LATEST REGIONAL PROJECT UPDATE
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QATAR
Qatar University has renewed its partnership with global technology vendor , Thales , to continue with the development of innovative cybersecurity solutions , upskill local youth and protect the country against emerging cyberthreats . Thales ambition is to be the trusted partner of Qatar in cybersecurity delivering customised solutions to ensure Qatar ’ s sovereignty . As part of the renewed agreement , Thales will support Qatar University with its annual cybersecurity event , Cyber Week , by reintroducing its advanced training tool , Cyber Range , to assist the university ’ s students in improving their capabilities to address cyberattacks .
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BAHRAIN
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Batelco has marked another milestone in its Digital Transformation journey with the launch of three new independent digital companies that are set to operate in Bahrain and beyond . The new companies provide state-of-the-art solutions that cater to the emerging needs of today ’ s business in areas such as ICT , cloud computing , cybersecurity and digital communications . The unveiling of the three brands namely BEYON Cyber , BEYON Solutions , and BEYON Connect was made last month .
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OMAN
Equinix has been selected by SUB . CO for the landing of the Oman Australia Cable ( OAC ) directly into its International Business Exchange ( IBX ) data centres in Perth , Australia ( PE2 ) and Muscat , Oman ( MC1 ). These locations will serve as strategic interconnection points for the 9,800-kilometer subsea cable system . Perth has rapidly become an important gateway for subsea cables in Australia as the country has continued a period of accelerated Digital Transformation .
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UAE
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SAUDI ARABIA
The Saudi Arabia e-commerce market is expected to grow to almost 60 percent between 2019 and 2020 and is now projected to exceed US $ 13.2 billion ( SAR 50 billion ) by 2025 . The figures come from Boston Consulting Group ’ s ( BCG ) new report , titled : The SAR 50 Billion E-commerce Opportunity in Saudi Arabia ’. The report , prepared in collaboration with Meta , highlights how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( KSA ) sustained progress to its 2030 Vision is driving e-commerce growth . It also details how e-commerce growth largely outpaces that of traditional retail and shows no signs of abating .
The UAE National Cyber Security Council and Injazat , a UAEbased technology champion in Digital Transformation , cloud , and cybersecurity , recently announced the signing of a strategic memorandum of understanding ( MoU ) with the aim for further improving coordination and response time to potential cyberattacks in the UAE . The MoU will enable all government and semi-government entities to be safeguarded by Injazat ’ s Cyber Fusion Centre ’ s Detection and Response services .
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