Zain Iraq, the country’s largest mobile operator, announces the introduction of a solution that enables customers to purchase offers via their Facebook app, making it the first operator in the Middle East to provide this functionality, and among the first 10 providers to do so worldwide.

Zain Iraq, the country’s largest mobile operator by customer numbers, announces the introduction of a solution that enables customers to purchase offers via their Facebook app, making it the first operator in the Middle East to provide this functionality, and among the first 10 providers to do so worldwide.

The service, which is available on Android devices, and via the portal on iOS phones, was introduced by Zain Iraq in coordination with Facebook.

Ali Al Zahid, Zain Iraq CEO commented, “Zain wants its services to be as convenient as possible by providing the best customer experience. Being the first operator in the Middle East to launch this solution gives us tremendous confidence that we are building the next positive differentiator in our market. Our business is evolving, with customers in search of simple solutions that are easy to use, and which fit neatly into their daily lives. I am extremely proud of our team who cater to every need of our 16-million customers.”

Facebook is extremely popular in Iraq, numbering over 20 million accounts. Zain Iraq counts the highest number of Facebook phone users in the country according to figures from the social media platform.

Kaspersky Lab has announced plans to open a new office in Kigali, Rwanda, to support the rapid growth of its business in East Africa. This strategic move will provide more room for development as well as closer proximity to new partners in the region, allowing Kaspersky Lab to continue its expansion into the African market.

The Kigali office will serve the requirements of the growing number of partners and customers in the region. Kaspersky Lab’s solutions and services will be offered to all industries and for all kinds of businesses in Rwanda and the wider region.

Kaspersky Lab operates in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe. The new office in Kigali will be the 36^th representative office the company has worldwide.

YaLLa Esports, one of the leading esports organizations in the MENA region, has completed and secured a seed funding round from a group of strategic investors, led by super angel investor Kushal Shah.

Finnish-born, Dubai-based esports trailblazer, Klaus Kajetski founded YaLLa Esports in 2016, having been heavily involved in building the regional esports ecosystem. With 20 years of esports and gaming experience, Klaus has grown YaLLa Esports to a globally recognised team with players and staff from multiple nationalities including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Tunisia, having success in international and regional esports tournaments.

YaLLa Esports will use the funding to search and develop the best talent in the region; to build great team facilities and to help with travel costs to compete on a global scale, as well as for expansion across the MENA region. The startup aims to nurture regional talent through an organised personal growth structure, championing the gaming culture and building an environment for aspiring professional gamers to flourish and make esports a viable career.

While the Middle East region continues to assess the positive impact of the announced US$3.1 billion acquisition of UAE-based ride-hailing company Careem by global rival Uber, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider the implications of such a deal from a cyber security perspective.

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Trust is not necessarily synonymous with cyber security, and this has been reiterated through the plethora of cyber breaches and data leakages that have been publicised in recent years. The lack of trust as it relates to allegations that organisations have wantonly sold, misappropriated or misdirected customers’ data without their knowledge or consent only exacerbates an already chronic issue.

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