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SAMENA Daily - Industry News Briefing

Industry News Briefing
December 19, 2025

Featured Member News

stc Group subsidiary center3 and HUMAIN announce JV partnership to develop data centers supporting up to 1 GW of AI workloads in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

stc Group, a leading global digital enabler, through its dedicated digital infrastructure subsidiary center3 and HUMAIN, a PIF company delivering full-stack artificial intelligence capabilities globally, have announced a strategic Joint Venture (JV) partnership to build AI data centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...

Member News

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AT&T hosts global leaders to shape the future of optical networks

AT&T hosted the recent FSAN (Full-Service Access Network) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Study Group at AT&T HQ...

Recent Developments

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Fitch upgrades Omantel to ‘BBB-’ with stable outlook, affirming its strategic strength

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stc Bahrain and Lionscraft host Web3 workshops to drive digital innovation across Bahrain

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stc Group honored for national leadership in sustainability with first place in King Khalid Award

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e& launches a smart keyboard designed to reconnect people with the Arabic language

Policy and Regulation

•	Saudi Arabia ranks second globally in ITU Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025 Saudi Arabia has secured second place worldwide in the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025, ranking just behind Germany among 193 countries and retaining its position in...

•	UN working group launches new AI resource hub Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how countries and organizations tackle global challenges, from improving healthcare systems to advancing opportunities for people around the world...

Middle East

•	Saudi Arabia sets Guinness World Record with world’s largest digital solutions hackathon Saudi Arabia has set a new Guinness World Record by hosting the world’s largest digital solutions hackathon, bringing together 2,059 participants in a landmark three-day event aimed at accelerating innovation in...

•	New Dhs615m Innovation Hub planned for Dubai Internet City TECOM Group has launched Phase 4 of Innovation Hub in Dubai Internet City, responding to rising demand for Grade-A office space from global multinational companies operating across future-focused economic sectors...

•	Ooredoo Kuwait rolls out next-Generation AI-driven network infrastructure Ooredoo Kuwait is advancing toward fully autonomous telecom networks as part of its 2025 strategic plan, positioning itself among global leaders in AI-driven network operations...

Content & Immersive Technologies

•	Freeview Australia to launch DVB-I trial Freeview Australia is to begin local testing of DVB-I, the IP-delivered broadcast standard designed to make free-to-air TV available through a single channel guide with or without an aerial...

Satellite & Internet

•	Airtel Africa to launch Starlink’s D2C service in 14 markets next year Airtel Africa announced that it has signed a deal with SpaceX to launch Starlink’s Direct to Cell (D2C) LEO satellite service across all of its 14 markets across the continent sometime next year...

•	Google to build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea under Australia-backed defence pact Google plans to build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea, funded by Australia under a mutual defence agreement between the two countries...

South Asia

•	PTA and UNDP conclude cybersecurity awareness week 2025 in Pakistan The nationwide initiative, observed from December 11 to 17, focused on strengthening public awareness around cyber hygiene, digital safety, and information integrity...

•	Dialog Axiata and SLT-Mobitel launch commercial 5G services Sri Lankan telcos Dialog Axiata and SLT-Mobitel commercially launched their respective 5G networks, following years of trials, after the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) wrapped up its spectrum...

North Africa

•	Huawei hosts seminar on smart education and telemedicine in Tunisia China’s technology company Huawei, in collaboration with Tunisia’s Al-Khawarizmi Computing Center (CCK), held a seminar in Tunis focused on advancing smart education and telemedicine services across the country...

3G, 4G and 5G Networks

•	Virgin Media O2 to shut down 3G in the "coming weeks" in UK Virgin Media O2 has confirmed that it will complete the switch off of its 3G network in the "coming weeks" in the UK...

•	Claro activates Paraguay's first 5G network Claro became the first operator to launch a 5G network in Paraguay by announcing the official start of the new mobile technology in the country...

Global Telecom Update

•	Kazakhstan’s President visits Japan as nations deepen strategic ties The visit, which includes participation in the Central Asia-Japan Summit, comes as bilateral relations evolve from a primarily commodities-based relationship into a more sophisticated partnership spanning critical minerals,...

•	Liberia's CBL launches interoperable mobile payments platform The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has launched an interoperable payments platform developed by the Mojaloop Foundation that enables mobile money transfers between mobile operators Lone Star Cell MTN and Orange Liberia...

•	Cognizant, Microsoft form multi-year partnership to build AI-powered enterprises Cognizant announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Microsoft to help global enterprises become AI-powered frontier firms: organizations that redefine work, unlock new value, and scale innovation responsibly...

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