SECP grants Buy Now Pay Later licence to Alibaba-owned Koko Tech Pakistan
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Tuesday said it had granted a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) licence to Alibaba-owned Koko Tech Pakistan Pvt. Ltd (KTPL). “The entry of Alibaba-backed KTPL marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem,” it said in a press release. The press release further stated: “One of the world’s leading e-commerce and technology companies, Alibaba’s move into Pakistan reflects g...
Nava raises $8.3 million in seed funding to keep AI financial agents from going off the rails
The crypto world has been buzzing in recent months about the potential for applying blockchain technology to agentic commerce, a term that describes AI agents undertaking purchases or other economic activity on a user’s behalf. Early innovations include Coinbase’s x402, a standard for AI agents to transact across the web, and Stripe-backed Tempo’s “Machine Payments Protocol.” But for this futuristic technology to actually catch on, humans will need to trust AI agents not to go rogue with their...
Alibaba-backed Buy Now Pay Later firm gets SECP licence
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has granted a licence to Koko Tech Pakistan (Private) Limited (KTPL) to operate a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) business in Pakistan, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday. KTPL is owned by Alibaba.com Holdings, one of the world’s leading e-commerce and technology companies. The entry of Alibaba-backed KTPL marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem, reflecting growi...
Revealed: The innocent-looking dog breeds that can turn DEADLY - after a teenager is killed by her 'soft' blue-merle lurcher
Revealed: The innocent–looking dog breeds that can turn DEADLY – after a teenager is killed by her 'soft' blue–merle lurcherREAD MORE: Woman, 19, killed in dog attack after being mauled by 'family pet'By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Published: 09:55, 14 April 2026 | Updated: 10:35, 14 April 2026 e-mail 40 shares
DMCC crosses 26,000 firms as tech overtakes commodities in 2025
Dubai: DMCC added more than 2,300 companies in 2025, bringing its total membership to more than 26,000.Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Growth over the past year was driven by rising demand from global markets and the continued expansion of DMCC’s sector-focused ecosystems, with technology emerging as the largest segment within the district.The latest annual results point to a model that is drawing companies across commodities, finance and digital industries into a s...
Sponsorship revenue for Uefa’s club competitions set to break €1bn barrier
Sponsorship income due to rise by more than 40%Champions League clubs to benefit from the growthUefa is poised to bring in more than €1bn (£870m) a year in commercial revenues from club competitions from next year, with two more global sponsorship deals close to being agreed.Uefa’s commercial arm, UC3, is finalising agreements with an official payments provider and technology partner, which would complete their roster of premium global partners and see sponsorship income rise by more than 40%. S...
China quietly profits from US AI boom despite Washington’s tech curbs: research
China is gaining from America’s trillion-dollar artificial intelligence spending spree despite Washington’s efforts to curb Chinese technology ties, as the US data centre boom ripples through Asian technology supply chains, according to research by Oxford Economics. Roughly US$2 trillion worth of data-centre projects are planned or under way in the US, according to a report by the consultancy, with as much as three-quarters of the cost tied to equipment such as semiconductors and servers. That.....
Saudi proptech Jozo closes $2.2 million seed
Saudi-based Jozo has raised $2.21 million (SAR 8.3 million) in a seed round, led by Sheikh Hamad Bin Saedan Real Estate Co. as a strategic partner. Founded in 2024 by Turki Al-Shlail and Fahad Almansour, Jozo develops solutions that enable the tokenisation of real estate assets, allowing individuals to invest in real estate with much smaller amounts of capital than traditional property buying requires. The funding will support technology development and operational scaling as the c...
UAE Central Bank picks Vermeg for debt and Sukuk market platform
Abu Dhabi: The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has announced the appointment of VERMEG, a global provider of mission-critical technology solutions for Market Infrastructures, Collateral Management, and Asset Servicing, as the lead technology partner of a consortium supporting the establishment of a Central Securities Depository (CSD) for national debt and Sukuk.The move is part of the Central Bank’s strategy to strengthen the infrastructure of the UAE’s capital markets.This strategic initiative...
Rolls-Royce secures nearly £600m in UK goverment cash to develop small reactors
Engine-maker CEO hails ‘critical milestone’ for company in race to deliver SMR technology built at Wylfa plant on Anglesey Business live – latest updatesRolls-Royce has secured up to £599m from Britain’s national wealth fund as it races to develop the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors.The fund will help support Rolls-Royce’s design of small modular reactors (SMRs) at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey (called Ynys Môn in Welsh). Continue reading...
China’s Victory Giant Seeks Up to $2.2 Billion in Hong Kong Listing
Victory Giant Technology Huizhou Co. began taking investor orders for its second listing in Hong Kong, which may raise as much as HK$17.5 billion ($2.2 billion) in what is set to be among the city’s largest first-time share sales this year.
إطلاق صندوقي مؤشرات متداولة جديدين في سوق أبوظبي للأوراق المالية
أعلنت "كرينشيرز" الأحد إدراج صندوقي مؤشرات متداولة في سوق أبوظبي للأوراق المالية، هما KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF المتداول تحت الرمز AGIX، وKraneShares Wahed Alternative Income Index ETF المتداول تحت الرمز KWIN.
Hong Kong, mainland China sign ‘milestone’ MOU on promoting digital economy
Hong Kong authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with mainland China’s top internet regulator to promote the digital economy, with the city’s leader pledging to contribute to building a strong technological nation. The MOU was signed on Sunday by Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong and Wang Jingtao, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), and covers topics including artificial intelligence (AI) promotion, cross-boundary data...
The AI That Is Too Dangerous to Release: What It Means for Moroccan Businesses
A few days ago, Anthropic, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, did something unprecedented: it built what may be the most powerful AI model in history and then refused to release it to the public. Not because it failed. Because it succeeded too well. The model is called Claude Mythos. And whether Moroccan business owners know it or not, what happens with this technology in the next 12 months will directly shape the competitive landscape of every sector in Morocco, from...
How the Gulf conflict recast risks for Asian investors in Dubai
Asian digital entrepreneurs that once saw Dubai as a safe, well-connected base for global expansion are now reassessing that view after the US-Israel war on Iran exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s appeal as a financial and technology hub. For many investors and founders from India, China and Southeast Asia, the strain is not just about physical security but also about what disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has revealed about liquidity, credit and market confidence. Dubai has in recent...
Record 25 countries take part in Russian Venture Forum in Kazan
Damir Galiev, Director of the Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan, emphasized that invitations were also extended to representatives from EAEU, BRICS, and SCO member states, as well as international technology and investment organizations
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
AI’s capabilities are growing more sophisticated by the day, and business leaders are rushing to adopt the technology to remain competitive. But one obstacle to AI adoption is catching companies off guard: their own workers. A new report published Tuesday from enterprise AI agent firm Writer and research firm Workplace Intelligence finds a significant share of employees are actively trying to sabotage their company’s AI rollout. The report—a survey of 2,400 knowledge workers across the U...
Cross-border partnerships usher in new era of economic expansion across GCC
The unique convergence of innovation and dynamism is reshaping the growth story of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies as the focus shifts to strengthening non-oil sectors like tourism, renewable energy and technology. Cross-border industrial partnerships are leading this transformation, reflecting a shared vision to achieve economic diversification, attract global investments and build a sustainable future.Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here...
Sam Altman says AI superintelligence is so big that we need a ‘New Deal’—critics say OpenAI’s policy ideas are a cover for ‘regulatory nihilism’
OpenAI says the world needs to rethink everything from the tax system to the length of the work day in order to prepare for the wrenching changes of superintelligence technology—the point at which AI systems are capable of outperforming the smartest humans. On Monday, in a 13-page paper titled Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age, OpenAI said it wanted to to “kick start” the conversation with a “slate of people-first policy ideas.” How much faith to put in Open...
Eligibility conditions for fuel subsidy announced
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja has announced that fuel subsidies will only be provided to vehicles registered with the Excise Department, as part of the government’s relief package, ARY News reported. The federal government, under the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has begun implementing the relief measures ahead of schedule to ease public hardship. The digital transfer system for subsidies was officially launched last night to ensure tra...