The race for 5G superiority in Lebanon was on full display in 2018, with touch announcing it had performed the first commercial 5G trial in Lebanon at an event presided over by the Prime Minister of Lebanon, in September. Earlier in the year, competitor Alfa had announced a similar trial, though touch claimed its efforts mirrored real-life operations much more closely. touch’s demonstration was conducted over a period of two days with throughput speeds over the trial 5G network reaching speeds that are 100 times faster than current 4G LTE networks.

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Energy companies are often targeted by sophisticated hackers looking to create disruption across national economies. Although these facilities are a challenge to protect, there are clear procedures energy companies can follow to improve their security posture.

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Being a global hub leaves the UAE vulnerable to cyber attack – it needs to cultivate world-class expertise at home to shield against this threat

It’s estimated that the UAE is the target of as much as 5% of cyber attacks in the world yet the nation’s population accounts for just 0.08% of the global total.  What accounts for such a disparity?

Despite the domestic stability of the UAE, it is situated in a troubled Middle East afflicted by war, terrorism and political tension.  While geography provides part of the explanation, when coupled with the UAE’s remarkable economic transformation into a global node for finance and trade, the country becomes a prime target for cyber attacks.

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To continue its market success, Zain Group is undergoing a business transformation and expanding into new verticals through partnerships and joint ventures. The telco aims to become a leading digital lifestyle provider and create lasting value for society, delivering positive results for shareholders.

In pursuit of this ambition, Zain has revisited its strategy to have a more concise plan and direction that is centred on “solidifying fundamentals”, “differentiation” and “diversifying revenues”.  The strategy will revolve around six transformational initiatives launched in 2014 to adapt to ongoing challenges. These areas are: customer experience; operational effectiveness; value management; B2B; Digital Frontier and Innovation; and talent development.

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Expo 2020 is now just two years away from being hosted in Dubai, under the main banner of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and with sub-themes around Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity. These are highly relevant and emotive topics of discussion and exchange, and early indications are that the Middle East debut of this high-profile international trade show will be a rousing success.

Investment in infrastructure and facilities in preparation for a successful expo continue to be well-documented – from the growth in hotel rooms and extension of public transport networks, to the site itself being prepared to comfortably absorb the anticipated 25 million plus visits.

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