENA area. The purchase closely 

follows ArabyAds’ most recent $30 

million Pre Series B funding round, 

which was headed by AfricInvest and 

was intended for worldwide expansion 

and acquisitions, according to the 

business. 

e& launches new $250m VC fund to 

support tech startups 

A $250 million venture capital fund 

was formed by UAE telecom and 

technology giant e& (formerly known 

as Etisalat Group) as a part of its 

new investment division, e& capital, 

to promote the ecosystem for digital 

start-ups. The business stated in a 

statement that the e& Capital VC fund 

will endeavor to draw in, engage, 

and promote start-ups and provide 

them access to investor and expert 

networks. 

HUB71, GetFundedAfrica to 

increase international expansion, 

fundraising support for startups 

An extensive relationship between 

Hub71, the global innovation hub of 

Abu Dhabi, and GetFundedAfrica, a 

digital-enabled marketplace that 

connects entrepreneurs with investors 

(VCs & Angels), businesses, and 

the government to help the growth 

of innovative companies, has been 

announced. 

Eat App closes $11m Series B 

round aiming global expansion 

Eat App, an internationally renowned 

restaurant reservations website with 

headquarters in Dubai, has announced 

today that its $11 million series B 

round has come to an end. MEVP, 500 

Startups, Derayah VC, Dallah Albaraka, 

Ali Zaid Al Quraishi & Brothers 

Company, Rasameel Investment 

Company, and current investors are all 

participating in the round. 

Abu Dhabi’s IHC launches $2.1bn 

bid to acquire stake in Grupo 

Nutresa 

In an effort to diversify its holdings in 

South America, International Holding 

Company has made a Dh7.7 billion ($2.1 

billion) tender offer to acquire a stake 

in Grupo Nutresa, one of Colombia’s 

largest food processing firms. 

The bid launched through IHC Capital, 

a subsidiary of IHC, follows the 

formal approval for the deal from 

the Colombian Superintendency of 

Finance, IHC said in a statement to the 

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where 

its shares are traded. 


Arada raises $100m to fund growth 

plans 

After drawing on a $350 million sukuk 

that had already been issued and 

traded on the London Stock Exchange 

in June, Sharjah real estate developer 

Arada finalized a deal for a $100 

million Islamic bond. According to the 

company’s announcement, the investor 

yield on the sukuk tap was 8.386 

percent and the price was 99 cents on 

the dollar. 

Saudi-based ZenHR concludes 

$10m funding round aiming MENA 

expansion 

ZenHR, a Saudi Arabian startup in 

human resource technology, has 

raised $10 million to expand its 

operations throughout the Middle East 

and North Africa. According to the 

Riyadh-based company, Rua Growth 

Fund of Saudi Arabia spearheaded the 

investment round, which also included 

Endeavor Catalyst of the US and other 

current investors. 


SAUDI DATA AND AI AUTHORITY TO 

DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES AND AI 

SOLUTIONS WITH STC 

National innovation 

initiatives are increasingly 

using artificial intelligence 

(AI). The deep-learning 

method in AI offers 

remarkable applications at both the 

macro- and micro-levels of society. AI 

is a component of strategic leverage 

as well. Global actors engage in 

forward-thinking R&D initiatives, 

mirroring a global competition for 

industry leadership. Countries with 

less developed indigenous technology 

see AI as a chance to stand out 

globally and follow their goals for 

innovation and prosperity, whereas the 

US and China possess huge interests 

in technological progression scenarios. 

A Kingdom’s Vision 

An example is Saudi Arabia. The 

Kingdom’s ambition to transform into 

a knowledge-based society, diversify 

its oil-based economy, and establish 

itself as a center for technological 

advancement is called Vision 2030, and 

AI is one of its key pillars. Surprisingly, 

70 percent of the 96 strategic goals in 

Vision 2030 have a direct relationship 

with AI. Saudi Arabia has spearheaded 

a coordinated effort to develop its 

technical skills and build a domestic 

AI-enabled digital ecosystem by 

2030, fueled by a 5G-enabled national 

ICT infrastructure and a significant 

increase in data utilization. 

A Grand Strategy for AI 

Saudi Arabia has greater aspirations 

for AI than a city. The full-scale 

transformation of its political and 

economic systems to an age of AIdriven 

governance is part of Vision 

2030. The Kingdom established the 

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence 

Authority (SDAIA) in August 2019. This 

public organization aims to create 

and implement national data and AI 

initiatives. There are three SDAIA 

centers: 

• The National Data Management 

Office (NDMO) covers data, AI 

regulations, and standards. 

• The National Information 

Center (NIC) is the operator of data 

infrastructure and AI-powered 

analytics. 

• The National Center for Artificial 

Intelligence (NCAI), the driver of AI 

innovations, provides strategic advice 

to public bodies and promotes AI 

expertise. 



MOU Between SDAIA & STC Group 

To enhance artificial intelligence (AI) 

and digital solutions in Saudi Arabia, 

the STC Group and the Saudi Data 

and Artificial Intelligence Authority 

(SDAIA) have signed a memorandum of 

understanding (MoU). 

The MOU, signed in Riyadh during 

the Global AI Summit, aims to localize 

digital solutions and share expertise 

and experiences in data management 

and governance. 

As part of the agreement, STC 

will assist startups in adhering 

to data governance and putting in 

place a framework for protecting 

personal data and supporting data 

quality internationally within quality 

standards. 

It will contribute to accelerating 

the rate of compliance with data 

regulations at the national level, along 

with activating awareness messages 

to protect personal data. 

The agreement would call for 

offering charities that are listed on 

the “Ehsan” platform products and 

services on the STC’s sustainability 

platform. Additionally, it will assist 

NGO programs and initiatives that 

SDAIA has embraced. 

Additionally, the alliance will work to 

create specialized volunteer initiatives, 

environmental services, and goods, 

as well as conduct assessments of 

leaders’, workers’, and trainees’ skills. 

Through the STC Academy, the MoU 

will also enable knowledge exchange 

and professional development 

programs to hasten young people’s 

advancement in the sectors of data 

and artificial intelligence. 

“Our partnership with the Saudi Data 

and Artificial Intelligence Authority 

confirms STC’s role in enabling the 

digital system for artificial intelligence, 

by disseminating research and 

development, and enhancing the 

digital capabilities through strategic 

partnerships to accelerate the 

transformation stages and transition 

to reliance on artificial intelligence, 

to support the digital economy in 

Kingdom,” said engineer Olayan 

Alwetaid, Group CEO of STC. 

The World Bank’s Digital 

Development Partnership is a 

collaboration between the public and 

private sectors that aims to assist 

developing countries in utilizing digital 

innovations to address some of their 

most difficult problems. In other news, 

SDAIA announced Global AI Summit 

that it had joined the partnership. 

Saudi Arabia will assist initiatives 

to improve data capabilities, hasten 

digital technologies, and share its 

experience and talents to realize 

sustainable growth and economic 

development in its position as a new 

member of this alliance. 

AI & ML 

“Our partnership with 

the Saudi Data and 

Artificial Intelligence 

Authority confirms 

STC’s role in enabling 

the digital system for 

artificial intelligence, by 

disseminating research 

and development, and 

enhancing the digital 

capabilities through 

strategic partnerships 

to accelerate the 

transformation stages 

and transition to 

reliance on artificial 

intelligence, to support 

the digital economy in 

Kingdom,” 



FINTECH 

BINANCE OBTAINS DUBAI’S MVP REGULATORY 

AUTHORITY LICENSE 

Keen to offer a wider string of services related to virtual assets including crypto derivatives 

products, and custodial and trading services to fitly qualified retail and institutional investors in 

Dubai, Binance, the global blockchain services provider, has received the Minimal Viable Product 

(MVP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), following the issuance of its 

provisional license in March 2022. 

The MVP license “means 

that Binance can offer an 

approved range of virtual 

asset-related services to 

suitably qualified retail and 

institutional investors in Dubai within 

its internationally benchmarked 

legislative framework for virtual asset 

service providers (VASPs).” 

Committed to strong investor and 

market protection principles, Binance 

will “cater to a clientele approved 

by VARA who can now benefit from 

the local banking channels unlocked 

by this first-of-its-kind regulatory 

license.” 

Users will benefit from increased 

levels of consumer protection by 

trading on a regulated platform under 

the supervision of VARA in Dubai. 

Why transition to an MVP Licence 

from a Provisional Licence? 

The move will help Binance expand 

its global footprint specifically within 

the United Arab Emirates, a hub 

spot for the budding space where 

very few crypto-associated firms 

have pursued regulatory approval 

such as Blockchain.com, OKX, and 

FTX, to name some. This license is 

a major milestone that follows a 

host of registrations for Binance’s 

local entities in the MENA region and 

across Europe in Italy, France, and 

Spain. Further, it attests to Binance’s 

aspiration to be a regulation-led 

platform with solid compliance and 

security controls that have consumer 

protection and market integrity at its 

core. With this new license, Binance is 

able to open a client money account 

with a domestic bank and provide 

qualified customers a wide array 

of services including Transfer of 

virtual assets, virtual asset exchange 

services, custody & management of 

virtual assets, conversion between 

virtual assets and fiat currencies, 

virtual assets payments & remittance 

services, virtual token offering & 

trading services. 

Views and insights of the faces 

behind this project 

Helal Saeed Almarri, Chairman of 

VARA, said, “We are pleased to have 



Binance licensed to operate within 

the VARA MVP Programme. The VARA 

regime aims to strike an effective 

balance between value creation and 

risk mitigation, enabling open market 

innovation while assuring protection 

for the economically vulnerable. The 

MVP Phase is designed for select 

global players across the value chain, 

that are committed to responsible 

industry participation and VARA 

looks forward to Binance being an 

active contributor, reinforcing Dubai’s 

commitment towards creating a nextgen 

secure ecosystem for this future 

economy.” 

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder 

and CEO of Binance, commented: “At 

Binance we welcome regulations 

that are globally consistent, enable 

responsible innovation, protect 

users, and give them a choice. VARA’s 

unique operating model is setting a 

benchmark for the global industry. 

This most recent registration is an 

acknowledgment of our compliance 

and safety processes in the new 


regulatory framework. We strongly 

believe there is a significant 

opportunity to work with our 

industry peers to develop consistent 

implementation standards worldwide 

as we have been doing in Dubai.” 

Alexander Chehade, Binance 

Dubai General Manager, noted: “Our 

registration in Dubai is a reflection 

of the country’s progressive stance 

on blockchain technology and its 

willingness to embrace this sector 

through collaboration.” “We look 

forward to a continued partnership as 

we build upon our team and operations 

in Dubai to roll out additional services, 

including local banking capabilities and 

enhanced products.” 


The MVP license 

“means that Binance 

can offer an 

approved range of 

virtual asset-related 

services to suitably 

qualified retail and 

institutional investors 

in Dubai within 

its internationally 

benchmarked 

legislative framework 

for virtual asset service 

providers (VASPs).” 


JOSINE HEIJMANS 

DMG EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT 

Josine Heijmans, Vice President – Construction at dmg events, the organizer of The Big 5, 

Middle East, Africa, and South Asia’s largest and most influential construction industry event, 

which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 5 – 8 December 2022. 

This year’s event is a very exciting one as the industry looks to be poised to capture growth 

opportunities as 55,000 attendees from 150+ countries are expected to gather over the 4 

event days. Over 2,000 exhibitors from 60 countries will be showcasing their leading-edge 

innovations further complemented with an extensive offering of special event features, 

content sessions and fringe events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities, 

face-to-face networking and advance knowledge and industry best-practice. 



DMG EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT JOSINE HEIJMANS TALKS 

ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE 

AND WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE BIG 5 2022 

What impact do digitalization and 

technology have on construction? 

Innovation has always been a 

fundamental part of construction. 

One that has spurred impressive 

advances in the types of buildings and 

infrastructure we can develop. 

Technology is reshaping the face 

of the industry from its conventional 

perspectives to the modern era. And 

now technological innovations in 

construction and digitalization are 

affecting every aspect of the industry, 

from project planning to health and 

safety. While the benefits are endless, 

it improves communications, increases 

efficiency, enhances safety, increases 

productivity, provides greater accuracy, 

and can reduce costs. All allowing 

for more thoughtful, collaborative, 

sustainable and efficient construction 

projects. 

Digitization and technology are not 

just construction trends – they’ve 

been happening for decades and 

will continue. Artificial intelligence, 

blockchain, 3D printing, virtual reality, 

and so much more aren’t for the future, 

they’re for the here and now. 

The question now isn’t whether 

companies are going to use 

technology, but when and how are they 

going to keep up and adapt to ever 

evolving and improving construction 

technologies. 

What are the different offerings and 

opportunities that distinguish The Big 5 

and what can the audience expect from 

this edition? 

Technology is one of the core pillars 

of The Big 5 this year. During the 

pandemic, the construction industry 

showed an impressive level of 

resilience and adaptability under very 

challenging circumstances, with the 

advancement of the use of technology 

at the forefront. At this year’s The 

Big 5, we are showcasing all that’s 

contech; we’re pushing boundaries 

and reimagining what the future of 

technology will be. 

We’re delighted that for the first 

time the UAE Ministry of Energy and 

Infrastructure is endorsing the event. 

With smart technology shaping the 

future of construction, the Ministry is 

calling for industry collaboration to 

drive adoption of smart technologies in 

the sector. 

Throughout the show we have 

exciting feature areas dedicated to the 

advancement of tech: 

Start-up City 

Technology disruptors from 

across the globe, including Paltic, 

Opteam, Sveltedca Partners, Poliark 

Architecture and Environmental 

Technologies, Vertliner, and many more 

will demo solutions for the contech, 

proptech, infratech, sustainability, and 

energy sectors. 

The FutureTech Construction Summit 

A stellar line-up of global leaders 

in innovation, technology, and 

business will share their insights 

at The FutureTech Construction 

Summit, including Christian Gleich, 

Chief Strategy Officer & Futurist, The 

New Now/Ambassador at European 

Blockchain Association; Lara Paemen, 

Managing Director, International 

Facility Management Association; Leila 

Hurstel, Board Member and Chief 

Metaverse Officer at VerseEstate, and 

Founder of AllStars Women DAO, to 

name a few. Covering the three critical 

areas; ‘Mobilizing the construction 

technology ecosystem’, ‘Accelerating 

sustainable development through 

technology, and ‘Reimagining the 

future’, the Summit paves the way 

to redefine digital technologies and 

transformations. 

CPD Certified Technology workshops 

The series of workshops will explore 

the trends, techniques, and technology 

being embraced by the construction 

industry to improve safety, quality, and 

productivity. 

Digital Construction World 

Explore the most innovative 

technology and its impact on 

construction at Digital Construction 

World, including solutions from 

Open Space AI, Rendra, Plan Radar, 

INTERVIEW 

Xyicon, Prysmian Group, Green Figure 

Technique and many more. Artificial 

intelligence, blockchain, 3D printing, 

virtual reality, geospatial technology, 

and everything tech will be on display 

with your chance to see how these can 

help your business. 

Where do you see the market going 

regarding the future of construction in 

the Middle East and which areas are 

being affected by this? 

The UAE, and the wider Middle East, 

have always had a strong vision for 

developing smarter communities 

by embracing technology and 

digitalization. Giga projects including 

Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, to 

create a truly interconnected, peopleled 

city; NEOM, the first cognitive 

city where world-class technology 

is fueled with data and intelligence 

through to Egypt’s new mega-city, New 

Administrative Capital (NAC) are all set 

to make the most of the advancement 

of technology. 

With all these significant strategic 

initiatives in the region, in which 

technology will play a pivotal role, 

The Big 5 is perfectly situated to 

be the central hub for construction 

technology 


Finally, to add, the 

pandemic triggered a wave 

of digital transformation in 

the construction industry. 

The increased demand 

for digital innovation is 

exciting, and by embracing 

these technological 

advancements, all of which 

will be on show at The 

Big 5, the possibilities in 

construction are endless! 



FITNESS, LIFESTYLE & FASHION TECHNOLOGY 

WHAT IS DIGITAL FASHION? 

Digital Fashion is the visual 

representation of clothing built 

using computer technologies and 

3D software. This industry is on the 

rise due to ethical awareness and 

the uses of digital fashion technology 

such as artificial intelligence to create 

products with complex social and 

technical software. 

Digital fashion is also the interplay 

between digital technology 

and couture. Information and 

communication technologies (ICTs) 

have been deeply integrated both into 

the fashion industry and within the 

experience of clients and prospects. 

Relative to traditional garment 

manufacturing, digital fashion is 

inexpensive and wildly sustainable. 

More importantly, it comes with zero 

creative constraints or production 

limitations. This is where the true 

beauty of digital style shines. The only 

limits are our imaginations. We don’t 

need to be the same people online as 

we are in real life. We can be whoever 

we want to be. 

According to Jackson Bridges, NFT 

Project Advisor and Showcase Guide at 

Alterrage, digital fashion allows for a 

new medium for individual expression. 

“In the metaverse, we can decide 

our own identities compared to the 

physical world in which we cannot 

choose our own race, gender, or 

cultural background. Digital fashion 

builds upon this idea by enhancing 

self-expression outside of the 

constraints of the physical world and 

by leveraging technologies such as 

augmented and virtual reality. The 

ability for one to express themselves 

with limitless creative freedom 

unlocks doors for a true expression 

of one’s identity,” he shared in an 

interview with Kiplinger. 

WHY IS DIGITAL FASHION 

IMPORTANT? 

To fully recognize the importance 

of digital fashion, you must first 

understand the desire for digital 

identity and ownership. Among 

digitally native generations, there is 

strong demand for digital ownership 

and the ability to express our 

identity the same way we do 

in real life. 

The digital clothing 

industry boasts itself 

as a champion of 

waste reduction. 

DRESSX’s own. 

The rest of the 

virtual fashion 

industry 

follows similar 

rhetoric, 

especially 

since fast 

fashion is 

a known 

contributor 

to 

pollution 

and 

climate 

change. 

Digital fashion offers a 

solution to fast fashion: 

Be trendy without 

contributing to climate 

change. 

It is also important to note that 

some digital fashion can be sold as 

NFTs. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, 

are unique digital assets that can 

be sold using crypto-currency like 

Bitcoin. A year’s worth of mining 

Bitcoin consumes a similar amount 

of electricity to a small country. 

Emissions associated with NFTs are 

typically blamed on the currency 

used to buy them; not all 

digital clothing pieces are 

NFTs, but some brands 

produce them. In 

2019, The Fabricant 

auctioned off an NFT 

of a dress for almost 

$10,000, and this 

summer DRESSX 

partnered with 

Crypto.com to 

release a range 

of exclusive NFTs, 

which opposes 

the brand’s 

sustainability 

claims. 



HOW DOES DIGITAL 

FASHION BENEFIT YOU? 

The digitalization of fashion is an 

exciting process! Its big advantage is 

that everything will be eco-friendly, 

without producing fabric waste. This 

is not meant to be a sustainability 

argument or a political one, but it is 

just good commonsense. Everyone can 

benefit from using digital fashion to 

save time and get a better experience 

and it just so happens it can benefit 

the environment as well by reducing 

carbon emissions. 

Nonetheless, clothing is meant to be 

worn in real life. We can try online 

fitting rooms and makeup products 

virtually and then buy and wear 

them physically and offline. The 

savings in time and effort for us as 

consumers also extend to the world 

and environment through reduced 

shipments, logistics, and other 

resource costs that would otherwise 

result in emissions. 

Digital Fashion is already here but it 

will become more and more a part of 

our future. 



WHEELS 

MERCEDES-BENZ GLB 

Unlike the Land Rover Discovery 

Sport and Skoda Kodiaq, the 

Mercedes GLB is quite small 

for a seven-seater. But, there’s still 

enough space on its boxy body to pack 

plenty of chrome, loads of plastic fauxair 

vents, and a whopping great front 

grille. Combined, these features make 

it look more like a baby GLS than an 

overblown hatchback. Step inside, and 

you’ll be greeted by an equally poshlooking 

interior. The Mercedes GLB’s 

cabin looks a bit like it was drawn 

by someone copying the A-Class 

homework, but with enough changes 

to make sure they avoid getting put 

in design detention. The familiar five 

brushed-metal air vents look fantastic 

and most of the materials feel nice 

and yielding. Behind the GLB’s big, 

grille-mounted three-pointed star is 

a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder 

engine that makes 221 horsepower. The 

engine is paired with an eight-speed 

dual-clutch automatic transmission 

and either front- or all-wheel drive. 

At the test track, an all-wheel drive 

example managed a fairly brisk 

6.0-second zero-to-60-mph time. 



WHEELS 


Engine: 2.0L inline-4 turbo 

Power; 221 hp @ 5,500 rpm 

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic 

Acceleration: 0-100 km / h in 9,9 s 

Price: starts at $38,600 





COVER STORY 

NICK VINCKIER 

HEAD OF CORPORATE INNOVATION 

AT CHALHOUB GROUP 

Nick Vinckier is the Head of Corporate Innovation at Chalhoub Group. Nick 

creates competitive advantages and new revenue streams for luxury retail 

brands. He helped in launching the Group’s first NFT collection, circular 

business models and subscription programs. Chalhoub Group is the 

largest luxury retailer and distributor of luxury, fashion and beauty in the 

Middle East and beyond. 



As the Head of Innovation in Chalhoub 

group, can you tell us about some of 

the new initiatives that were adopted 

recently? 

Some of the new initiatives that we 

adopted recently are Pre-Loved, so we 

believe that second hand in the retail 

industry will become increasingly 

important. We even believe that it will 

represent more than 10% of the total 

revenue within a couple of years from 

now. So I’m very proud to announce 

that we launched Pre-Loved on 

levelshoes.com. We also launched 

rental for Tanagra where you as a 

customer can now rent your favorite 

luxury tableware for one night. So if 

you’re hosting your friends and family 

at home, you can rent a beautiful table 

setup for four to twelve people instead 

of buying, which is great in terms 

of experience, but also in terms of 

sustainability because we extend the 

life cycle of the goods this way. 

Before that we launched the first 

NFT collection of Chalhoub Group 

with Christofle and we made virtual 

wearables for them. we recently also 

launched a token gated collection, 

which means a limited edition 

collection by Christofle, which is only 

available for NFT holders. So to sum it 

up, a lot is going on at Chalhoub Group, 

and a lot more to come. 

What does the Metaverse offer for 

luxury fashion and the cosmetics 

industry? 

I think that the Metaverse or Web3 

in general gives us tremendous 

opportunities on three levels. On the 

one hand it gives us new technology 

for community building by issuing 

NFTs. We go into a new type of 

relationship with customers and 

potential customers, on the other hand 

It enables us to do storytelling in a 

completely different way, by issuing 

NFTs but also after the drop, it gives us 

so many new areas of experimentation 

and storytelling, which is way richer 

in terms of media, for example, by 

building virtual worlds, 3D assets and 

by working with avatars and issuing 

virtual cosmetics, for example, where 

you could then virtually try it on your 

avatar and finally we believe that 

Web3 will help us with authentication 

and rarity which goes hand-in-hand 

with the luxury industry. Because you 

have tokens on the blockchain which 

are extremely good solutions for 

authentication, and going back to what 

we previously mentioned regarding 

Pre-Loved, it is very hard to do 

authentication for second-hand luxury 

bags, watches, and so on, but if you 

have the product on the blockchain, it 

becomes fairly easy to do that. 

What is the optimal monetary unit 

to be used in the Metaverse in your 

opinion? 

When it comes to paying in the 

Metaverse, I believe that we still 

have some steps to take. I believe 

that there’s big importance for 

cryptocurrency obviously to be 

adopted more widely, but I think that 

it will be essential for us to build 

solutions to accept Fiat payments, 

also in the Metaverse, I simply don’t 

believe that we will reach the point 

of mass adoption by only allowing 

cryptocurrencies in the Metaverse. I 

agree that crypto will have its place in 

the Metaverse, but also in the offline 

world or even on e-commerce, but 

Fiat will remain the preferred way of 

payment for a lot of people today. So if 

we want to be inclusive, if we want to 

onboard the Web2 audience, it will be 

necessary also to accept Fiat. 



COVER STORY 

Do you see the future of luxury retail 

moving towards digital only? 

Do I believe in a digital-only future 

for retail or fashion? The answer 

is no, absolutely not. I believe in a 

phygital future where anything you 

buy physically will be complemented 

by a virtual experience, but on the 

other hand, also being able to buy a 

virtual asset and getting a real-life 

experience, and that doesn’t per se 

need to be the virtual garment or the 

product on its own, because I’m a 

big believer in virtual assets on their 

own. But I believe that the future will 

be phygital, not digital only and not 

physical only. 

How do businesses secure an ultimate 

environment for innovation and 

creativity to prosper? 

When it comes to innovation in 

larger companies, it’s very important to 

set a clear definition of what you want 

to achieve as a company and what 

innovation means for you. At Chalhoub 

Group we have defined a clear 

definition of what innovation is for 

us and what we want to achieve with 

it, and we kind of love the 3 Horizon 

bubble claimed by McKinsey before. 

Where we look at the short term 

actions with technology that is widely 

accepted already, on the first horizon 

ranging up to the third horizon, which 

is very early-stage technology, very 

experimental to very small audiences 

and anything in between which is 

horizon 2 and that’s focusing on new 

business models. After setting a clear 

definition of what innovation means 

for you and what you want to achieve 

with it, it is essential that you free up 

means to do it and you have the proper 

mindset and that you give the people 

the mandate to do so, basically the 

mandate to fail, innovation is all about 

trying and testing and learning and if 

you’re looking for a perfect record, I 

don’t think innovation is a good thing 

for you. To sum it up, innovation at 

large companies is about defining what 

it is for you, having clear objectives, 

and then having the right means, 

mindset, and the mandate to innovate. 

Lastly what message do you have for 

our readers? 

I’d like to share with the readers 

that you’re doing a good job by keeping 

your eyes open. A lot of so-called and 

self-proclaimed gurus out there, try to 

scare people. Say, if you don’t do X or Y, 

your company will die and I don’t really 

believe in that kind of RARA sentences. 

I don’t believe in predicting the future. 

It’s very hard to say that this or that 

will happen. So what is important, 

what we can do is make sure that 

we understand what is happening 

today, and by reading The Technology 

Express, you are doing that. You’re 

already making sure that you stay on 

top of what is happening today in your 

industry and outside your industry. And 

based on that, you can take action and 

experiment. So don’t be scared by the 

self-proclaimed gurus that say that 

you have to jump on trend X or hype Z. 

Just be mindful of what happens today. 

Test and learn and stay foolish. 




EVENTS 

WORLD 

METAVERSE SHOW 

The inaugural edition of World 

Metaverse Show hosted global 

metaverse and web3 industry 

leaders, and experts under one roof 

to inspire and stimulate business 

opportunities across MENA. 

#WMSDubai put together an incredible line up of 

technology experts, thought leaders, innovators and 

speakers who are making remarkable contributions 

in digital transformation in various sectors. 

During the 2-day summit, metaverse solution 

providers, web3 projects, investment partners and 

community partners showcased their offerings 

and were able to network and meet with qualified 

investors, buyers and other stakeholders to promote 

their offering and solutions. 



EVENTS 





INTERVIEW 

MOHAMED AL QUBAISI 

HEAD OF NB&I PRODUCTS, SOLUTIONS, AND DIGITAL SERVICES, DU 

As the Head of NB&I Products, Solutions, and Digital Services, Mohamed is leading all 

aspects of du ICT’s product development strategy to support customers on their digital 

transformation journey. 

Mohamed joined the du ICT team from Injazat, where he held the Chief Technology Officer 

position. Mr. Al Qubaisi brings an entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving and has 

helped multiple organizations develop new approaches which combine design thinking, lean 

start-up models, and agile methodologies to deliver end-to-end digital solutions. 

Please start by introducing yourself 

My name is Mohamed Al Qubaisi; 

I lead ICT Products, Solutions, and 

Digital Services at du. I joined the team 

four months ago and feel excited about 

our future journey. It is a pleasure 

talking to you today. 

What changes is du implementing right 

now to align to the new vision of Dubai 

and the UAE in general? 

du has re-imagined its innovation 

on its digital arm to focus more on the 

value and the industries that will utilize 

our technology and our capabilities. 

We have the telco capabilities, data 

centres, cloud, cyber defense, and 

what’s more recently we’ve introduced 

advanced tech and industry 4.0. We’re 

focusing on those verticals and have 

built teams around them to accelerate 

Dubai’s vision to lead in the areas of 

digital transformation, Metaverse, and 

more. 

What do you think about 5G and what 

are some of the real-life use cases for 

it? 

5G is critical to solutions where realtime 

communication is required. 

However, 5G alone is not enough. It’s 

the applications and the capabilities 

around it, which help define the uses 

cases in light of the challenges we’re 

trying to solve. So using 5G, is by 

default one of our go-to’s. We strive 

to develop new ways in which 5G, 

cloud, robotics, edge, and AI can help 

in manufacturing, smart government, 

smart city development and the 

implementation of smart healthcare. 

So combining all those technologies 

helps to differentiate du and enable us 

able to provide exceptional end-to-end 

solutions. 

What values does du add? 

The value we add is the 

orchestration, innovation, and 

governance; we structure innovation - 

so that we timebox it and ensure that 

we invest enough time and effort to 

develop the ecosystem that’s able to 

rapidly go after these problems and 

solve them in a very practical way. We 

go after MVPs, start small and try to 

improve value. Afterwards, we think 

about scaling. 

Overall it’s about changing the 

organization from a sales mentality 

selling solution services to co-creating 

and addressing problems in unique 

ways for the industry. 

What message do you have for our 

readers? 

My message to everyone is that 

we’re blessed here by outstanding 

leaders who have a clear vision and 

want to bring the future of technology 

to the UAE. So whether it’s Crypto, 

Metaverse or AI, they’re not looking 

at the technology for the sake of 

technology, but what it brings to our 

country and citizens. So I recommend 

to all youth at startups and everyone 

du has re-imagined 

its innovation on its 

digital arm to focus 

more on the value 

and the industries 

that will utilize our 

technology and our 

capabilities. 

who is interested to be part of this 

journey to really collaborate and 

contribute through partnerships and 

being part of the ecosystem. 

du is positioned very well to work 

with these startups and allow them 

to join our journey and contribute 

effectively. 




MARKETING TECH 

WHY YOU NEED 

TO MARKET 

YOUR BRAND 

IN METAVERSE 

During the pandemic, 

metaverse marketing 

emerged as one of the 

most significant new 

platforms for marketing. 

For those unfamiliar with the concept, 

a metaverse is said to be an immersive 

digital setting where virtual avatars 

represent real individuals. Are you 

still unsure about what it means? 

Consider the popular video game 

Fortnight, a virtual reality experience 

where avatars compete against 

one another and attend events in a 

specific metaverse. Every player that 

participates in the game in real life 

has a unique avatar that they use to 

interact with other players. 

What distinguishes a metaverse as 

such? The metaverse is always active, 

lives in real-time, participants have 

unique agency, a self-contained and 

fully functional universe, and contains 

user-generated material, according to 

Influencer Marketing Hub. 

Although other businesses are 

developing metaverses, the gaming 

sector is the first to recognize and 

use its possibilities fully. And the 

companies that see the promise of 

metaverses first will reap the greatest 

rewards. 

Why Brands Are Marketing in The 

Metaverse 

Marketers are swarming to the 

metaverse for a variety of reasons. It’s 

new, and there are quick connections 

to handle expanding environments. 

The fact that marketers can target 

Millennials and Gen X in new ways 

thanks to metaverses is the most 

crucial factor. Marketers want to 

reach these audiences and keep them 

informed about and interested in their 

goods and technology. It is also evident 

from the level of interaction companies 

are already experiencing that this 

marketing approach is effective and 

here to stay. 

Because they are located in the 

digital world, the largest metaverses, 

like Fortnight and Roblox, present 

large businesses with previously 

unachievable opportunities. Verify 

Vans. According to The Wall Street 

Journal, the skateboarding company 

has introduced a virtual skatepark in 

Roblox where users can try out new 

tricks and earn points to decorate their 

avatars in the store. 

According to the Vans management 

team, the ideal area to increase brand 

recognition among their target market 

of 13 to 35-year-olds is the internet 

metaverse. The company claims more 

than 48 million people have visited 

its online park. More companies with 

larger funds can observe that kind of 

interaction in the metaverse. 

How Brands and Businesses Can 

Get in The Game 

There are starting to be more often 

emerging non-gaming metaverses. 

Conventions are now happening 

virtually in the metaverse. Attendees 

don’t need to leave their offices or 

homes to see a lot of exhibitors. When 

you bring the experience online, the 

audience size increases tremendously. 

Consider the potential audience 

for automobile exhibitions in the 

metaverse. To feel and observe an 

automobile from the inside out, put on 

some virtual reality goggles and “sit” in 

one. These events have a lot of creative 

potentials. 

Because branding, marketing, and 

advertising in the metaverse are so 

new, the costs to launch a campaign 

are still relatively minimal. It’s time to 

try it if you’re a brand or company with 

an open mind and your target audience 

frequents the metaverse. Remember 

that conventional advertising won’t 

work; you’ll need to be inventive and 

utilize interaction as your primary KPI. 

The measuring and tracking we’re used 

to with other marketing methods aren’t 

available since this technology is new, 

but it won’t be long before the analytics 

catch up. 

Remember to think broadly as you 

start to consider the best method to 

interact with the metaverse, whether 

creating an internal metaverse team or 

working with an agency to connect and 

assist you. In the metaverse, not even 

the sky is the limit. 




UAE NEWS 

du partners with Abu Dhabi 

Department of Economic 

Development to enable telco 

services on TAMM 

In order to provide telecom 

services on TAMM, the website for 

Abu Dhabi government services, 

du from Emirates Integrated 

Telecommunications Company (EITC) 

has teamed with the Abu Dhabi 

Department of Economic Development 

(ADDED). The statement was made 

at GITEX Global 2022, where du is 

showcasing cutting-edge technologies 

including Internet of Things (IoT), 

Augmented Reality, metaverse, 

blockchain, NFT, and robots under 

the theme “Powering Governments, 

Shaping The Emirates Reality.” 

Dubai Financial services Authority 

partners with Thai Securities and 

Exchange Commission 

The Dubai Financial Services Authority 

(DFSA) and the Thai Securities 

and Exchange Commission (SEC) 

have signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MoU) with the intention 

of fostering open communication 

on technologically enabled financial 

innovation in the financial services 

industry, including FinTech and 

Regulatory Technology (RegTech). 

Ian Johnston, the CEO of DFSA, 

and Ruevadee Suwanmonkol, the 

Secretary-General of SEC, both signed 

the MoU. 

Injazat signs preliminary 

agreement with Singapore trade 

tech body SGTech 

Technology company Injazat, which is 

a component of Abu Dhabi’s G42, and 

Singapore’s tech trade association 

SGTech have signed a preliminary 

agreement to work together on 

technology exchange and creating 

new partnerships on digitalization 

and innovation. The UAE, the secondlargest 

economy in the Arab world, 

and Singapore are making the move as 

a way to increase their technological 

cooperation. 

Emerge signs agreement with 

Khazna Data Centres to develop 

solar plant 

In order to power Khazna Data 

Centres’ new data center in Masdar 

City, a ground-mounted solar 

photovoltaic plant will be built by 

Emerge, a joint venture between 

Masdar and France’s EDF. According 

to the agreement, Emerge will offer 

a complete turnkey solution for the 

project, including financing, design, 

procurement, construction, operations, 

and maintenance for 25 years. The 

project’s 7 MWp peak capacity project’s 

entire cost was not disclosed. 


MENA region is projected to have 

45 Fintech unicorns by 2030, 

MasterCard report 

According to a recent report by 

the global payments corporation 

MasterCard, data analytics and 

artificial intelligence are the major 

technologies driving the expansion of 

the Middle East and Turkey’s FinTech 

business. 

FinTech offerings are “agile and able 

to identify opportunities,” frequently 

during the times of unfavorable 

events like the 2008 financial crisis 

and the Covid-19 pandemic, according 

to MasterCard’s white-paper titled 

“Future of FinTech: smart, scalable, 

collaborative,” which was released 

during the Gitex 2022 at the Dubai 

World Trade Centre. 

Al Dhahra and ARASCO sign 

agreement to supply WAFI Feed 

Al Dhahra Holding, the most significant 

producer of complete animal feed 

in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 

the Middle East, based in the United 

Arab Emirates, and ARASCO, the 

largest producer of animal feed in the 

region, both located in Riyadh (KSA), 

announced their agreement to supply 

up to 180,000 tonnes of WAFI animal 

feed that will be used in the Saudi 

Agriculture Exhibition. 


EVENTS 

The Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, or GITEX as it is more commonly known, is a 

technology trade show and conference that takes place in Dubai each year. The exhibits 

include computers, robots, supercars, and the latest smartphones – but this is not a 

shopping event. Instead, it is an opportunity for the public and people in the tech trade to see 

the most futuristic inventions in the world and to get a sense of the latest trends. The event 

proudly celebrated the region’s digital transformation achievements in this landmark year of 

Expo 2020 Dubai and UAE’s Golden Jubilee. 

Along with showcasing fascinating 

inventions, thought leaders, 

government ministers and tech 

superstars from around the world 

took part in several conferences that 

run alongside the exhibition. These 

included events focusing on specific 

tech trends such as AI, FinTech, 

blockchain, and health tech. 

When and where did it take place? 

GITEX Dubai 2022 is a five-day 

exhibition and conference that took 

place from 10 to 14 October 2022 at the 

Dubai World Trade Centre. GITEX Dubai 

2022 showcased the transformational 

ideas that will shape the future of the 

UAE government and business in the 

next decade. 

What to do in Gitex 2022? 

The launching of Global DevSlam 

and X-VERSE by GITEX 3.0 

GITEX GLOBAL’s 3.0 edition features AI 

Everything, North Star Dubai, Fintech 

Surge, Future Blockchain Summit, and 

Marketing Mania with total immersion 

and deeper insight into the digital 

world. Global DevSlam is the Middle 

East’s largest-ever programmer and 

developer meetup, bringing together 

10,000 coders with developers from 

the biggest tech companies around 

the world, including Anaconda, AWS, 

Google, Instagram, Microsoft, Oracle, 

and Red Hat. It is dedicated to building 

a flourishing home in the UAE for 

worldwide programmers and devs and 

progressing the digital economy. 

North Star Dubai 

The newly rebranded North Star 

Dubai in 2022, which was formerly 



EVENTS 

known as GITEX Future Stars, 

highlights the continued 

growth of the global start-up 

ecosystem and the critical 

role start-ups play in fostering 

innovation and cross-border 

commercial collaboration. 

Breaking down geographical 

barriers, North Star Dubai also 

introduces “Africa Fast 100,” the 

biggest group of African start-ups ever 

held outside of the continent, which 

brings together investors 

and potential unicorns from 

the world’s rapidly expanding 

innovation incubator. 

New national pavilions 

from Cyprus, Ethiopia, the 

European Union, Kuwait, 

Uganda, and Turkey underline 

the GITEX GLOBAL’s extensive global 

reach. The participation of countries, 

including the United States, France, 

Germany, the United Kingdom, India, 

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, 

Nigeria, and Brazil, has expanded as a 

result of their desire to promote their 

leading technological advancements. 

There are the top five robots to 

watch out for at the five-day show at 

the Dubai World Trade Center that ran 

through the 14th of October, including: 



WHAT IS ‘DIGITAL GOLD’ AND IS IT 

BETTER THAN THE REAL THING? 

What is Digital Gold? 

Digital gold is a virtual 

method of buying and 

investing in yellow 

metal without having to 

physically hold the gold. 

Digital gold currency (or DGC) is a 

form of electronic money (or digital 

currency) based on mass units of 

gold. It is a kind of representative 

money, like a US paper gold certificate 

at the time (from 1873 to 1933) that 

these were exchangeable for gold on 

demand. The typical unit of account 

for such currency is linked to grams 

or Troy ounces of gold, although 

other units such as the gold dinar are 

sometimes used. DGCs are backed by 

gold through unallocated or allocated 

gold storage. 

Digital gold currencies are issued by 

a number of companies, each of which 

provides a system that enables users 

to pay each other in units that hold 

the same value as gold bullion. These 

competing providers issue a type of 

independent currency. 

Unlike the credit card industry, 

digital gold currency issuers generally 

do not have services to dispute 

or reverse charges. So, reversing 

transactions, even in case of a 

legitimate error, unauthorized use, or 

failure of a vendor to supply goods, is 

difficult, if not impossible. This means 

that using the digital gold currency is 

more akin to a cash transaction, while 

PayPal transfers, for example, could be 

considered more similar to credit card 

transactions. 

The advantage of this agreement is 

that the operating costs of the digital 

currency system are significantly 

reduced because of the shortage of 

payment disputes to settle. Plus, it 

allows instant clearing of digital gold 

currency transactions, making the 

funds immediately available to the 

recipient. Unlike credit cards, checks, 

ACH, and other reversible payment 

methods, there are typically 72 hours 

or more to clear. 



CRYPTO & DIGITAL ASSETS 

Why is this important? 

Buying physical gold has certain 

downsides. Firstly, there is the issue 

of identifying its purity and legitimacy. 

And, secondly, there are challenges 

associated with safekeeping and 

storage. 

On the other hand, digital gold 

is bought online and it is stored in 

insured vaults by the seller on behalf 

of the buyer. 

Digital gold’s rise in popularity 

among millennials and Gen Zers 

is hugely credited to the flexibility 

of purchasing it in small amounts, 

easy access to delivery, and liquidity 

options. 

When you buy digital gold from 

any app, you’re actually buying from 

mediators helping you access that gold 

from reputed companies. 

Intermediaries charge a small 

percentage as investment charges as 

they are responsible for the safety of 

your digital gold holding. 


How is digital gold better than the real 

thing? 

Investment in the digital form of this 

yellow metal can bring in a host of 

advantages. These are as follows: 

• Secure storage 

The most significant advantage of 

digital gold is its hassle-free and safe 

storage. The company offering digital 

gold will store one’s purchased gold in 

secure vaults. As the buyer does not 

possess the gold, he also saves locker 

charges and does not need to worry 

about theft or loss of gold. 

• No lower limit on investment 

There is no lower limit on 

investment; an individual can invest 

in any amount of gold. The person will 

get possession of the quantity that he 

or she has invested. Gold worth one 

rupee can also be bought. 

• Use as collateral 

One can use digital or electronic 

gold as collateral for loans. Some 

lenders accept it as collateral since 

these come with 24K purity and are 

stored in secured vaults. It helps 

borrowers avoid the hassles related 

to the paperwork of collateral 

and reduces their chances of loan 

rejection. 

• Ease of exchange 

Another significant advantage of 

digital gold is that it can be easily 

exchanged anytime and anywhere for 

physical gold, coins, and bullion. This 

flexibility allows individuals to convert 

their digital assets into physical ones. 

Individuals wanting to access their 

physical gold can have it delivered to 

their doorsteps. 

• Genuineness 

Virtual gold is 24K and thus comes 

with 99.99% purity. Buyers do not have 

to worry about purity and genuineness. 

Chances of fraud are negated, and 

purchasers get the value that they 

have paid for. 

Gold acts as a safety net during times 

of crisis 

This essentially meant more money 

supply, which put more cash in the 

hands of the people. This oversupply 

reduces the purchasing power of the 

currency, and fears of rising inflation 

grow rampant. 

But gold as an asset class preserves 

the purchasing power against falling 

currencies. As a result, the demand 

for Gold increases, and hence with 

that comes an increase in Gold 

prices. This vicious cycle of increased 

debt burdens leading to a need for 

stimulus packages always results in 

a weakening of the purchasing power 

of the currency or inflation. So during 

uncertain times, gold truly shines! 



APP EXPRESS 

MINT 

Mint is a free budgeting app that allows you 

to connect all your financial accounts in one 

digital space to get a high-level overview of 

your financial health. The app also allows users to 

track spending and savings and set and track budget 

goals. 

Through Mint, users can sync up bank accounts, 

money management accounts, retirement and 

investment accounts, credit cards, and other 

financial accounts. You also can track all of your 

monthly bills through Mint and receive reminders 

so you can quickly pay your bills on time. For added 

customization, you can also add tags and reorganize 

transactions as necessary to better track your 

spending. With Mint, usershave the ability to separate 

a single transaction into multiple categories, 

including any fees charged. Mint is meant for 

individual users and there’s no option for joint Mint 

accounts. However, two people 

with joint financial 

statements can each 

create their own Mint 

account and sync the 

same accounts to view 

the same information. 

STRAVA 

Strava is for people who are competitive and 

enjoy the social aspects of fitness-tracking 

apps. If you’re not into leaderboards and 

personal records, you might be better off with 

an app that doesn’t focus so much on community 

competitions. 

Those who enjoy rich statistics but plan to opt out 

of the community features might prefer Runtastic for 

running and Cyclemeter for bicycling. You get plenty 

of data from those apps. More recently, Strava came 

under fire when it released heatmaps of outdoor 

activity so that popular routes were highlighted, 

which led to the location of a secret US military base 

being revealed. Military personnel had apparently 

been using the app to track their workouts, and 

Strava made the aggregated data public. Once again, 

if Strava members, including the military personnel, 

had wanted to prevent their data from being used 

in this way, they 

would have had 

to actively opt out 

of it, which is not 

the way it should 

be. Sharing data 

should always be 

on an opt-in basis. 

REVERB LP 

Reverb LP is, in essence, a marketplace and 

discovery tool designed primarily for antique 

physical music media, particularly vinyl. From 

the convenience of your workplace, couch, or even 

the toilet, you can browse, 

purchase, and sell thousands 

of new, used, and antique 

records, cassettes, and 

CDs directly on your phone. 

Although you probably won’t 

find one of the top ten most 

valuable vinyl albums ever 

in this app without paying 

a rather high price, you 

may use it to expand your 

important vinyl collection or 

to sell your own recordings. 

You ought to be on Reverb 

if you take collecting music 

seriously. iOS | Android 

POCKET CASTS 

For almost as long as podcasts have been 

around, Pocket Casts has been one of the 

most widely used podcast programs. If you 

enjoy listening to podcasts, you most likely already 

know this. If you don’t, this is the ideal moment 

to give it a try because the most recent revamp 

significantly improves the whole experience. A 

new, simplified material design interface, playback 

without a subscription, episode search, up next 

synchronization, listening history, new themes, 

episode archiving, and better discovery are all 

included in the most recent version of the “world’s 

most powerful 

podcast platform.” 

Simply simply, you 

require this software 

if you ever listen to 

podcasts. Android 

and iOS 



NEWS 

IN FOCUS 

CRYPTO NEWS 

Crypto Exchange FTX to provide $6m 

phishing compensation 

The phishing incident involving a thirdparty 

website will result in around $6 

million in compensation from the digital 

asset exchange FTX to its account 

holders. Sam Bankman-Fried, a crypto 

billionaire and the CEO of FTX, stated 

on Twitter that the company wouldn’t be 

“creating a practice” of rewarding users 

who fall victim to phishing attacks that 

target websites other than FTX. If the 

perpetrators send back 95% of the $6 

million taken from FTX accounts within 

24 hours, “we’ll absolve them,” Bankman- 

Fried said. Bankman-Fried proposed in a 

blog post what he called a “5-5 standard” 

where crypto hackers keep either 5% of 

the amount they’ve taken from a protocol 

or $5 million, whichever is smaller. That 

was part of an effort to curb the security 

exploits plaguing the digital-asset 

industry. 

Australian on its release about CBDC 

Whitepaper 

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in 

a release on September 26, has stated 

that they are collaborating with the 

Digital Finance Cooperative Research 

Centre (DFCRC) on a research project 

about exploring the potential use cases 

for a central bank digital currency 

(CBDC) in Australia. The RBA has also 

released a whitepaper regarding the 

same and explained the objective 

behind such a project in detail. 

The RBA is also seeking inputs from 

interested industry participants for 

potential use cases of CBDC, and how 

it can benefit the Australian economy 

and financial systems, too. 

UAE’s Crypto Market to Grow 10x; 

Crypto Oasis Ecosystem Report 

Launched at Future Blockchain 

Summit 

The Crypto Oasis Ecosystem Report 

launched at the Future Blockchain 

Summit by Crypto Oasis provided 

an overview of the cryptocurrency 

market in the UAE. The study is 

based on conversations with over 

1,400 organizations active in the 

UAE and working in the crypto 

space. 65 percent of them are native 

blockchain organizations and 35 

percent are non-native blockchain 

organizations. Currently, there are 

over 7,000 organizations working in 

the crypto space in the UAE. While 

we know that the UAE is doing well in 

the cryptocurrency sector, the report 

validates growth in the region backed 

with data and information such as 

who is in the crypto ecosystem, what 

they are doing in this space, and how 

they have grown. Ralf Glabischnig, 

Founder of Crypto Oasis stated, “The 

regional market is expected to grow 

ten times with access to the financial 

resources and opportunities in the 

UAE. We are on the cusp of something 

phenomenal”. 

Australian on its release about CBDC 

Whitepaper 

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in 

a release on September 26, has stated 

that they are collaborating with the 

Digital Finance Cooperative Research 

Centre (DFCRC) on a research project 

about exploring the potential use cases 

for a central bank digital currency 

(CBDC) in Australia. The RBA has also 

released a whitepaper regarding the 

same and explained the objective 

behind such a project in detail. 

The RBA is also seeking inputs from 

interested industry participants for 

potential use cases of CBDC, and how 

it can benefit the Australian economy 

and financial systems, too. 

FTX To Buy Bankrupt Cryptolender 

Voyager 

FTX, a cryptocurrency trading firm won 

the bid to acquire Voyager Digital, a 

cryptocurrency investment company 

that had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 

in July. 

“Voyager received multiple bids 

contemplating sale and reorganization 

alternatives, held an auction, and, 

based on the auction’s results, has 

determined that the sale transaction 

with FTX is the best alternative for 

Voyager stakeholders,” read the 

announcement. 

According to the release, Voyager 

has accepted FTX’s $1.4 billion buyout 

deal, defeating Binance and Wave 

Financial in the bid to buy the bankrupt 

corporation. 

Bankrupt crypto lender Voyager’s CFO 

resigned months after the appointment 

Ashwin Prithipaul, the chief financial 

officer of Voyager Digital Ltd, left his 

position just a few months after being 

hired by the cryptocurrency lender 

that declared bankruptcy in July. The 

company said the finance head would 

resign after a “transition period” to 

pursue other opportunities, and that 

Chief Executive Officer Stephen Ehrlich 

will head the role in the interim. Crypto 

lenders such as Voyager boomed 

during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing 

depositors with high-interest rates and 

easy access to loans rarely offered 

by traditional banks. But inflation and 

subsequent rate hikes by the U.S. 

Federal Reserve led to a wide sell-off 

in the alternative asset class that dealt 

a heavy blow to several companies in 

the sector. 



ROBOTICS 

ROBOTS AT GITEX 

Gitex 2022 is packed with innovation and new technology, including a host of robots to be 

used on an industrial scale. While some took on a more humanoid form, others were built 

with service in mind and to take the manual labor out of menial tasks. 

Here are the top five robots during the exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre. 

SWISS-MILE SURVEILLANCE ROBOT 

Swiss-Mile, a spin-off of ETH Zurich’s Robotic 

Systems Lab, is commercializing robots with 

both legs and wheels to perform various tasks, 

including mapping, inspection, disaster relief, and 

logistics in urban environments. The robot is based on 

ETH’s ANYmal quadruped and can travel at speeds up 

to 13.87 MPH with a payload capacity of up to 50 kg. 

The hybrid robot uses a combination of GPS, LiDAR, 

and cameras to navigate city streets and avoid 

obstacles autonomously. According to Swiss-Mile, the 

robots have a two-hour runtime per battery charge. 

Swiss-Mile is extending the capabilities of mobile 

robots by deploying a hybrid mobility platform that can 

overcome challenging obstacles like stairs and enable 

seamless navigation in indoor and 

outdoor environments. Being able to 

use both wheels and legs helps robots 

efficiently adapt to different situations, 

trading the ability to traverse 

rough terrain for speed, and likely 

outperforming wheeled mobile delivery 

robots or quadrupeds. 

This is not the first time we have 

seen a robot with both legs and 

wheels, but it could be one of the first 

hybrid systems to be commercialized. 

Boston Dynamics’ Handle robot initially 

had both, but that system evolved into 

Stretch, which uses only wheels. 

clients, according to the consultancy 

company, Allianz. Utility use of these 

applications is growing as emerging 

countries’ electricity networks expand 

to serve growing populations. Dewa’s 

customer base has risen by nearly 12 

percent to 730,000 accounts in the past 

three years. 

MWAFEQ ROBOT, BY DEWA 

Similar to the Swiss Mile robot, Dewa uses its four-legged 

Spot Robots to detect faults and test connection points of 

high-voltage cables. The robots will carry scanners and 

sensors while patrolling electricity lines with data then uploaded to 

SAP’s cloud for analysis. “The main advantage is that there remains 

no need for full-area visual inspection by a human expert, who can 

do the in-depth qualification from the comfort of the office,” said 

Manfred Pauli, the director at SAP’s global co-innovation lab. No 

further details were provided as to time or capital savings. 

Robotic technology is being deployed more in this area to catch 

potential problems that could result in power cuts, which also 

means a financial loss. A 30-minute power cut in the US can result 

in an average loss of US$15,709 for medium and large industrial 

Combined with developed nations 

digitalizing operations known as 

smart grids, overall sales for both 

drones and robots used in utility grid 

infrastructure are projected to reach 

$9.6 billion in 2025, according to 

research company Renewable Market 

Watch. It can also be used safely to 

detect leakage in water pipes, conduct 

security and monitoring patrols and 

ensure construction works are aligned 

in hard-to-reach areas. Specifications 

included multiple-angle cameras. 



AMECA HUMANOID 

Ameca is a cloud-connected 

platform that multiplies the 

power of Artificial Intelligence 

with an artificial body where AI and 

machine learning systems can be tested 

and developed alongside Engineered 

Arts’ powerful Tritium robot operating 

system. This allows companies 

working on robotic research to test 

their products. Companies creating AI 

or machine learning technology can 

use Ameca to test and present their 

technology in front of a live audience. 

The Ameca hardware is a 

development based on Engineered Arts’ 

own research into humanoid robotics 

and built on their advanced Mesmer 

technology. The robot’s congeniality 

makes it a perfect platform for 

fostering human-to-human 

connections in any Metaverse or digital 

environment. Some of us like Musk 

may be concerned about what our 

future will look like when the intellect 

is combined with a flawless human 

appearance. 

The emergence of AI as shown in 

the movies usually brings chaos with 

it. However, Ameca’s creators claim 

that the technological breakthrough 

ROBOTICS 

would be used for a different purpose, 

asserting that Ameca will be the future 

face of robots. AI will not only enable 

machines to learn and execute human 

activities in a more efficient way, but 

also to go beyond them. 

OTTOBOT BY OTTONOMY 

Ottobot is the world’s first fully 

autonomous delivery robot at 

an airport, delivering retail and 

food items at CVG Airport, Cincinnati. 

Ottobot has also partnered with 

Los Angeles-based Crave, for 

last-mile food delivery for its 

restaurant customers. In December 

2021, Presto, a leading provider of 

restaurant automation technologies 

announced that their partner 

restaurant guests will be able to 

order using Presto’s technology 

and have the food delivered via 

Ottonomy’s robots. Currently, our 

technology is being evaluated for 

multiple use cases by one of the 

world’s largest retailers 

Ottonomy’s proprietary contextual 

mobility navigation software enables 

Ottobot to navigate through crowded 

and unpredictable environments. 

Ottonomy provides a highly scalable 

and flexible solution, utilizing a 

comprehensive suite of tools for 

managing a fleet of robots deployed 

across different geographies. 

Ottonomy is also a new addition 

to Newlab at Brooklyn Navy Yard in 

New York, where they will be running 

additional pilots. 

BHS TECHNOLOGY ROBOT MICROSCOPE 

ASwiss company called BHS 

Technologies has unveiled a 

specially designed robot to 

assist surgeons, claiming it to be a 

world first. “A high-precision robot, 

a high-resolution 3D camera and an 

innovative head-mounted display – the 

world’s first RoboticScope have arrived 

on the market,” says the company, 

adding that it “sets new standards in 

microsurgery”. 

Essentially, the system uses a 

head-mounted display to translate 

small head movements of the surgeon 

directly into movements of the robotic 

arm, enabling the surgeon to view 

exactly what they want. As BHS says: 

“The surgeon can intuitively control 

the microscope with head movements. 

A change of perspective can be 

intuitively done by moving the head.” 

Using this method, the surgeon 

can select the viewing angle of the 

8x zoom lenses and even control 

a sophisticated menu from a 

microdisplay, allowing the activation 

and control of further functions. 

The high-precision Stäubli TX2-60L 

delivers “jerk-free motion sequences 

of the AMP”. Also, its enclosed build 

means that the six-axis machine 

already complies with cleanroom class 

ISO 5, allowing BHS to save on the 

potential extra costs of upgrading to a 

cleanroom version. 



CYBERCRIME 

HACKER GETS $50M 

IN HEIST OF DEFI’S 

MANGO 

After allowing the hacker to 

keep about $50 million of 

the assets, the community 

of decentralized-finance 

program Mango DAO on 

Saturday received a piece of the about 

$100 million stolen this week. 

The settlement wraps up several 

days of tense negotiations between the 

hacker and Mango, which is governed 

by its community of token holders who 

vote on any changes. Soon after the 

theft, the hacker posted a proposal in 

the app’s governance forum asking for 

bad debts on the platform to be erased 

— a deal that was not approved by the 

majority of Mango token holders even 

after the hacker voted for it with some 

of the stolen tokens. 

The Mango team then posted a 

counter proposal, offering to let the 

hacker keep around $50 million for the 

return of the rest of the funds while 

promising no criminal prosecution and 

to erase the bad debt. 

“We just got notice of the funds being 

returned,” Maximilian Schneider of 

Mango said in a Discord message to 

Bloomberg on Saturday. Community 

members are expected to meet to 

discuss how to refund the returned 

$67 million to users, with votes on 

the plans taking place next week, 

according to Mango’s Twitter. 

In a series of tweets Saturday, an 

individual took responsibility for the 

hack, saying he was “involved with a 

team that operated a highly profitable 

trading strategy last week” on Mango. 

“I believe all of our actions were 

legal open market actions, using 

the protocol as designed, even if 

the development team did not fully 

anticipate all the consequences of 

setting parameters the way they are,” 

according to the account who claims to 

be Avraham Eisenberg. 

When reached on Twitter, the user 

didn’t immediately provide evidence of 

his identity. Mango’s Schneider pointed 

to the Tweet as coming from the 

hacker, saying he disagreed that the 

actions were legal. 

The payout is likely one of the 

biggest ever to a hacker. More than 

a year ago, PolyNetwork offered an 

attacker who drained $610 million 

from the platform a job and a bounty 

for returning the funds, which were 

eventually reimbursed. Bounties 

can run into millions — but they are 

typically offered to coders who point 

out vulnerabilities, not to hackers who 

steal funds. 

“This is a clear failure of secure 

governance,” said Michael Lewellen, 

head of solutions architecture at 

crypto security provider OpenZeppelin. 

“If an attacker can steal enough tokens 

to vote themselves a reward, it sends 

a signal that DAOs can be hacked 

successfully using stolen tokens to 

avoid repercussions. This signals the 

need for better governance security 

that accounts for malicious token 

voters.” 

In the Mango heist, two accounts 

funded with the stablecoin USD 

Coin took large positions in Mango 

perpetual futures, causing the price 

of the Mango token to spike. The price 

jump stoked an unrealized profit 

from the futures. The attacker used 

that to borrow and withdraw about 

$100 million, leaving depositors with 

nothing. 

The hacker stole more than 10% 

of all value locked on the Solana 

blockchain that Mango is based on, 

according to DeFi Llama. Just how 

much the hacker will profit from 

the hack is unclear, as the attacker 

invested millions into executing the 

attack. 

Hacks in crypto are common, with 

at least $718 million stolen so far in 

October alone, taking the gross tally 

for the year past $3 billion and putting 

2022 on course to be a record for 

the total value hacked, according to 

blockchain specialist Chainalysis Inc. 




UAE NEWS 

UAE payment industry revenues 

projected to hit $18.7bn by 2031, 

BCG says 

According to a recent report by the 

Boston Consulting Group, the UAE’s 

second-largest economy’s young 

and tech-savvy population will be 

the primary driver of the payments 

industry’s revenue growth reaching 

$18.7 billion by 2031. Revenues are 

anticipated to increase between 2021 

and 2031 at a compound annual rate 

of 7.7%, according to BCG’s Global 

Payments 2022. 

Intel to open AI research centre at 

Dubai Internet City 

Intel, one of the world’s largest 

technology companies, will open its 

first artificial intelligence research and 

development centre at Dubai Internet 

City (DIC), underscoring the emirate’s 

appeal as a key destination in the GCC 

for establishing innovation facilities. 

New face recognition feature to 

enable residents to renew IDs 

remotely 

residents will be able to renew their 

cards without trouble or apply for a 

new Emirates ID. Residents will be 

able to obtain their identity cards 

without ever having to visit the 

required centers, thereby streamlining 

the procedure. 

The world’s first long-range solar 

electric vehicle has been launched 

in the UAE 

Launched by Hussain Mohamed 

Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the Sharjah 

Research, Technology and Innovation 

Park (SRTI Park), the solar-powered 

electric car was created by the Dutch 

company Lightyear. According to Al 

Mahmoudi, the firm initially created 

500 units of its first edition, “Lightyear 

O,” and the majority of them have 

already been sold out. 

Digital bank Wio partners with 

Stripe to enhance online payments 

for SMEs 

In order to increase online payments 

for small and medium-sized 

businesses (SME) and independent 

contractors working in the 

e-commerce industry, Wio Bank, 

an Abu Dhabi-based digital lender, 

is collaborating with global digital 

payments giant Stripe. According to a 

statement released by Wio Bank, the 

agreement would make it possible 

for SMEs to process payouts, accept 

payments online, and reduce fraud. 


e& enterprise acquires 100% of 

Smartworld 

One of the top technology solution 

providers and systems integrators in 

the UAE, Smartworld, has been fully 

acquired by e& enterprise, a division 

of e& (formerly known as Etisalat), the 

firm said. The Internet of Things and 

artificial intelligence business divisions 

of e& enterprise will incorporate 

Smartworld’s products. According to 

e& enterprise, Smartworld will now 

function as e& enterprise iot and ai and 

change its name. 

Mexican used-car platform Kavak 

sets $130m plans for GCC launch 

After merging with local competitor 

Carzaty, Mexico’s pre-owned vehicle 

marketplace Kavak promises to invest 

$130 million over the following two 

years in the GCC to create the largest 

used-car operation in the Gulf. The 

firm stated in a statement that the 

Latin American used-car dealership, 

which is present in 10 nations including 

Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Turkey, 

will first open operations in the UAE 

and Oman as part of its development 

plans in the GCC, followed by Saudi 

Arabia. 


WHEELS 

2022 LAMBORGHINI 

SIAN FKP 37 

Based unashamedly on the 

Aventador SVJ, the Sian has 

been restyled by Lamborghini’s 

in-house designers under the guidance 

of its German boss, Mitja Borkert, who 

used to work at Porsche, and in the 

flesh, it looks suitably extraordinary. 

You can tell it’s an Aventador beneath 

all the new fins and wings and 

multiple bits of carbon fiber, but 

only just. The name Sian refers to 

flashes of lightning that appear in 

the skies above northern Italy, while 

“FKP 37” refers to one Ferdinand Karl 

Piech, who was born in 1937 and was 

in charge at VW when it assumed 

control of Lamborghini. Piech was 

many things to many people, but he 

was also a brilliant engineer at heart 

who constantly embraced the future, 

hence Sian’s new hybridized version of 

Lamborghini’s now venerable 6.5-liter 

V12 engine. 



WHEELS 


Maximum power – Output: 785 PS / 774 HP / 577 kW 

Horsepower : @ 8500 rpm 

Maximum torque : 720 Nm / 531 lb-ft @ 6750 rpm 

Top Speed: 350 Km/h / 218 Mph 

Acceleration 0 to 100 km/h: 2.8 s 





INTERVIEW 

SRIJITH NAIR 

DIRECTORY OF INFORMATION SECURITY AT CAREEM 

Dr. Srijith Nair is a cyber security veteran, he received his M.Sc. (CS) from NUS, Singapore in 2002 and 

a B.Tech (EEE) (First class honours) from NTU, Singapore in 2000, under the SIA/NOL Undergraduate 

Scholarship Program. He obtained his Ph.D. in CS from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam where he 

worked with Prof. Andrew S. Tanenbaum and Associate Prof. Bruno Crispo on the problem of 

information flow control and policy enforcement, applied cryptography, and general system security. 

Srijith has been a speaker in several industry conferences and summits and has also published 

several peer-reviewed papers in international journals and conferences and has served on several 

Program Committee. He has several patents under his name. 

Please start by briefing us about 

yourself 

I am Dr. Srijith Nair, Directory of 

Information Security at Careem. My 

team and I work with the engineering 

and business functions within Careem 

to ensure that the customer, Captain, 

partner and colleague data is secured 

and used in a compliant manner. 

Cloud computing is a main pillar 

for digital transformation, how can 

enterprises ensure that they are 

not compromising their data while 

implementing it? 

Cloud computing indeed provides a 

great tool for digital transformation. 

Security capabilities are one of the 

key strengths that can be leveraged 

by customers operating in the cloud if 

done in the correct manner. However, 

security in the cloud is not a given and 

does not come for “free”. Organizations 

need to be aware of some key aspects 

of cloud security in order to ensure 

that their data is safe. Some of them 

are: 

- Understand the shared 

responsibility model, aspects of 

security that the cloud service provider 

takes up on their side, and the aspects 

that are still your responsibility. These 

vary based on the type of cloud service 

(IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) being used. 

- Agree and adhere to a standardsbased 

security baseline for all aspects 

related to security (golden images, 

default configurations, network 


segmentation, etc.) 

- Shift left in order to manage the 

complexity and fast pace brought in 

by the flexibility offered by the cloud 

environment. 

- Have an incident management 

process in mind that reflects the 

nature of the cloud environment you 

are running. 

Being a cyber security specialist, can 

you elaborate on security in the cloud 

and of the cloud itself? 

Simply put, “security of the cloud” 

refers to the security of the cloud 

infrastructure itself that powers 

the offering provided by the Cloud 

Service Provider. These involve the 

procedures and technology that Cloud 

Service Providers use to secure the 

environment, including all the way 

from physical security to TPM chips 

in cloud based physical servers. 

“Security in the cloud” typically refers 

to the technologies and processes 

that consumers of cloud services 

need to adopt in order to secure their 

use of the cloud service. This can 

be as “simple” as choosing a strong 

password and turning on MFA and as 

complex as ensuring your applications 

running in the cloud are free from bugs 

that can be exploited. 

How can we leverage zero-trust 

elements with cloud security? 

Several elements of Zero Trust 

can and should be embedded in 

cloud security. Elements related to 

network (micro) segmentation and 

access control, identity management, 

granular user access management, 

web application firewall, enhanced 

data protection, and leveraging threat 

intelligence from cloud providers 

need to be considered. Each of these 

elements can leverage the capabilities 

provided by the cloud provider that 

probably is at a higher maturity level 

than the smaller SMEs can afford to 

build out. 

What are some of the most important 

compliance controls to implement to 

be cybersafe? 

There are several compliance 

controls that are in general good 

security hygiene to implement to be 

cybersafe. Encryption at rest and 

in transit, configuration, patch and 

vulnerability management process, 

firewalls at the network and/or 

application level, having data loss 

prevention capability (in the cloud and 

otherwise), and keeping a risk register 

to provide visibility on the risks are 

some of them. 



FUTURE TECH 

AL ZUBAIR JOINS MICROSOFT TO 

ESTABLISH ME’S FIRST HYBRID 

WORK LAB 

Al Zubair Group, a prominent solutions provider located in the UAE, has partnered with the Microsoft 

EMEA team to open the first hybrid work lab in the area. The Work Lab experience, which spans 

a 1,000+ square foot area, integrates audio, visual, and furniture to create an all-encompassing 

experience. It uses leading technologies from around the world, including those from Microsoft, Poly, 

Lenovo, Yealink, Neat, Epson, Jupiter, Sennheiser, Q-sys Epos Logitech, and Benne, bringing certified 

and collaborative solutions under one roof. 

With hybrid work fast 

becoming a necessity, 

Al Zubair Group, as a 

Microsoft Gold Partner 

and Meeting Rooms 

Partner, has set up this lab. 

It is smartly divided into sections 

showcasing different meeting 

scenarios in the hybrid work 

environment and giving a real and 

visual sense of how the experience is 

going to be. 

According to industry experts, the 

pandemic has unearthed the ‘new 

next.’ 

“Companies globally are 

implementing hybrid work solutions, 

which has undoubtedly led to more 

demand for video-enabled meeting 

rooms,” remarked Annbritt Steen 

Andersen, EMEA Director, Teams & 

Teams Devices, Microsoft. 

“With this Hybrid Work Lab, Al 

Zubair showcases the art of the 

possible for all these scenarios. This 

will, in turn, inspire every employer 

and demonstrate how to equip their 



meeting rooms with the right solutions 

for every meeting scenario. Ultimately, 

it will ensure inclusivity, collaboration 

and productivity,” stated Andersen. 

Microsoft research shows that 

long-established norms and tenets 

of working have been debunked. 

While “our ways of working have 

been redefined and rethought, our 

technology and setups also have to. As 

one of the Microsoft Work Trend Index 

2022 Report states — Hybrid work is 

already up seven points year-overyear 

(to 38%), and 53% of people are 

likely to consider transitioning to a 

hybrid model in the year ahead,” he 

added. 

While another leading brand, POLY, 

research specific to the UAE region 

states, shows that while more than 

half (54%) of UAE organizations are 

fully prepared for hybrid working (as 

opposed to 48% globally), only 34% are 

ready in the short-term. 

In the era of hybrid work, largely 

unwarranted anxiety about efficiency, 

or “productivity phobia,” is sweeping 

global organisations, even as 

employees Hybrid work is already 

up seven points year-over-year (to 


38%), and 53% of people are likely 

to consider transitioning to a hybrid 

model in the year ahead increasingly 

seek new horizons for a workplace 

that develops their abilities and 

supports a more social atmosphere. 

Studies carried out by Microsoft 

suggests that around 87% of 

employees have reported that they 

are productive at work, while 12% of 

leaders have full confidence that their 

team is productive. 

According to him, the past two years 

have made a lasting impression on 

work and life; there is no denying the 

long-term impact. 

“Professionals are becoming 

more flexible at work and working 

from anywhere is becoming more 

commonplace, which leads to a shift 

in the traditional notion of being 

present in the workplace.” “Employees 

value flexibility and well-being, and 

these new but growing expectations 

create an opportunity for every 

organization to reimagine hybrid work 

environments,” stated Andersen. 

“Giving people the right tools and 

the environment to do their best work 

is not only in their best interest—but 

critical for the organization’s growth 

& survival. It is now evident that 

“hybrid” has a firm place in the modern 

workspace,” he noted. 

Al Zubair Group Managing Director 

Jose Thadayus said: “Today employees 

are defining hybrid work, they are 

supportive of organizations which offer 

more flexibility to work and support 

them with the right technological 

tools.” “So, organizations need to gear 

up for hybrid work to stay competitive, 

so building the right hybrid work 

environment and transforming the 

organization is just the beginning.” 

“While investing in technology, 

making decisions is not easy, and 

that is where the Hybrid Work Lab 

comes in, and removes the complexity 

by offering highly recommended 

and reliable choices and a place to 

experience them. “We are glad to have 

launched one of the first in Dubai,” he 

added. 



TARIQ HALAWANI 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS, MICROSOFT UAE 

Tariq Halawani is an established technology leader passionate about the impact that technological 

advancements and applied innovation can have on improving human lives, Tariq is the Executive 

Director, Enterprise Solutions, Microsoft UAE. He has been part of Microsoft for the last 14 years 

working across the Middle East and Africa region, dealing with customers across all industries, 

helping them on their digital transformation journey and adoption of cloud technology. He is a 

member of the team of solutions specialists in Microsoft who work very closely with customers on 

envisioning, accelerating, and realizing the value of their digital transformation journey. 



How do you see your participation in 

Gitex this year? 

It’s a very exciting Gitex to say the 

least. We’ve been part of Gitex since its 

inception, but this year is very special. 

I think first of all, it’s so vibrant. If 

you’ve walked around, you will see that 

we had a very encouraging turnout 

and customers from across the region 

visiting us this year. At the same time 

this year marks the third anniversary 

of our cloud data centers in the region, 

so we’re very excited about this and 

we are unfolding a lot of the latest 

emerging technologies during Gitex 

and we’re making it available to be 

showcased to our customers. So, it’s 

really a very special year, and we’re 

very excited about our participation 

this year, it has been the largest 

participation for Microsoft in Gitex 

since its inception. 

What are the main areas of focus 

during this year’s edition? 

I can probably group them into three 

areas. The first area is around the 

metaverse and I think the transition 

from the hype to reality is taking 

place. So, there is a lot of focus on 

Metaverse technologies. And we’re 

basically showcasing some of the use 

cases we’re seeing for the market 

adoption this year. The second one 

is around the hybrid workplace, and 

hybrid work is becoming the new 

norm. It’s a reality. So, we’re sharing 

with customers and partners how do 

we envision hybrid work today with the 

latest technologies we have. The third 

area, I think, with the convergence of 

the physical and virtual worlds and 

the adoption of hybrid work, there is 

an increased threat. We see a huge 

increase in the threat and attack 

landscape that customers need to 

be thinking about. So, we’re also 

focusing a lot on cybersecurity and 

showcasing some of our latest cloud 

services that we’ve landed in the UAE 

to help customers across all industries 

modernize their security systems and 

better be prepared for the future with a 

new attack landscape that is emerging 

very quickly. 

What are some of latest initiatives and 

projects that Microsoft is deploying in 

the UAE? 

We remain focused on expanding our 

cloud services and our data centers 

footprint. So, I mentioned earlier that 

basically during this Gitex we were 


celebrating the third anniversary of 

our cloud infrastructure, our local data 

centers, and we’re super proud to have 

most of our core services globally 

operating out of our UAE data center, 

so we continue to invest heavily and 

land more and more cloud services 

that are relevant for our customers. 

So that’s basically on the technology 

side. But also, I think we’re doing many 

initiatives on skilling and enablement 

for our customers and partners. 

We have been participating through 

the 1 million Arab Coders program, 

helping basically upskill the market 

in terms of coding and going after 

building the next generation of coders 

in partnership with the government. 

We’ve also launched our next version 

of Tomoh program, which is our 

Emiratization program, through which 

we take fresh graduates from the IT 

industry and upskill them on advanced 

emerging technologies. And we hire 

some of those young talents for our 

organizations and help them land jobs 

in government agencies. So, we have 

a nationalization program as part of 

the initiative to invest in skilling the 

market and skilling for our customers 

and partners. 

What can we expect from Microsoft in 

the upcoming future? 

We can expect a lot. We have many 

technology announcements that are 

coming up in the future. You can expect 

some technological announcements 

around the Metaverse and Web 3.0. 

Of course, we’re announcing our 

new lineup of hardware Surface 

devices. So, I think there is a lot to be 

announced in the next few months. 

I think you can expect more and 

more presence and investment from 

Microsoft in the UAE. The UAE has 

always been a leader on the global 

stage in terms of new technology 

adoption, and we continue to invest 

heavily in the UAE market through 

our cloud presence and through the 

partner ecosystem that we bring into 

the country. 

INTERVIEW 

We read the news of establishing the 

first hybrid work lab, can we expect 

more of these projects? 

Absolutely, we’ve been working 

closely with our customers and 

partners in the region once again to 

envision what hybrid work and remote 

work mean. I think it varies from one 

organization to the next. So there 

has been much hype around that. We 

definitely have better clarity today 

on what hybrid work might look like, 

even with some of the new technology 

announcements we made. 

So, the hybrid work lab is one 

initiative, but we’re working on multiple 

other initiatives for hybrid work 

with the government and with some 

of our top commercial customers. 

We’ll continue to see more and 

more initiatives, and we’re heavily 

engaged, as I mentioned earlier, with 

our customers to tailor and craft the 

right hybrid work strategy for every 

organization. I don’t think one size 

fits all when we talk about hybrid 

work, and that’s why our strategic 

partnership with our customers will 

continue to evolve how hybrid work 

will land for every organization in the 

UAE. 


readers? 

I think my message probably would 

be, there are a lot of exciting new 

technologies landing in the UAE. The 

UAE has been a leader in adopting 

new technologies as I mentioned 

earlier, I think if you haven’t visited 

the Microsoft website for the new 

cloud services we are launching in 

UAE, you should. I encourage you to 

do so. You will find a lot of exciting 

announcements on our website for 

some of the most recent services that 

we’re announcing in this market. 



EVENTS 

WORLD BLOCKCHAIN 

SUMMIT DUBAI 

SHINES THE 

SPOTLIGHT ON 

WEB3, CRYPTO 

REGULATIONS AND 

FUTURE OF FINANCE 



The 22nd edition of World 

Blockchain Summit –Dubai 2022, 

held under the patronage of HH 

Sheikh Juma Ahmed Juma Al Maktoum 

brought industry leaders, technology 

pioneers and web3 fans, all under one 

roof. The summit featured an opening 

address by Furqan Rassul, CEO, Elite 

Partner Investment and H.E. Abdulaziz 

Alnuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary, 

UAE Ministry of Economy, and industry 

heavyweights such as Reeve Collins, 

Dr. Marwan Alzarouni and Willem 

Middlekoop. 

WBS provided startups with a 

platform to exhibit their innovative 

capabilities in front of global investors 

at the Startup World Cup pitch 

competition. WBS hosts a global series 

EVENTS 

of blockchain, crypto, metaverse and 

web3 business platforms that bring 

together the ecosystem of founders, 

developers, investors, regulators, 

enterprise buyers and influencers. 

As the world’s largest blockchain 

and web3 summit series, WBS has 

hosted more than 35,000 industry 

stakeholders at more than 20 editions 

in 10+ destinations around the world. 

In collaboration with key industry 

stakeholders and our advisory board 

members, WBS curates a regionally 

relevant agenda for each edition 

that highlights the latest trends and 

upcoming opportunities in the market 

while also enabling deal flow, business 

development and more for the 

community of founders and investors. 

WBS is committed to boosting the 

development, adoption, and growth of 

the entire web3 ecosystem. 



NEWS 

IN FOCUS 

BLOCKCHAIN 

Hacker gets $50m in the heist of DeFi’s 

Mango 

After allowing the hacker to keep about 

$50 million of the assets, the community 

of the decentralized-finance program 

Mango DAO received a piece of the about 

$100 million stolen. 

The settlement wraps up several days of 

tense negotiations between the hacker 

and Mango, which is governed by its 

community of token holders who vote 

on any changes. Soon after the theft, the 

hacker posted a proposal in the app’s 

governance forum asking for bad debts 

on the platform to be erased — a deal 

that was not approved by the majority 

of Mango token holders even after the 

hacker voted for it with some of the 

stolen tokens. 

META has burned $15 bn on the 

Metaverse 

Since the start of last year, Meta has 

invested more than $15 billion in its 

Reality Labs metaverse project, but 

the business hasn’t revealed how 

exactly the money is being spent. 

Some analysts are concerned that the 

corporation is wasting good money. 

“The problem is that they spend the 

money, but the transparency with 

investors has been a disaster,” Dan 

Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush 

Securities, said. 

GLEAC launches the world’s first utility 

NFT ‘Lovely Humans’ 

GLEAC, a Hub71 startup that provides 

a mentorship network to help people 

apply human skills through mock 

work situations, recently announced 

the release of the first utility NFT in 

the world, “Lovely Humans,” which 

gives users five hours of one-on-one 

time with professionals from various 

industries around the world. 

The winning bidder can use the time 

with the industry expert to gain workrelated 

knowledge and advice, solve 

problems or even try to co-create a 

new project that can be monetized. The 

knowledge gained from the discussion 

can also be minted into a utility NFT 

that could be co-owned by the buyer 

and the industry expert. The first 

bidding round will include 25 experts 

from industries including Fintech, 

Metaverse, Sustainability, Data, and 

others. 

Yas Island is now available in the 

Metaverse 

As part of the initial stage of 

duplicating Abu Dhabi in the 

virtual world, Yas Island has been 

reconstructed in the metaverse. 

Visitors will have virtual access to the 

many attractions on Yas Island thanks 

to the initiative, which involves the 

Department of Culture and Tourism – 

Abu Dhabi, Aldar, Miral, twofour54, Abu 

Dhabi Motorsports Management, Flash 

Entertainment, and Yas Island. 

The Yas Island Metaverse will allow 

users to build and purchase digital 

homes, discover cultural attractions, 

enjoy theme park adventures, special 

events, premier golf courses, and the 

Yas Marina racing circuit. 

New Adobe software tools aim to aid 

3D content creation for the metaverse 

Adobe Inc released a set of new 

software tools designed to make it 

easier to create three-dimensional 

digital objects for marketing 

campaigns, video games, and the 

metaverse. 

With its graphic design and photo 

editing tools, Adobe has long 

dominated the market for twodimensional 

content creation, a 

position it sought to protect when it 

spent $20 billion in cash and stock last 

month to buy rival upstart Figma in the 

biggest buyout ever of a privately held 

software firm. 

Flipkart launches metaverse shopping 

experience with Flipverse 

Walmart-owned e-commerce 

marketplace Flipkart launched a 

metaverse experience called Flipverse, 

in which users can experience and buy 

products in three-dimensional virtual 

reality (VR) that can be accessed 

through a smartphone without the 

need for a VR headset. 

More than 15 brands have so far 

signed up with the homegrown 

e-tailer to launch and display around 

100 products on Flipverse. This is the 

first such instance of a traditional 

e-commerce company launching a 

Web3 service. 

Flipkart launches metaverse shopping 

experience with Flipverse 

Walmart-owned e-commerce 

marketplace Flipkart launched a 

metaverse experience called Flipverse, 

in which users can experience and buy 

products in three-dimensional virtual 

reality (VR) that can be accessed 

through a smartphone without the 

need for a VR headset. 

More than 15 brands have so far 

signed up with the homegrown 

e-tailer to launch and display around 

100 products on Flipverse. This is the 

first such instance of a traditional 

e-commerce company launching a 

Web3 service. 



NEWS 

IN FOCUS 

BLOCKCHAIN 

Microsoft brings animated avatars to 

Teams in metaverse push 

Microsoft has announced to bring 

your digital avatar right into its video 

conferencing software ‘Teams’. 

With the new update, the company will 

bring ‘animated avatars’ to Teams in 

its premium section ‘Microsoft Teams 

Premium’ with features like AI-generated 

tasks and meeting guides. 

The update is set to arrive in December 

in preview, and the cost is expected 

to be $10 per user per month, said the 

company during its ‘Ignite 2022’ event. 

The UAE Metaverse Healthcare 

Projects Pushing Medical Frontiers 

As part of Dubai’s ambition to become 

a global center for metaverse business 

and technology, the emirate recently 

inaugurated its first hospital in the 

metaverse built by the UAE-based 

healthcare provider Medcare. 

The Metaverse healthcare facility 

mirrors Dubai’s real-world Medcare 

Women & Children Hospital and will 

be used in their medical tourism 

initiatives, giving potential patients an 

immersive experience of the hospital 

prior to visiting in person. 

Announcing the launch, Dr. Shanila 

Laiju, CEO of Medcare Hospitals and 

Medical Centers, said: “Our ultimate 

aim is to deliver actual healthcare 

services by incorporating the delivery 

of real-time consultations through our 

team of over 400 medical experts.” 

Metaverse in Dubai: Airport Freezone 

to launch METADAFZ 

Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ), part 

of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones 

Authority (DIEZ), is set to be the latest 

company to join the metaverse in 

Dubai. It has announced the launch 

of METADAFZ, which aims to provide 

the free zone’s clients with a smooth 

digital experience in the metaverse. 

DAFZ make the official announcement 

at GITEX 2022. 

The launch of this initiative aligns with 

the directives of Dubai’s Metaverse 

Strategy, which was announced by H.H. 

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin 

Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of 

Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive 

Council, to advance Dubai’s metaverse 

economy. 

The initiative aims to attract 

foreign direct investment (FDI) and 

businesses to the free zone, by 

uncovering DAFZ’s unique offerings, 

products, and solutions to advance 

the Emirate’s leading position as a 

hub for competitive and constructive 

technology. 

METADAFZ will enable clients from 

across the globe to conduct meetings 

via a virtual platform, offering a 

unique and semi-realistic experience 

regardless of the physical location. 

Commercial Bank International is the 

first UAE lender to launch a metaverse 

location 

Dubai-based Commercial Bank 

International (CBI) is now in the 

metaverse. The bank announced the 

launch of its metaverse location, 

making it the first UAE bank to have a 

presence in the metaverse. 

CBI’s virtual location can be accessed 

by visitors via Decentraland at cbi.dcl. 

eth or (63, -127) using the Decentraland 

map coordinates. The bank’s virtual 

location can also be accessed through 

portals, the bank said in an emailed 

statement. 

Burj Khalifa is now in the metaverse 

The tallest building in the world is now 

in the metaverse, a detailed digital twin 

of the Burj Khalifa is available on the 

metaverse, designed to give users the 

full experience. Individuals can move 

around the building and experience 

360-degree views of Dubai. 

Launched by Eventcombo, the 

experience does not require headsets, 

gloves, or any other VR hardware. It is 

accessible with a regular device and a 

keyboard. 

The demonstration video shows virtual 

avatars, walking around different 

areas of the building, individuals can 

also go up the elevators and walk 

around the corridors before entering 

the viewing deck, offering replicated 

views of the city. 



BILAL BAIG 

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, MEA, TREND MICRO 

Bilal Baig serves as the Technical Director for the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Africa. Baig is 

skilled at acting as a “hub” between technical and non-technical audiences, communicating “relevant” 

and “actionable” intelligence and insights in plain language to audiences of all types thanks to his 

expertise in roles of different kinds in the industry. 



How do you see your participation in 

Gitex this year? 

I think every year it gets more and 

more exciting. You notice the vibe, 

and you notice the energy level. To 

be honest, I was discussing with my 

colleagues the amount of energy in 

people this year. I’ve never seen this 

before. So, every year it gets more 

exciting and amazing and we love to 

be here. 

What are your main areas of focus 

during this year’s edition? 

Our tagline for this year is the power 

of one. We are going into a phase 

where cybersecurity is dynamically 

changing. We have a lot of solutions 

from Trend Micro, they vary depending 

on the workforce, we’re looking at 

cloud; it doesn’t matter where the 

cloud resides as we’re looking at the 

networking part, the cloud native 

applications, and the cloud native 

security, and then a chunk of the 

portfolio is in the ICS and IoT, bringing 

all of these together to give you 

one view, one analysis, and looking 

at the threats, not just the threats, 

we’re looking at the risk analysis in 

your specific department inside the 

organization. 

We’re more concerned about the 

attack surface management of an 

environment. So, if you look at how the 

flow of the technology is going, it came 

from EBP to EDR, to XDR, everybody’s 

talking about XDR. Trend Micro has 

moved beyond this to look at other 

vectors to help our customers. 

What are some of the new 

technologies that Trend Micro is 

working on right now? 

Trend Micro always wants to be 

one step ahead of the adversities. 

That is our main focus and goal. We 

work to establish that protection level 

for our customers. We are always 

looking at the future threat landscape 

and how the dynamics of the threat 

and attack changes, and how we can 

bring the estimation and solution in 

this timeframe, we will look at which 

attacks will occur in the Metaverse. 

So, with this threat intelligence in mind 

we try to provide forward-looking 

tech, we bring those technologies 

to the business, and we’re always 

improving towards a SaaS platform, 

a platform with cybersecurity, not 

just encompassing your threat 

landscape, intelligence landscape or 


Trend Micro always 

wants to be one 

step ahead of the 

adversities. That 

is our main focus 

and goal. 

XDR, but looking at a lot of businessrelated 

vectors to make an informed 

decision for an organization. So, our 

technologies are always evolving. 

We’re adding more and more 

sophistication into it. The power of one 

is key for us right now. 

What differentiates Trend Micro One 

from other solutions? 

I think everything, we’re in the 

middle of Gitex surrounded by all the 

security vendors and whatnot. Many 

solutions are very point-related or 

point-product-solutions. We have 

evolved ourselves away from a pointproduct 

solution. That doesn’t mean 

that we don’t work with them. We have 

them and we sell them. 

We pitch them, but combining the 

point product solutions into a single 

unified cybersecurity platform, which 

does not only do the threat hunting 

part, it does the next generation of 

SOC analysis and playbook. These 

capabilities are what differentiate us. 

So, if you start adding to the list of the 

capabilities and the power they have, 

nobody can catch up with what we 

currently have in place. 

What are some of the major 

cybersecurity threats that threaten the 

MENA region? 

The most critical and common 

threat was ransomware infection in 

the MENA region. The reason that 

ransomware was crucial was because 

of the destructive nature of this attack 

vector. If we look at the numbers, we 

will see that the vulnerability part of 

an application on an operating system 

and how this vulnerability is being 

exploited to add the ransomware 

aspect to it are the two major factors 

behind it. So, in the MENA region, I 

think the destructive capability of 

ransomware just as it is happening in 

the world, is happening over here as 

well for sure. 

INTERVIEW 


readers? 

Somebody asked me, “How can you 

protect a server? I laughed and said 

okay, you put it in a box, you take it 

offline, you power it off and I still don’t 

believe it is protected. So, it is always a 

discussion of how important the asset 

is that you’re protecting and what 

business operations or objectives you 

want to achieve. 

When we’re looking at being a 

cyber security professional, we are 

divided into two sectors. One is the 

personal life concerning your home 

network and the production and all 

the devices you and your kids use. 

So, we have to be wary of having that 

protection on our home devices. Move 

that same person outside the home 

and into an enterprise environment 

right now, and you’re into a completely 

different ecosystem. Now we have 

to be worried about what company 

assets we use, what cloud services 

we use, how we look at the email 

which is coming in and not just click 

on every single link which is coming 

in. So, awareness is part of it. On top 

of that, a layer of technology makes it 

a better approach to security So, these 

are the key factors. You can have the 

best technology, but if you’re not aware 

of how to use the technology, it is 

useless even if you spend millions and 

billions of dollars. So, for us, the key 

is that you have to be aware of your 

surroundings in the physical world, 

and you definitely have to be aware of 

cyber security in a virtual environment. 

On top of that, you have the best-ofbreed 

technology. 



EVENTS 

CRYPTO EXPO DUBAI 

Crypto Expo Dubai 2022 hosted a unique gathering of those at the forefront 

of blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Blockchain needs to deliver a 

sustainable and prosperous future for everyone. Crypto Expo Dubai 2022 

explored a vast range of pertinent industry topics, including crypto regulation, 

decentralized finance (DeFi), financial inclusion, the non-fungible tokens (NFTs), 

and much more. Bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, developers, industry 

enthusiasts and global media, the event will offer unparalleled networking 

potential. 



EVENTS 



BIOTECH 

SOYBEANS 

There are currently ten GMO crops approved for 

use in the U.S., as well as one animal product. 

Currently, these foods have been modified in 

ways that are similar to the method described earlier. 

However, it’s important to note here that farmers 

have been selectively farming for generations to 

grow the most desirable foods, thus imparting 

some level of genetic modification over millennia 

of agriculture. Although the technology for GMOs is 

newer, the intent, when it comes to modifying food, 

is not—GMOs have been created to make food more 

appealing, safer, and less wasteful. The majority 

of soybeans grown in the U.S. are bioengineered. 

These beans typically have herbicide-resistant genes 

inserted into their genetic structure so that farmers 

can use herbicides to destroy invasive weeds without 

harming the soybean plant. 

ASPARTAME 

Aspartame is one of the most widely used nonnutritive, 

intense sweeteners in the world, with food regulatory 

agencies independently approving it for use in a range of 

foods including desserts, carbonated soft drinks, yogurt, weightcontrol 

products, and confectionary, as well as its use as tabletop 

sweeteners. Aspartame is a methyl ester of dipeptides consisting 

of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. THE MOST widely used 

sweetener in the world, found in fizzy drinks and sweets, is being 

made using a secret genetic engineering process, which some 

scientists claim needs further testing for toxic side effects. 

As the G8 summit of rich country leaders decided last night to 

launch an inquiry into the safety of genetically modified (GM) 

food, an investigation by the Independent on Sunday revealed that 

Monsanto, the pioneering GM food giant which makes aspartame, 

often uses genetically engineered bacteria to produce the 

sweetener at its US production plants. 

It was accidentally discovered in 1965 by the chemist James M. Schlatter while working on an antiulcer drug 

(Walters, 1991). Aspartame is 160–220 times sweeter than sucrose and is used as an artificial sweetener in foods and 

beverages. Aspartame is produced by coupling microbial fermentation and synthesis. Phenylalanine and aspartic 

acid are produced by microbial fermentation, and phenylalanine is reacted with methanol to form the methyl ester. 

Aspartic acid is also treated in such a way as to protect active sites with benzyl rings. Then the modified amino acids 

are mixed in a reaction tank at appropriate temperatures to get aspartame intermediates. It is further treated with 

acetic acid, purified, crystallized, and powdered to produce aspartame. 



BIOTECH 

ZUCCHINI 

Genetically modified zucchini contains a toxic protein that 

helps make it more resistant to insects. This introduced 

insecticide has recently been found in human blood, 

including that of pregnant women and fetuses. This indicates 

that some insecticides are making their way into our bodies 

rather than being broken down and excreted. While the majority 

of GMO crops are commodity crops such as corn, cotton, soy, 

and canola, zucchini is one of only two fresh vegetables that 

has been genetically modified (potatoes are the other). Both 

zucchini and its cousin, yellow crookneck squash, have been 

modified to resist specific plant viruses. Because no safety 

assessment of GMOs is required in the U.S., the market is wide 

open for genetically-modified produce. 

While most GMOs are meant to tolerate an herbicide or produce 

an insecticide, GMO squash is meant to be resistant to certain 

types of viruses. Zucchini yellow mosaic virus is the most 

prevalent of these. This virus is transmitted primarily by aphids 

and causes infected plants to grow small, unhealthy fruit. It is 

closely related to the ringspot disease in papayas. 

PAPAYA 

Genetically modified papaya trees have been grown in Hawaii since 1999. These papayas are sold in the United 

States and Canada for human consumption. These papayas have been modified to be naturally resistant to the 

Papaya Ringspot virus, and also to delay the maturity of the fruit. Delaying ripeness gives suppliers more time 

to ship the fruit to supermarkets. 

These are just 10 of the most prevalent GMO foods found in the supermarket. There are many others currently for 

sale and being grown for the market. GMO safety is not yet certain, so if you want to stay away from it always keep 

an eye out for a label that indicates food is organic or non-GMO. 

The popular summertime fruit was hit with the papaya ringspot 

virus in Hawaii in the 1940s. The virus spread through regions 

where papaya was grown, and production fell 50 percent 

between 1993 and 2006. 

This drastic drop in production spurred Hawaii state agriculture 

officials and papaya producers to manage the spread of the 

virus. In 1985, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture funded 

research to develop a genetically modified variety of papaya 

resistant to the ringspot virus. 

Scientist Dennis Gonsalves is credited with developing GMO 

papaya. Gonsalves and two other scientists inserted a gene from 

the ringspot virus into the papaya’s genetic code, which is like 

someone getting a vaccination. 



HOME TECH 

USING TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP 

YOUR BELOVED HOME SAFE 

Technology has advanced 

significantly in recent years, 

not just in communication 

but also in the security 

fields. Numerous tools 

and technologies have been 

developed to safeguard people and 

property. Technology has merged 

communication tools like cell phones 

with security tools like security 

cameras and tracking features to make 

it simpler for us to protect our loved 

ones and property. Home automation 

has also made several improvements 

to home security. 

Technology and caring are coupled 

to enhance the lives of both care 

recipients and carers, enhancing their 

ease, practicability, and safety. Only 

7% of family caregivers claim to utilize 

technology, even though about 71% are 

interested in how it may help them 

in their role as spouses and family 

members. 

How modern advanced technology 

can keep your home safe? 

Smart Locks 

Although Wi-Fi smart locks have 

more capabilities, including the ability 

to unlock your door from anywhere in 

the world as long as you are connected 

to the internet, Bluetooth smart locks 

are more secure than Wi-Fi ones. 

Wi-Fi smart locks also transmit 

alerts when the doors are locked 

or unlocked. Conversely, Bluetooth 

smart locks pair with your smartphone 

through Bluetooth and detect when 

you enter the house, allowing you to 

manage more than just door locks 

in your home, such as the lights and 

temperature. Once your key fob is 

recognized, the doors will unlock, and 

you can even transmit other people’s 

digital keys. However, for your device 

to be identified, you or any other 

person using the digital key must be 

inside the specified detection range. 

Security Cameras 

Remotely accessible security 

cameras may protect you, your family, 

and others from various threats. You 

will be able to observe if you left the 

stove on, for instance, when checking 

your cameras at work while working 

long hours and can return home or call 

your neighbors for assistance before 

your home catches fire. When you want 

to keep a check on a senior parent 

or your child while the babysitter is 

watching them, security cameras 



come in helpful. Additionally, you can 

observe if someone is attempting 

to break into your home and notify 

the police; even better, you will be 

alerted if your system attempts to be 

disarmed! Installing outside cameras 

is preferable for optimal security so 

you can monitor your property for 

any unexpected activities. Outdoor 

cameras are waterproof, so don’t 

worry about the rain or snow. You can 

receive notifications anytime someone 

or something moves within your home 

within the range of your camera’s 

sensors if you specify motion limits. 

Installing security cameras is one of 

the initial stages in turning your home 

into a smart home. 

Window Sensors 

Technology has given us ways to 

lock our windows in our homes in 

addition to our doors! Burglars can 

use both windows and doors to enter a 

home. As a result, you must lock your 

windows, especially if you have a large 

home with many windows. When your 

windows are opened, window sensors 

will notify you and let you know if 


anything strange is happening inside 

or outside your home. 

Smart Doorbells 

Installing a smart doorbell is 

superior to using a video doorbell and 

may even be safer since you won’t 

need to approach the door to answer 

it. Any strange action can be captured 

on video and in photos, which you can 

later download. Additionally, because 

smart doorbells employ infrared vision 

technology, you can see clearly who 

is at your door, even at night. You can 

still answer the door even if you’re not 

at home so that the person knocking 

won’t know whether you’re inside or 

not. 

Remote Garage System 

Thanks to intelligent garage 

systems, you may open your garage 

door when you are not at home. 

Additionally, you are alerted if your 

garage door opens or is opened. In this 

manner, you may use the garage to 

keep your home secure from intruders 

while granting access to those you 

wish to let inside while you are gone. 

Thanks to technology, you may 

feel secure when you are away from 

your home since you can completely 

manage who has access to it and 

deter robbers from entering. If you 

are caring for elderly parents or 

small children, these gadgets are 

helpful since you can check on them 

at all times when you are at work 

or traveling. Due to the wide variety 

of prices for various products and 

technologies, there is something for 

everyone. The security of ourselves 

and our loved ones is the essential 

thing in life. As a result, investing in 

remote security systems might be the 

best choice you ever make. 



HEALTHCARE 

LIFE IN 2050: A SNEAK PEEK AT 

FUTURE MEDICINE 

We all are humans. Curious creatures. A desire to learn more about life and everything that 

affects us. We are all curious about the status of the planet and how our lives will be in the 

future. What will our future look like? Is this the central topic Michio Kaku, a theoretical 

physicist, addresses in his book The Future of Humanity? A well-known scientist researches 

current trends to make predictions about the near future and everything related to living. 

Like Kaku, futurists have long imagined the future and condition of humanity. 

T 

he work of these scientists 

appears more pertinent and 

valuable at this time since 

we are quite unsure about 

our future. Kaku predicts 

that by the year 2050, humans will be 

able to transmit memories, sensations, 

and emotions across the internet. The 

field of brain research will completely 

change how people communicate. 

Teenagers will utilize an emotion 

directly, such as happiness, rage, 

excitement, etc., rather than adding 

an emoji to the end of every phrase. 

The idea of entertainment through 

movies will be replaced and become 

obsolete. The communication style will 

be traditional, but it will be telepathic, 

erasing barriers between individuals. 

Finally, the era of the “brain net” 

will begin. There will be adjustments 

and a high pace of advancement in 

the medical field. Certain types of 

cancer will have been cured. With the 

aid of technology, we won’t be afraid 

of illnesses like the common cold and 

will be able to adapt to them. Liquid 

biopsies will be conducted in smart 

toilets, which are now accessible 

to detect cancer cells, genes, and 

enzymes. Years before a tumor forms, 

we can spot it while it is still a tiny 

colony of several hundred cells in the 

blood. Smart items will automatically 

measure our biometrics. A pulse 

may be computed on an iPhone. 

Additionally, there will be clothing 

that can both detect heart attacks 

and provide us with the necessary 

guidance. 

We’ll be building the foundations for 

immortality as a species. We are close 

to figuring out the genes that govern 

how old we get, and we’ll eventually 

learn how to fix biological harm done 

to our bodies. As a result, medicine 

will do more than merely treat illness; 

it will also bring us closer to the 

biological and evolutionary ideal. We 

will conquer longevity by human body 

shopping. To replace the dying organs, 

we will grow new ones. In the future, 

cells will also be used to build the skin, 

cartilage, nose, ears, heart valves, 



ladders, liver, kidney, and pancreas. 

Best-selling author and futurist 

Faith Popcorn is the founder and 

CEO of Brain Reserve; a strategic 

consulting firm focused on the future 

founded in 1974. She claims that 

algorithms will eventually replace 

human physicians since being human 

comes with drawbacks like making 

errors, being sick, and not always 

being proactive. The algorithms will 

provide patients access to a doctor’s 

services around-the-clock. Artificial 

intelligence will inform us in advance 

of our allergies, sensitivities, exercise 

requirements, stress levels, and many 

other things. Already, AI psychologists 

have shown to be highly successful. 

They can gauge how patients react 

to inquiries. They are aware of 

which queries cause anxiety. They 

take biometric measurements of 

patients throughout sessions, which 

is impossible for human therapists to 

do. Science fiction will become purely 

scientific by the year 2050. the capacity 

to distribute medication, the capability 

to forecast cancer, and the capacity 

to gauge how well our hearts and 

lungs are working. Our bodies may be 

implanted with tiny chips at birth, and 

we may have access to our medical 

histories at any time. Pregnancy as a 

phenomenon will become obsolete. 

Gender differences won’t matter since 

We’ll be building 

the foundations for 

immortality as a 

species. We are close 

to figuring out the 

genes that govern 

how old we get, and 

we’ll eventually learn 

how to fix biological 

harm done to our 

bodies. 

babies will be raised in fish tanks in 

laboratories. On Facebook, 48% of 

millennials feel gender is a continuum 

rather than a binary, indicating that 

gender is already flexible. The gender 

stereotypes and old myths that one 

gender is superior to the other or that 

one takes care of the other will be 

disproved. 

Workstyles will alter significantly, 

says global security futurist Amy 

Zalman. White-collar workers 

with regular schedules, such as 

accountants, attorneys, and journalists, 

will see a shift in their employment. 

We will become aware of the need for 

artificial intelligence due to the work 

of less well-known fields, including 

data and biotechnology, data and 

medical services, data and home 

furnishings, and data and criminal 

justice. Automation may bring a big 

change that necessitates adjusting the 

social services system. We’ll come up 

with fresh means for folks to generate 

money. The universal basic income 

may be the subject of experiments. 

We’ll develop fresher types of job. The 

disparity of wealth is the single thing 

that won’t change. We will all have 

different income levels. Inequality 

will increase due to the economic 

incentive system where money 

generates money and automation. 

There will be a biological division in 

society as a result. The idea of genetic 

enhancement will eventually emerge. 




SMART SPACES BRING SUSTAINABILITY, 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND FLEXIBILITY 

INTO OFFICE BUILDINGS 

Cities aim to have 

regenerated buildings and 

to leverage data to optimize 

energy consumption and 

the use and management 

of resources in buildings and utilities: 

waste, water, and energy. 

Smart buildings clearly being efficient 

The World Green Building Council 

defines a green building as one that “in 

its design, construction or operation, 

reduces or eliminates negative 

impacts, and can create positive 

impacts, on our climate and natural 

environment; preserves precious 

natural resources and improves our 

quality of life.” Given the pressure on 

cities to act on climate change, green 

buildings are going to invade our 

urban centers. Besides being built with 

sustainable and ethical materials, they 

will be energy, water, and resourceefficient, 

environmental-friendly by 

design, and capable of producing their 

own energy (electricity prosumers). 

Vertical and rooftop gardens will 

foster quality of life and a suitable 

environment for those who live in them 

or use them. 

Wireless sensors offer huge 

advantages 

Wireless radio sensors form 

the basis for such smart spaces 

because they collect the required 

data in a maintenance-free way. The 

advantages of wireless sensors are 

obvious: They can be flexibly installed 

in a room, and the system can be 

expanded with additional sensors 

at any time without having to open 

walls and use cables. However, it is 

hugely beneficial for these wireless 

sensors to be battery-free because 

it’s no secret that batteries contain 

hazardous substances that are bad for 

our environment. In addition to that, 

copper is also becoming increasingly 

expensive. 



EnOcean has chosen a more 

sustainable approach for its wireless 

sensors: they obtain their energy from 

movement, light, and temperature 

differences according to the principle 

of energy harvesting and therefore 

require neither cables nor batteries 

for smooth operation. The combination 

of wireless and energy harvesting 

enables new applications entirely 

without maintenance requirements and 

battery waste. 

Benefits of smart buildings 

Automatically controlled shading 

systems go a step further, responding 

to changes in outdoor and indoor 

temperature conditions over the 

course of a day without relying on 

human input. Solar-adaptive shades 

work in the same way in response to 

the position of the sun. These smart 

shades rely on sensors that measure 

indoor and outdoor ambient 

temperatures or the sun’s position 

and radiation, automatically adjusting 

their height to manage the amount of 


light and heat entering the building. 

These devices can be integrated with 

lighting and building management 

systems for centralized control. When 

added to a lighting retrofit project to 

maximize daylighting, smart shades 

offer an additional 10% savings in 

lighting energy use. 

Barriers to their adoption 

Advanced window glass and films 

can save even more energy, and 

passive glass technologies (such as 

low-E glass) are readily available. 

Traditional glass has bronze or gray 

tinting. Advances in tinting now achieve 

a wider color spectrum, permitting 

visible light to pass through to the 

interior of the building while reducing 

solar heat gain. Recent developments 

in window films, such as dual 

reflective, solar control, and daylight 

redirecting films, can be applied to 

existing untinted windows to achieve 

the shading benefit of tinted glass. 

These simple, moderately priced 

advances in technology commonly 

BUILDING AUTOMATION 

daylighting designs in commercial 

building retrofits and have the added 

benefit of reducing solar heat gain 

and glare. A window film retrofit study 

on buildings in California found an 

average return on investment (ROI) of 

39% for films applied to single-pane 

windows and 25% for double-pane 

window applications. 

Conservation of energy is a definite 

must! 

Building automation is the most 

expensive technology in this space. As 

mentioned previously, the industryaccepted 

cost of a traditional BAS 

ranges from $1.50 to $7.00/sq. ft., with 

average whole-building energy savings 

ranging from 10% to 25%. Because 

wireless, cloud-based EIS requires 

less hardware than a typical BAS, they 

are advertised as costing up to 30% 

less to install. However, a cloud-based 

BAS typically requires 

subscription service costs that also 

must be considered. 

Because cloud-based energy 

monitoring and control systems are 

a relatively recent addition to the 

building controls market, reliable 

cost data was not readily available. 

As a result, we distinguish between 

traditional BAS, which has welldocumented 

costs, and a cloudbased 

monitoring system, which 

few researchers besides Lawrence 

Berkeley National Laboratory have 

studied. In reality, building owners face 

a wide variety 

of costs for BAS. If the building 

already contains a traditional BAS, 

adding cloud-based remote monitoring 

might entail only a small incremental 

cost. If the building has no control or 

monitoring systems, installing the 

required base of sensors and controls 

will entail higher costs. In terms of 

energy savings, how do cloud-based 

monitoring and control systems stack 

up against conventional BAS? Cost 

savings for whole-building BAS range 

from 5% to 15% on the low end and 

20% to 30% on the high end (Roth et al. 

2005). However, when a cloud-based 

EIS is overlaid on an existing BAS, the 

benefits of combined analytics and 

controls can yield energy savings of 

10–30%. 



IMPLEMENTING BORDERLESS SECURITY 

BASED ON ZERO-TRUST ARCHITECTURE 

Traditional perimeter-based 

security designs—gateway 

firewalls, client VPNs, and 

password-only application 

authentication—are 

inadequate for today’s increasingly 

dispersed systems. Enterprise 

boundaries have disappeared due to 

business demands such as the ability 

to accommodate remote workers, 

the use of hybrid and multi-cloud 

workloads, and the widespread 

adoption of SaaS apps. 

In addition, it is necessary to 

implement zero-trust access (ZTA) 

security to prevent incursions due 

to the intelligence and aggression 

of today’s hackers and attack 

methodologies. A zero-trust 

implementation plan for each agency 

must be in place by July 2021, 

according to an executive order that 

the US President issued in May 2021. 

Although the zero-trust security 

model has been around for more 

than ten years, few businesses 

have adopted it because of the lack 

of readily accessible software, 

the difficulty of deployment, and 

an exaggerated perception of the 

effectiveness of current security 

methods. NIST recommendations 

(NIST Special Publication 800-207) 

outline five principles that ZTA adheres 

to solve the flaws in conventional 

security designs: 

i. Resources that must safeguard 

include all data sources and computer 

services. 

ii. The least privileges necessary 

to execute the task are used to 

authenticate users and briefly 

allow access to resources for a 

specific session. Using a verified 

and authorized IAM system, and 

ideally, multifactor authentication, 

and authorization are dynamic and 

reviewed for each access attempt 

(MFA). 

iii. Policies that determine resource 

access take into account the identity 

of the client making the request, the 

identity and provenance of the device 

making the request, the requested 

application or data, and behavioral 

factors like usage anomalies, device 

telemetry, client location, time, and the 

presence of ongoing attacks. 

iv. Every kind of communication is 

encrypted and authenticated. 

v. All corporate resources’ activity, 

security, and integrity are constantly 

tracked and analyzed to spot unusual 

behavior, possible security threats, and 

holes in current security measures. 

To paraphrase the original Forrester 

report that introduced the concept, 

zero trust necessitates creating 

security from the inside out by 

concentrating on an organization’s 

IT resources and adding layers of 

security to and around them. ZTA 

mandates the following businesses: 

- Understand every device and user 

on a business network. 

- Document every resource, 

including its access permissions, data, 

apps, services, and other assets. 

- Grant temporary access for the 

duration of a session based on using 

cryptographically strong user and 

device authentication to authenticate 

every access to an IT resource 

(network, file sharing, database, or 

application). 

- Define access privileges with the 

smallest possible scope required to 

execute a certain task. 

Zero trust in practice entails treating 

every user and device with the same 

level of mistrust and operating as 

though nefarious attackers have 

compromised every organizational 

network. Therefore, all resources must 

prevent access by default, keep an eye 

on all activity, check and log it, and 



confirm each attempt to access the 

resources. 

CONCEPTUALIZATION AND 

APPLICATION 

Several fundamental subsystems 

are needed to create a zero-trust 

environment, including: 

a) Policy engine with policy 

administrators. 

b) Policy enforcement points 

(typically access proxies) to 

supplement traditional forms of access 

control such as firewalls (NGFW, WAF), 

IDS/IPS, and content scanning and DLP 

systems. 

c) Identity and access management 

(IAM) system with single sign-on (SSO) 

capability (either natively or through 

integrations) 

d) Certificate management system 

through an enterprise public key 

infrastructure (PKI) implementation 

and/or third-party CAs. 

e) System and network monitoring 

system via a formal SIEM (security 

information and event management) 

product or data management and 

analysis systems like the ELK stack or 

commercial equivalents. 

Fortinet’s Zero Trust Strategy 

Any area of IT security can be 

approached using the basic idea 

and method known as “zero trust.” 

Some limit it to just network security 

(zero-trust network access or ZTNA) 

or cloud services. No matter where 

they are located—in an on-premises 

data center, a branch office, a cloud 

environment, or on an employee’s 

home computer—Fortinet believes that 

all corporate resources should operate 

under the principle of zero trust. 

The zero-trust access (ZTA) 

framework from Fortinet contains 

products in the following categories: 

i. Endpoint access control using 

the Forticlient agent-based software, 

which offers lightweight client 

software, virus prevention, policy 

compliance, and secure access (VPN, 

zero-trust encrypted sessions). 

ii. Identity access management 

(IAM) using FortiAuthenticator, an 

authentication, authorization, and 

accounting (AAA) system providing 

access management and control, 

single sign-on (SSO), and guest 

management services. FortiToken 

offers two-factor authentication (2FA) 

as an optional service through a 

hardware token or mobile application. 

The Android or iOS applications are 

one-time password (OTP) generators 

that are Open Authorization (OAuth) 

compliant and can handle both timebased 

and event-based tokens. 

iii. Network access control 

(NAC) using FortiNAC, which gives 

visibility to every user and device on 

a network, performs a dynamic risk 

assessment of every endpoint, enables 

the identification, profiling, and 

vulnerability scanning of devices, and 

enforces security regulations. 

iv. The FortiGate NGFW includes 

application access control with the 

FortiGuard application control service, 

which can restrict or allow access 

to external and internal applications, 

use pre-defined or customized 

policies, and enforce bandwidth usage 

restrictions or prioritizations based on 

the applications. 

Organizations may extend safe 

access restrictions to apps for any 

user with the help of Fortinet’s 

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) 

technology. Whether users and their 

devices are on or off the network, 

applications are on-premises or in the 

cloud, all users and devices requesting 

network and application access are 

uniquely identified and categorized by 

Fortinet’s ZTNA solutions. 

Advantages, Drawbacks, and 

Recommendations 

Unlike a client or edge VPN, which 

often applies internal security controls 

to an uncontrolled environment, zero 

trust is more secure. Indeed, the 

current Colonial Pipeline ransomware 

assault and the 2013 Target stores 

hack—where a contractor caused the 

initial breach—involved compromised 

VPNs. 

CLOUD COMPUTING 

In contrast, ZTA uses session-based 

access tokens and least privilege 

permissions to restrict an attack’s 

blast radius. Furthermore, ZTA is more 

convenient for users since it creates 

encrypted sessions automatically. 

The main drawbacks of ZTA are 

implementation planning, deployment 

complexity, and workforce training, 

as it necessitates an inventory of all 

IT assets and applications and minor 

adjustments to specific operations. 

According to a recent study, half 

of “government IT decision-makers” 

tasked with carrying out the new 

Executive Order requiring ZTA think 

it will take more than two years to 

modify their cloud systems to operate 

with ZTA. Similarly, 60% believe it will 

take three years or more to implement 

ZTA. 

Given the importance of 

implementing ZTA, Fortinet suggests 

taking a staged approach by initially 

focusing on business units, personnel 

groups, and geographic areas that are 

either at high risk or have access to 

critical information. After completing 

these target deployments, businesses 

may progressively roll out ZTA 

throughout the organization. Start 

by creating a thorough inventory of 

IT resources, including hardware, 

software, and data sources, and 

a clear and up-to-date business 

directory to develop access controls 

for IT resources. 




INDUSTRIAL TECH 

BUSTANICA: 

THE WORLD’S 

LARGEST 

VERTICAL 

FARM 

The largest vertical farm in the world has just been presented in Dubai by 

Emirates’ Flight Catering division (EKFC), which was built in partnership with 

Crop One Holdings. The US-based company Crop One is at the forefront of the 

development of technology-driven indoor farming. The 330,000-square-foot, 

brand-new vertical farm created for the Emirati airline, is situated in Dubai, 

close to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). 

Aword from the chief 

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin 

Saeed Al Maktoum, 

Chairman and Chief 

Executive of Emirates 

Airline and Group, said, 

“Long-term food security and selfsufficiency 

are vital to the economic 

growth of any country, and the UAE 

is no exception. Given the limitations 

around arable land and climate, we’ve 

specific challenges in our region. 

Bustanica ushers in a new era of 

innovation and investments, which 

are important steps for sustainable 

growth and align with our country’s 

well-defined food and water security 

strategies.” 

Bustanica 

The name of the new building is 

Bustanica, which is Arabic for “your 

garden” or “your orchid.” The joint 

venture between EKFC and Crop One 

Holdings, known as Emirates Crop One 

or ECO 1, would use Bustanica as its 

commercial brand name. 

The $40 million structure was 

constructed, which is 330,000 square 

feet in size and includes three levels. It 

can produce more than 3,000 kg (6600 

lbs) of leafy greens daily, or over one 

million kilograms (2.2 million pounds) 

annually. Over a million plants will be 

housed there at any given moment. The 

vertical farm produces kale, spinach, 

arugula, and mixed greens. Emirates 

intends to add fresh fruits and 

vegetables to its agricultural lineup in 

the future. 

According to Emirates, produce from 

Bustanica will be offered on select EK 

flights beginning this month. With more 

than 100 airline clients, EKFC operates 

one of the largest aircraft catering 

services in the world. Likely, Bustanica 

items will likewise be included with 

meals on some other airlines. In 

addition, the airline said that local 

stores in the UAE would soon sell 

Bustanica products. 

Produce 

Kale, spinach, arugula, and mixed 

greens are already available; fruit 

and vegetable cultivation is planned 

for the future. Using vertical farming 

techniques and cutting-edge 

technologies, pesticides, chemicals, 

herbicides, and fungicides are 

fully eradicated. The risk of fungal 

and foodborne infections is nearly 

completely minimized by controlling 

humidity levels and limiting human 

contact with the crops. 

To promote the plants’ optimal 

nutritional growth, filtered and purified 



water is treated with a carefully 

calculated combination of nutrients 

designed specifically for plants, 

including calcium, nitrogen, and 

phosphorus. 

The freshly gathered greens are 

more than organic, pre-washed, and 

ready to eat right out of the box. Each 

plant receives the ideal combination of 

nutrients thanks to precision farming. 

Nutrient loss is prevented thanks to 

closed-loop systems and controlled 

environments. Produce locally grown 

in the UAE is more quickly transported 

from farm to table, has more 

nutritional content, and has superior 

flavor and quality. 

Technology 

Emirates Flight Catering and 

Crop One created a comprehensive 

operational system that manages 

the facility’s lighting, nutrition 

management, water treatment, 

and environmental management. 

A large portion of the technology 

was developed in the UAE. Food 

is hydroponically cultivated using 

special formulae for every variety. It 

uses artificial intelligence, machine 

learning, and cutting-edge techniques 

to develop and sustain plants. This 

implies that the plants are given the 

precise quantity of light, water, and 


plant nutrients—without the need 

for soil—along with assistance from 

millions of data points gathered daily 

for optimal development. 

High on sustainability 

The idea of vertical farming is 

unique, and it was created utilizing 

cutting-edge methods to make the 

procedure less harmful to polar bears. 

For instance, hydroponic gardening, 

which requires 95% less water than 

conventional farming methods, is 

used in Bustanica. This is because 

waste is eliminated by the water 

being continually recirculated in exact 

amounts for each crop within the 

facility. 

Bustanica goods will be cultivated 

without pesticides, chemicals, 

herbicides, or fungicides, thanks to 

Crop One’s experience in vertical 

farming. As a result, customers will be 

protected from contracting food- and 

fungus-borne illnesses. The carrier 

even claims collected vegetables don’t 

need to be cleaned before eating. 

Bustanica grows vegetables 

hydroponically using cutting-edge 

technologies like machine learning 

and artificial intelligence. The team 

comprises horticulturists, plant 

biologists, engineers, scientists, and 

specialists in agronomy. However, 

minimal human interaction with plants 

is allowed to reduce the likelihood 

of contamination. Instead, to gather 

important data and manage operations, 

digital techniques are deployed. 

Supporting UAE’s self-reliance 

Supports the UAE’s National Food 

Strategy 2051 plan. Reliable yearround 

crop production and stable 

supply chain. Independent of climatic 

circumstances, insect or fungal 

infestations. Shorter harvesting 

periods. 

Supports UAE’s Water Security 

Strategy 2036 plan. 

Uses up to 95% less water (15 

liters for 1kg) than traditional outdoor 

farming (317 liters for 1kg). Clean, 

nutrient-rich water is recycled and 

reused, reducing costs and minimizing 

waste. 



SUSTAINABLE TECH 

TOP 

SUSTAINABILITY 

PROJECTS AND 

INITIATIVES IN 

THE UAE 

Despite being one of the world’s top countries for producing hydrocarbons, the 

UAE has made it apparent that it is focused on clean and renewable energy. 

The UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which seeks to lower the carbon footprint of 

power generation by 70% and save AED 700 billion by 2050, has served as the 

overall strategy leading this movement. Its goals are to raise the share of clean 

energy in the entire energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050. Additionally, it aims to 

boost individual and corporate consumption efficiency by 40%. 

The UAE’s government 

has established many 

Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs) that will guide 

the nation toward a more 

environmentally friendly future; 

therefore, sustainability is also a 

significant factor in the UAE’s overall 

image. 

There are many chances for startups 

and SMEs to profit from the numerous 

projects, initiatives, and programs 

developed by the public and private 

sectors to assist this expanding 

industry. 

The Catalyst 

The Catalyst is Masdar City, Abu 

Dhabi’s ground-breaking sustainable 

urban development and innovation hub, 

and it is the first startup accelerator 

for clean technology in the area. 

The Catalyst, backed by oil giant BP 

and Masdar, supports companies by 

providing cash, coaching, and training 

to help them grow their businesses. 

The Catalyst, a company based in 

Masdar City Free Zone, accelerates 

eco-friendly business concepts 1-3 

years from commercialization through 

a comprehensive program that offers 

entrepreneurs various services and 

assistance required to establish a firm. 

Masdar City Free Zone 

Another component of Masdar 

City’s eponymous Free Zone is a 

thriving business community home to 

a diverse, innovative and ambitious 

collection of companies, from 

multinationals to SMEs and startups, 

like solar energy tech company Volts 

and cleantech venture FortyGuard. 

Plug and Play Abu Dhabi’s Industry 

4.0 Open Innovation Platform 

An industry 4.0 open innovation 



platform for the emirate was 

introduced by Plug and Play Abu Dhabi 

and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office 

last year. 

The platform will highlight tech 

issues and innovation bottlENECks that 

entrepreneurs should address as part 

of accelerator programs and technical 

challenges. This work will be done in 

collaboration with key industry players 

and thought leaders throughout Plug 

and Play Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem. 

Additionally, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi 

will aid in hastening the rollout of 

cutting-edge pilots, technological 

fusions, and new products. 

Although the platform serves a wide 

range of industries, energy is a key 

area of concentration. 

Middle East Energy 

One of the most respected and wellknown 

events in the energy sector, 

Middle East Energy has a 45+ year 

history. 

By bringing the global energy 

community together, Middle East 

Energy gives you the chance to learn 


Masdar City’s 

eponymous 

Free Zone is a 

thriving business 

community home 

to a diverse, 

innovative and 

ambitious collection 

of companies, from 

multinationals 

to SMEs and 

startups, like 

solar energy tech 

company Volts and 

cleantech venture 

FortyGuard. 

about goods and make contacts with 

exhibitors from all over the world. 

You may learn about the newest 

energy advancements at the event and 

take in keynote talks to learn insightful 

things about how the energy industry 

will develop in the future. For business 

owners, it also provides excellent 

networking possibilities. 

The event frequently holds the 

Energy Startup Hub pitch competition, 

where energy companies have the 

opportunity to present their products 

to an audience of prospective investors 

and a panel of industry experts. 

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and 

World Future Energy Summit 

Abu Dhabi developed the Masdarhosted 

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 

(ADSW) to promote international 

cooperation and sustainability. The 

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre 

hosts the annual ADSW, a forum for 

driving global sustainable development 

(ADNEC). 

By organizing many platforms and 

activities to involve and empower 

young people, women, and community 

members to take an active part in 

bringing about a sustainable future, 

ADSW adopts a proactive approach at 

the grassroots level. 

With the help of its public and 

private partners, ADSW organizes 

many events that draw world leaders 

in politics, business, and technology. 

These events give participants a 

platform to exchange information, 

highlight innovation, and layout plans 

for implementing climate change. 

World Future Energy Summit, 

a significant worldwide occasion 

advancing sustainability and the 

world’s transition to clean energy, is an 

important component of ADSW. 

The summit brings together leaders, 

innovators, and global thinkers to 

discuss ideas for developing the 

blueprints for a sustainable future. It 

functions as an exposition, technology 

showcase, investment incubator, and 

business forum, all wrapped into one 

event. 

The rapidly growing nation is 

undoubtedly moving in the right 

direction to ensure that expansion 

doesn’t harm the environment and 

that the UAE continues to set the way 

for a more sustainable future with 

these advancements and the other 

sustainability measures that have been 

put in place. 

These environmentally friendly 

construction projects in the UAE are 

a positive move. You may help the 

environment by making little changes 

to make your house more “green.” 



THE PROS AND CONS OF 

REPLACING HUMANS WITH 

ROBOTS IN THE WORKPLACE 

There has been much debate and discussion on humans being replaced by robots in the 

workplace. Could we truly be replaced with recent advances in the field, producing more 

skillful and intelligent machines? 

ADVANCES IN ROBOTIC 

TECHNOLOGY 

There are currently 

many different types 

of robots available. 

Hadrian X by Fastbrick Robotics is a 

prime illustration of this. A human 

worker cannot lay as many bricks 

simultaneously as this Australian 

robot, which can lay more than 

1000 standard bricks each hour. 

Tally, a robot that may operate in a 

supermarket to stack shelves and 

verify product pricing, was created by 

Simbe Robotics in the USA. 

Numerous businesses are also 

prepared to make investments in 

robotic help. Robotic milking has 

replaced human milking at the 

Swedish dairy product manufacturer 

DeLaval International, enhancing 

profits. 

Although technological advancement 

is fantastic for companies, many 

people have legitimate concerns about 

job security. According to a recent 

Oxford University study, up to 47% of 

employment in the United States might 

potentially be done by robots over 

the next two decades. Transportation 

and logistics, as well as labor and 

manufacturing vocations, are among 

the list of jobs deemed “vulnerable to 

computerization.” 

It should be mentioned that 

automation will threaten all of these 

professions, although a different US 

employment survey conducted from 

1997 to 2007 lends credibility to the 

study. According to this estimate, each 

workforce may lose between 3-6 jobs 

due to one robot. In addition, pay often 

decreased by 0.25 to 0.5 percent for 

every additional robot installed per 

1000 workers. 

One may counter that the worry 

of losing work to robots is not new 

to humans. The number of artisans, 

farmers, and textile workers has 

decreased since the industrial 

revolution due to “computerization.” 

Even though these professions were 

lost, numerous new jobs entered the 

workforce. This comprises mechanics, 



helpers in finance, and pilots, among 

others. 

Development of New Artificial 

Intelligence 

This is something that might happen 

soon. New artificial intelligence 

development is predicted to lead 

to many new work opportunities. 

According to a study by MIT 

researchers, a lot of human input will 

be required for AI systems to function 

as intended. Additionally, system 

maintenance, technology, and business 

management jobs will be necessary. 

The pros and cons of increasing robot 

labor in the workforce are listed below. 

Pros 

• Make life quicker: Human beings 

need breaks. Additionally, they require 

time to reflect and solve challenging 

problems and computations. We can 

ensure that duties are completed much 

more quickly by delegating this duty to 

a computer, enabling firms to operate 

more effectively. This is, in many 

ways, the logical progression of the 

digital transformation we have already 

witnessed in the workplace. 

• Can make work safer: For 

businesses, it can be challenging and 

risky to work at high altitudes, in harsh 

temperatures, or with hazardous 

chemicals or materials. This danger 

can be decreased by putting robots in 

the “firing line.” 

• Accuracy: It’s only humans to 

make mistakes. A costly mistake for 

a business might result from being 

tired, under pressure, stressed out, or 

losing focus. Robots can consistently 

and accurately carry out orders from 

humans, frequently operating more 

precisely. 

The nicest part about robots is 

that they free up individuals to focus 

on what they do best. In HR, this 

is delegating to professionals the 

specialized one-on-one work that 

facilitates problem resolution and 

maintains employer satisfaction 

(and productivity). Additionally, they 

can relieve people from tedious 

and repetitive tasks that may be 

demoralizing. 

Cons 

• Employment: There is no escaping 

the fact that some of the strengths 

mentioned above will eliminate 

certain positions from the workforce. 

There are many different predictions 

regarding how many occupations 

will be replaced by robots, but it’s 

safe to state that their debut may 

eliminate some positions. Businesses 

need to start addressing this, with 

HR departments playing a key role in 

identifying the positions in danger and 

offering people retraining to prevent 

workplace strife from being caused by 

the emergence of robots. 

• Cost: Robotics in the workplace 

may be theoretically conceivable, but 

is it now cost-effective? The price of 

an industrial robot might easily reach 

$100,000, which is a big investment. 

• Interaction and unity: Yes, people 

become ill, but so do machines. They 

are not sick but can malfunction and 

need upkeep and repairs. Fixing this 

may be expensive and time-consuming 

and call for expertise. 

THE HUMAN TOUCH 

Robots are proficient at performing 

the tasks they have been trained to 

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 

accomplish, but they will lack the 

human touch. How frequently does 

a workday go perfectly according to 

your plans? People can adjust and 

switch to the best task for the situation 

at hand. Robots can’t be flexible like 

that. Additionally, they lack the insight, 

creativity, and empathy necessary 

for organizations to confront and 

overcome all the obstacles they 

encounter. 

Realizing that robots can and will 

have a role in the workplace is vital. 

The majority of workplaces may 

be transformed by the capabilities 

they provide. Their job should, 

however, complement and support 

the organization’s human resources, 

freeing them up to focus on their 

areas of expertise and enhancing their 

existing skill set with new abilities. 

Businesses that understand this and 

aren’t oblivious to the limits of robots 

will be in the best position to thrive as 

technology continues to change the 

nature of labor. 




STARTUPS IN FOCUS 

RASEED 

Raseed is a UAE Fintech startup founded in 2020 and is currently 

headquartered in Dubai, UAE. The business runs a platform that enables 

Middle Easterners to participate more easily in the US stock market in a 

simple and affordable way for the average individual. As a result, locals have 

a platform from which to increase their income through investment. 

Raseed, although a young business, has already been able to attract funding 

to achieve its goals. Consequently, the firm generated 4.1 million SAR in that 

little period. Two investors who were interested in the idea worked hard to 

make this happen. 

Year Founded: 2020 

HQ: Dubai, UAE 

Size: 11-50 

Founders: Abdel Sallam Qatshan 

ENGLEASE 

The UAE startup Englease was 

established in 2019 and is 

presently situated in Dubai. The 

business offers students an online 

environment where they may study 

English in a flexible way that works 

for them. These lessons are delivered 

life, allowing for better interaction and 

qualified individuals. Learning one 

of the world’s most widely spoken 

languages is easier for people in the 

MENA area thanks to these classes. 

Englease was only established a few 

years ago, but since then, the business 

has succeeded in drawing many 

investors. Nine investors joined the 

firm in a single round of fundraising. 

These investors helped Englease earn 

$3.4 Million in startup capital, which 

was successful. 

Year Founded: 2019 

HQ: Dubai, UAE 

Size: 51-100 

Founders: Omar Chihane 



VISIONARIES IN FOCUS 

Idriss Al Rifai- Founder of Fetchr 

Idriss Al Rifai is the co-founder and 

CEO of Fetchr which is an international 

express, mail delivery, and logistics 

services company. The business has 

raised so far $100 million from top-tier 

investors including New Enterprise 

Associates (NEA), NGP Capital, 

Winklevoss Capital, and Mobility 

Ventures to name a few. 

In 2012, Idriss Al Rifai founded Fetchr 

which has evolved to become a full 

end-to-end logistics solution, backed 

by technology, for e-commerce 

companies, regional players, social 

media sellers as well as SMBs in the 

MENA region. 

In addition to its B2C and standard C2C 

deliveries powered through its app, 

Fetchr also recently launched an ondemand 

delivery service, the first of its 

kind in the region. 

Fetchr is also the first company in 

MENA to raise $52M in funding to date 

($11M Series A and $41M Series B), led 

by a top-tier Silicon Valley VC, New 

Enterprise Associates. 

This opened up the doors for other 

startups and entrepreneurs to receive 

funding from outside the region. 

Idriss Al Rifai’s goal is to empower 

all deliveries through technology in 

emerging markets. 

Ahmad Al-Zaini - CEO of Foodics 

Ahmad Al-Zaini is CEO of Foodics, 

the retail and food tech startup based 

in Saudi Arabia, which he co-founded 

in 2014. 

The company supports the food and 

beverage industry with technology 

that enhances sales and operations. 

Foodics is one of only three companies 

to receive a financial technology 

(fintech) license from the Saudi 

Central Bank (SAMA), allowing it to 

fast-track its product development. 

Al-Zaini was selected as a high-impact 

entrepreneur by Endeavor Global in 

2018 and also received the Forbes 

award for Entrepreneurs Shaping 

Saudi Arabia’s Future in 2015. 

Before Foodics, he co-founded his 

first startup, Alwans, in February 2010. 

The business develops apps as well 

as investment opportunities for other 

startups. 

In 2012, Al-Zaini graduated in electrical 

engineering from King Fahd University 

of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi 

Arabia. 

He joined an executive program of 

entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial 

studies at Harvard Business school in 

2019. 

In 2020, Al-Zaini completed a short 

program on organizational leadership 

from THNK School of Creative 

Leadership. 

Mahmoud Adi- Founder of Pure 

harvest 

Mahmoud Adi built his career 

as an investment professional. He 

is a Founding Partner of Shorooq 

Investments, a rising VC firm out of 


Abu Dhabi. Inspired by Silicon Valley’s 

value investing, he is focused on 

technology localization and backing 

smart/self-driven entrepreneurs to 

build great businesses. 

He is a co-founder of Pure Harvest, 

a leading technology-enabled 

agribusiness in the UAE. Mahmoud 

is also a VP Mubadala Investment 

Company. Pure Harvest Smart Farms 

is a regional innovator in sustainable 

agriculture focused on the production 

of greenhouse fruits and vegetables in 

the challenging climates of the Arab 

Gulf region using world-leading Dutch 

greenhouse growing technologies. 

Pure Harvest specializes in vine 

vegetable crops (tomatoes, capsicum, 

cucumbers, eggplants, strawberries, 

etc.), we seek to leverage innovative 

growing technology in order to pioneer 

year-round production of affordable, 

premium quality fresh produce. 

Started with investing in metals and 

mining, then moved to technology/ 

semiconductors and most recently he 

leads the Medical Devices investment 

practice. Mahmoud graduated with 

B.S in Mechanical Engineering from 

the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi 

with Honor and Distinction. He also 

holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate 

School of Business. In 2019, he was 

selected by H.H Shk Mohamed Bin 

Zayed, as one of the UAE Future 

Experts in the Business and Financial 

Services sector. 


EFFECTS OF EDUCATIONAL 

TECHNOLOGY ON COLLEGE 

STUDENTS 

Technological advancements have helped us create more comfortable day-to-day routines and lead 

easier lives. The same goes for education, which proved true during the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

Not only did it produce satisfactory results, but it opened new doors to introducing educational 

technology to daily learning. 

Many of today’s highdemand 

jobs were 

created in the last 

decade, according 

to the International 

Society for Technology in Education 

(ISTE). As advances in technology 

drive globalization and digital 

transformation, teachers can help 

students acquire the necessary skills 

to succeed in their careers of the 

future. 

How important is technology in 

education? 

The COVID-19 pandemic is quickly 

demonstrating why online education 

should be a vital part of teaching and 

learning. By integrating technology into 

existing curricula, as opposed to using 

it solely as a crisis-management tool, 

teachers can harness online learning 

as a powerful educational tool. 

The effective use of digital learning 

tools in classrooms can increase 

student engagement, help teachers 

improve their lesson plans, and 

facilitate personalized learning. It also 

helps students build essential 21stcentury 

skills. Virtual classrooms, 

video, augmented reality (AR), robots, 

and other technology tools can not 

only make classes more lively but can 

also create more inclusive learning 

environments that foster collaboration 

and inquisitiveness and enable 

teachers to collect data on student 

performance. 

The main perks of having technology 

by our side 

Technology has made learning 

easier for students, as access to 

information has never been simpler. 

With a ton of resources being largely 

digitalized and online, students do not 

need to spend hours at the library to 

find all the data they need. 

This is not only true for accessing 

content, but also for writing papers, 



facilitating the learning process, and 

much more. In turn, students don’t 

spend that much time looking for 

information but can dedicate their time 

to classroom activities, which also 

impacts test scores and learning. 

Every student has a unique approach 

to learning. So, introverts might prefer 

to put on their headphones and cram 

in their rooms, while extroverts tend 

to rely on auditory, visual, and other 

forms of studying. This is where 

technology steps in — students can 

make their own choices and rely on 

tech-dependant products that they 

deem necessary in the learning 

process. One of those might be 

campus, an application that helps 

navigate campus life and student 

orientation in different academic areas 

In recent years, we have learned 

that relying on modern tools in the 

classroom can make the learning 

process and related activities feel 

more engaging. That’s true because 

technology has the power to appeal to 

multiple senses and increase students’ 

interest in the materials. 

That’s why professors and TAs 

should use technology to boost 

students’ confidence in the classroom, 

motivation, attendance, and so on. 

This way, the educators encourage 

students to sharpen their critical 

thinking and become more confident 

in front of their classmates and faculty 

members. Also, this develops a more 

hands-on learning experience, which 

is necessary to meet the demands of 

today’s society. 

Educational Technology Challenges 

BuiltIn reports that 92 percent of 

teachers understand the impact of 

technology in education. According to 

Project Tomorrow, 59 percent of middle 

school students say digital educational 

tools have helped them with their 

grades and test scores. These tools 

have become so popular that the 

educational technology market is 

projected to expand to $342 billion by 

2025, according to the World Economic 

Forum. 

However, educational technology 

has its challenges, particularly when 

it comes to implementation and use 

Additional concerns include excessive 

screen time, the effectiveness of 

teachers using the technology, and 

worries about technology equity. 

Prominently rising from the 

COVID-19 crisis is the issue of content. 

Educators need to be able to develop 

and weigh in on online educational 

content, especially to encourage 

students to consider a topic from 

different perspectives. The urgent 

actions taken during this crisis did not 

provide sufficient time for this. Access 

is an added concern — for example, 

EDTECH 

not every school district has resources 

to provide students with a laptop, and 

internet connectivity can be unreliable 

in homes. Additionally, while some 

students thrive in online education 

settings, others lag for various factors, 

including support resources. These 

students may have relied on resources 

that they no longer have in their 

homes. 

Can Technology Replace Traditional 

Learning? 

Although this is a difficult question 

to answer, technology cannot replace 

traditional learning in its entirety. It 

isn’t equal to the conventional campus 

atmosphere, but it plays a big role in 

improving traditional learning. It also 

helps the environment become more 

collaborative, effective, and accessible. 

Technology makes subjects more 

interactive, engaging, and easier to 

learn. It opens doors for professors 

to realize what students are capable 

of and how far they’ve come. 

Furthermore, students have access 

to online lectures even after hours, 

allowing them to multitask and focus 

on other important responsibilities. 




AVIATION 

NEW ETHANOL FUEL TECH TO CUT 

AVIATION’S CARBON FOOTPRINT 

BY 80% 

Aviation is one of the 

few industries that 

can’t easily move away 

from combustion power 

because batteries are 

just too heavy. So, until that changes, 

we’re stuck with jet fuel and avgas, 

but some companies, like Honeywell, 

are working to make aviation fuel 

cleaner and greener through the use 

of biofuels. 

According to a report published by 

Reuters, Honeywell announced that a 

new technology that it has developed 

could help dramatically increase the 

production of ethanol-based fuels, 

which could significantly decrease the 

aviation industry’s carbon footprint. 

This technology can increase the 

production efficiency of sustainable 

aviation fuel (SAF) to lower costs. The 

airline sector is considered one of the 

most difficult to decarbonize as fuel 

cannot be easily replaced with other 

kinds of power. Oil refiners have been 

trying to increase the production of 

SAF to try to lower emissions. 

Demands and feedbacks 

“As demand for SAF has increased, 

we’ve been looking at different ways 

to make more SAF economically 

that people can adopt and adapt at 

large-scale and produce to displace 

significant fractions of the jet and 

diesel pools,” Kevin O’Neil, senior 

business leader for renewable fuels at 

Honeywell UOP, said. 

The company says, depending on the 

type of ethanol feedstock used, that 

its technology can cut greenhouse gas 

emissions by 80% on a total lifecycle 

basis compared with petroleumbased 

jet fuel. In September 2021, 

the Biden administration launched 

an effort to boost output to at least 

3 billion gallons of SAF per year by 

2030 and have enough SAF by 2050 

“to meet 100% of aviation fuel demand, 

currently projected to be around 35 

billion gallons a year.” According to 

Honeywell, depending on the feedstock 

used, its technology could decrease 

greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 

percent versus petroleum-based fuels. 

Productions and Efficiency 

Honeywell’s technology can increase 

the production efficiency of sustainable 

aviation fuel (SAF) to lower costs. The 

airline sector is considered one of 

the most difficult to decarbonize as 

fuel cannot be easily replaced with 

other kinds of power. Oil refiners have 

been trying to increase the production 

of SAF to try to lower emissions. 

The recent Inflation Reduction Act, 

a massive climate bill that includes 

incentives for lower-carbon fuels, is 

also likely to accelerate demand for 

SAF feedstocks. 

Many producers have chosen to 

make sustainable aviation fuel from 

feedstocks with lower carbon intensity, 

such as grease and animal fat. 




UAE NEWS 

Adio and Amazon Web Services 

join hands to launch cloud 

innovation centre 

Anew cloud innovation center has 

been established in the city’s center by 

the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and 

Amazon Web Services (AWS), which 

will support innovation in both the 

public and commercial sectors. 

Adio said that the AWS Cloud 

Innovation Centre (CIC) is a part of 

a three-year partnership that will 

allow businesses based in Abu Dhabi 

to develop solutions using nextgeneration 

technologies, aimed at 

supporting citizens, businesses, and 

the economy. 

Funding for Hub71 startups hits 

$871m 

Since its launch in 2019 through the 

third quarter of 2022, start-ups at 

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s international 

technology ecosystem, have raised 

over Dh3.2 billion ($871 million) 

in capital, generated Dh2.5 billion 

in sales, and added 800 direct 

employment. 

Hub71 deputy chief executive Ahmad 

Alwan spoke with The National in an 

interview at Gitex Global in Dubai. The 

expansion for Hub71 member firms, 

which number close to 200 presently, 

comes as investor interest in startups 

rises, making the company a vital 

contributor to Abu Dhabi’s economy. 

Hub71’s start-ups were successful in 

raising $436 million in the first half of 

2022, which increased investor interest 

in them. 

The Emirates Nuclear Energy 

Corporation (ENEC) signs 

agreement with Cyber Security 

Council 

In order to improve cyber security in 

the energy industry, the UAE Cyber 

Security Council and the Emirates 

Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) 

have inked a preliminary agreement. 

The two entities will exchange 

information and expertise on cyber 

security-related matters, with 

ENEC providing experts for the 

establishment of a national-level 

security operations centre, according 

to a statement from ENEC. 

CBI establishes metaverse branch 

becoming 1st UAE bank to do so 

CBI is the first bank in the UAE to 

establish a presence in the Metaverse 

and one of the few pioneering financial 

institutions in the region as well as 

worldwide. The formal opening of 

Commercial Bank International’s 

Metaverse site has been announced. 

CBI is a corporate and retail bank 

with its headquarters in Dubai. The 

first bank in the UAE to establish a 

presence in the Metaverse, CBI is 

also one of the few early adopting 

institutions in the region as well as the 

rest of the world. 


Flying bikes are on their way to the 

UAE 

Manufacturing of the Japanese flying 

bike Xturismo, which just made its 

public debut in the US, may soon go to 

the UAE. According to Yuma Takenaka, 

worldwide marketing executive 

manager of Aerwins, the business 

that makes the Xturismo, “We are 

producing up to five units a month and 

hope to go into mass production in Abu 

Dhabi in a joint venture with a (UAE) 

firm next year.” 

Microsoft Cloud promises $39 bn 

pump to the UAE economy 

According to a research unveiled at 

Gitex Global 2022 in the Dubai World 

Trade Center by International Data 

Corporation (IDC), the Microsoft Cloud 

would produce roughly $39 billion 

over four years and close to 100,000 

employment in the UAE. 

The “Microsoft Cloud Dividend 

Snapshot” from IDC Infosnapshot, 

sponsored by Microsoft, for the UAE 

predicts that between now and 2026, 

additional income from the Microsoft 

Cloud would reach $39 billion, with 

16.6% of that benefit coming from 

its cloud data center areas in Abu 

Dhabi and Dubai. The ecosystem of 

the Microsoft Cloud, which consists 

of Microsoft, its partners, and its 

cloud users, will be responsible for 

generating this income. 


NEWS 

IN FOCUS 

CYBERSECURITY 

Hacker who stole Ed Sheeran music 

is jailed 

Sheeran’s music and 12 songs by the 

rapper Lil Uzi Vert were exchanged for 

cryptocurrency by Adrian Kwiatkowski. 

The 23-year-old Ipswich resident 

was able to access them by breaking 

into the performers’ online accounts, 

according to the Crown Prosecution 

Service. 19 offenses, including copyright 

infringement and possession of the 

illegal property, were admitted by 

Kwiatkowski. According to the City of 

London Police, he had earned £131,000 

from the music. 

Ipswich Crown Court heard that when 

the defendant’s Apple Mac laptop was 

searched, 565 audio files, including 

the songs by Sheeran and Vert, were 

uncovered. 

Australia’s No. 1 health insurer says 

that hacker got hold of patient data 

The largest health insurer in Australia 

revealed that a criminal had allegedly 

stolen customers’ medical information 

as part of a significant data breach, 

raising concerns about a spate of 

high-profile cyberattacks. Medibank 

Private Ltd, which covers one-sixth 

of Australians, said an unidentified 

person had shown the company 

the stolen personal information of 

100 customers, including medical 

diagnoses and procedures, as part 

of the theft of 200 gigabytes of data, 

first disclosed by the company a week 

earlier. 

Kaspersky takes top enterprise 

cybersecurity to the heights of Burj 

Khalifa 

Kaspersky has illuminated the world’s 

tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, 

in an astonishing LED display to 

showcase the highest protection from 

cyber threats. The light show went 

live on October 12, aiming to highlight 

the growing cyber threat landscape 

enterprises face, and stressing the 

need for businesses to have a reliable 

cybersecurity partner to achieve 

sustainable development. 

Cybersecurity incidents and dramatic 

falls in sales are the most challenging 

types of crises to hit medium 

businesses 

Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity 

solutions provider, and Centerm, 

a global leading provider of thin 

client, mini-PC, intelligent financial 

terminals, and management software, 

recently signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MoU) reflecting their 

shared goal of cooperating to create 

cyber immune endpoints based on 

KasperskyOS operating system and 

Centerm hardware platforms. The MoU 

has been signed at GITEX GLOBAL 

2022 that took place in the Dubai World 

Trade Centre. 

Mormon Church says it fell victim to 

cyber attack 

A cyberattack was directed against 

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday 

Saints, the church declared. The 

incident, which involved the disclosure 

of basic personal data of “Church 

members, workers, contractors, and 

friends,” happened on March 23 and 

was kept under wraps at the request 

of government authorities. 

“U.S. federal law enforcement 

authorities suspect that this intrusion 

was part of a pattern of statesponsored 

cyberattacks aimed at 

organizations and governments around 

the world that are not intended to 

cause harm to individuals,” the Salt 

Lake City-based church said in a press 

release. 

The Emirates Nuclear Energy 

Corporation (ENEC) signs an 

agreement with Cyber Security Council 

In order to improve cyber security in 

the energy industry, the UAE Cyber 

Security Council and the Emirates 

Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) 

have inked a preliminary agreement. 

The two entities will exchange 

information and expertise on 

cybersecurity-related matters, with 

ENEC providing experts for the 

establishment of a national-level 

security operations center, according 

to a statement from ENEC. 

“Cyber security is a critical focus for 

ENEC as we work to ensure we are 

well-equipped to mitigate any potential 

cyber challenges,” said Mohamed Al 

Hammadi, managing director, and chief 

executive of ENEC. 



NEWS 

IN FOCUS 

CYBERSECURITY 

Dubai-based Starlink decides to merge 

with European company Infinigate 

Security firm Infinigate Group said that 

it will combine with cybersecurity and 

cloud provider Starlink, located in Dubai, 

to form a business with expected annual 

revenues of roughly $2.2 billion. 

Starlink will operate under the Infinigate 

Group “banner” post-merger, Infinigate 

said. The deal follows Infinigate’s August 

takeover of cloud distributor Vuzion and 

announcement in July that it intended to 

buy “large parts” of UK-based IT services 

and consulting company Nuvias. 

Australia’s Telstra hit by data breach 

two weeks after the attack on Optus 

Telstra Corp Ltd, the largest telecom 

company in Australia, announced that 

it had experienced what it called a 

minor data breach, two weeks after 

Optus, its main rival, was the victim of 

a significant hack. Three-quarters of 

Australia’s population, or 18.8 million 

customer accounts, belong to Telstra, 

which claimed that a third-party 

organization’s hack resulted in the 

exposure of some staff data going back 

to 2017. 

According to local media, a Telstra 

internal staff email put the number of 

affected current and former employees 

at 30,000. 

ESET to bring its unique cybersecurity 

solutions to large corporations via a 

new business unit 

ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, 

has announced a new strategic thrust 

to reshape the company’s diverse 

digital security offerings and goto-market 

model for fast-growing 

corporate clients. 

ESET is using its 30 years in the 

cybersecurity market including 

industry-leading threat research 

and consistent product innovation to 

deliver a solution to engage with and 

support large corporations’ increased 

need for security awareness and 

resilience, and the management 

of ever-increasing technology and 

business model complexities. 

Microsoft brings a vision of the cloud, 

mixed reality, and security to GITEX 

Global 2022 

Microsoft brought a taste of what 

the future of mixed reality will look 

like to GITEX Global 2022, as the 

region’s premier technology exhibition 

got underway at Dubai World Trade 

Centre. The company’s attendance 

at GITEX 2022 occurs in the thirdanniversary 

year of its UAE cloud data 

centers, which continue to empower 

organizations on their digitization 

journeys. 

Ferrari says internal documents were 

leaked, no sign of cyberattack 

Ferrari announced that some internal 

documents had been leaked online 

and that it was investigating the 

circumstances surrounding this. 

It will implement all the appropriate 

actions as needed; it said in an emailed 

statement. 

Ferrari added it had no evidence of a 

breach of its systems or ransomware 

and said there had been no disruption 

to its business and operations. 

Australia’s second-largest 

telecommunications company Optus 

hacked! 

Customers’ names, birthdates, phone 

numbers, and email addresses were 

revealed due to the incident. The 

corporation, which has over ten million 

subscribers, claims to have stopped 

the attack, but not before other 

information, including the numbers on 

driver’s licenses and passports, was 

compromised. Payment information 

and account passwords, according to 

Optus, were safe. All clients should 

verify their accounts, the business 

said, adding that it would alert 

individuals who were at “heightened 

risk.” 



DID YOU KNOW 

GOOGLE’S DEEPMIND 

Google’s DeepMind is one of the world’s most powerful Al 

systems, with superhuman intelligence. It can defeat the 

world’s finest video game players, identify diseases, and 

lipread better than any human, among other things. 

OFCOM’S 

According to Ofcom’s 2018 

Communications Market Report, 

64% of UK adults consider the 

Internet an important aspect of 

their lives. 20% of adults spend 

more than 40 hours per week 

online. 

1.2 MILLION TERABYTES 

OF DATA 

On the Internet, there are about 2 billion websites. The true 

scale of the Internet is impossible to estimate, but the four 

largest IT firms (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook) 

alone contain at least 1.2 million terabytes of data. 

40,000 GOOGLE 

SEARCHES 

Around 40,000 Google searches 

are made every second around the 

world. It translates to 1.2 trillion 

queries every year. Search Engine 

Optimization (SEO) has become 

such a demanded skill in the 

workplace. 

PPT OLDEST VPN 

The oldest VPN protocol is PPT in existence. Developed in 

the mid-90s by Microsoft, PPTP was integrated into Windows 

95 and specifically designed for dial-up connections. But as 

technology advanced, PPTP’s basic encryption was quickly 

cracked, compromising its underlying security. 

WAYMO 

Waymo, the business that operates 

self-driving cars for Google parent 

company Alphabet, has driven 16 

million kilometers on public roads 

in 25 US locations. 

WORLD’S 1ST VPN 

In the mid-1990s, Gurdeep Singh-Pall, a Microsoft software engineer, created PPTP (Peer-to-Peer 

Tunneling Protocol), which paved VPNs. Although many people believe that PPTP is the quickest of 

the protocols, it was built for dial-up access and had the weakest encryption. As a result, IPsec was 

first introduced in 1996 as a standardized draught. 



UAE NEWS 

G42-owned Bayanat set to raise 

$171m from IPO 

G42, an artificial intelligence and cloud 

computing firm based in Abu Dhabi, 

owns Bayanat, a provider of geospatial 

data goods and services, and it hopes 

to generate more than Dh628.5 million 

($171 million) through its first public 

offering, the business is offering to sell 

571.4 million shares at a price of Dh1.10 

per share. The sale represents 28.5% 

of the firm’s share capital before to the 

offering and 22.22% of the share capital 

of the company at the time of listing. 

Yalla Super App launches financial 

services in UAE and KSA 

After experiencing tremendous 

success in Egypt since its inception 

in 2017, PaySky recently announced 

the Yalla Super App’s entry into the 

UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan 

markets as well as its expansion 

there. According to a press statement, 

this expansion fits into the company’s 

ambitions for continuing expansion in 

strategic markets that directly affect 

the Egyptian market, particularly those 

countries that are prepared for digital 

transformation and financial inclusion. 

First uncrewed surface vessel 

in the Middle East arrives in Abu 

Dhabi 

Fugro transforms the maritime 

industry in the Middle East with the 

introduction of its first uncrewed 

surface vessel (USV) to the region. The 

Fugro Pegasus, the latest addition to 

the Blue Essence family of uncrewed 

vessels has arrived in Abu Dhabi and 

is ready for its first sail in the Gulf. 

du signs MoU with Masdar City to 

build 5G Centre of Excellence 

In order to create a 5G Center of 

Excellence (CoE) in Masdar City, Abu 

Dhabi, du from Emirates Integrated 

Telecommunications Company (EITC) is 

collaborating with Masdar City, a world 

leader in sustainable innovation and 

development. 

Adia to set up centre for data and 

computational science research 

The emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, 

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), 

intends to establish a stand-alone 

center for fundamental and practical 

research in data and computational 

sciences. The action is anticipated to 

increase R&D in the UAE. 

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital 

acquires US-based TruFood 

Mubadala Capital, the global asset 

management firm and subsidiary of 

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment 

Company, has acquired snack 

food contract manufacturer 

TruFood Manufacturing. Trufood, 

the Pennsylvania-headquartered 

manufacturer is being acquired from 

funds affiliated with AUA Private Equity 

Partners. The company did not disclose 

any financial details pertinent to the 

transaction. 


Dahua Technology appoints MES 

as distributor of its non-CCTV 

products in UAE 

MES, one of the leading distributors 

of technology products in the Middle 

East, has been appointed as distributor 

in the UAE of non-CCTV products of 

Dahua Technology, a world-leading 

video-centric smart IoT solutions and 

service provider. 

Virtuzone partners with Wio Bank 

to facilitate digital banking for 

SMEs 

To serve its clients using the Wio 

Business solution, Virtuzone has 

partnered with Wio Bank, the first 

platform bank in the area. With the 

launch of Wio Bank in September 2022, 

the area gained access to three crucial 

capabilities: embedded banking, digital 

banking applications, and banking as a 

service. 


5 – 8 DECEMBER 2022 

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The Technology Express Magazine | Edition: November 2022

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