The Middle East

In June 2019 Zain Kuwait launched the country’s first fully integrated 5G mobile internet service. Speaking at the launch, Nawaf Al Gharabally, chief technology officer at Zain, told local press that telecommunications services are key to accelerating economic growth and boosting trade. “Obviously, existing mobile networks will not be able to...

More and more commercial transactions are moving online and the so-called digital economy continues to expand its reach into every facet of the traditional analogue economy. For businesses this means they have access to new channels to reach existing clients as well as new opportunities to expand market share with a competitive digital...

With Kuwait’s national strategy focused on establishing the country as a global and regional knowledge and communications centre, ICT development has gained significance in the country’s shift away from an economy based on hydrocarbons. The adoption of 5G technology has been key to achieving these goals, as is the earmarking of financial and...

Urbanisation is a mega-trend redefining contemporary life in both developed and emerging markets across the world. According to the UN, in 1950, 751m people lived in urban areas; however, by 2018 this number had risen to 4.2bn, equivalent to roughly 55% of the world’s population. By 2050 the UN estimates that this figure will rise to 68%. This...

Kuwait’s residential real estate market has long been divided into two main segments: private residential housing, which is only available to Kuwaiti and GCC citizens; and investment housing, which usually involves apartments targeted at short-term, expat renters, but is also open to GCC nationals. With expatriates making up around 70% of the...