Amazon has launched ‘Amazon Haul,’ a low-cost shopping service aimed at capturing budget-conscious consumers in the US The platform offers a range of products priced primarily under $10, with some items starting at just $1. Accessible through the Amazon app, the service caters to customers looking for affordable essentials and aligns Amazon with popular discount rivals like Temu and Shein.
The move comes as Amazon adapts to changing consumer habits, with CEO Andy Jassy noting a shift toward cheaper items and basic goods. Available via an app update, users can explore ‘Haul’ by simply searching for it within the Amazon interface. The company hopes this initiative will appeal to customers seeking value in a tightening economy.
By tapping into the growing market for low-cost ecommerce, Amazon aims to strengthen its position against rising competition from Chinese platforms. With its vast product range and customer base, ‘Amazon Haul’ could redefine how Americans shop for everyday low-cost items.
Kuwait KEMS-Zajil Telecom and Emirates MBCOM Technologies have partnered to strengthen digital infrastructure and cybersecurity across the Middle East, aiming to help businesses remain secure and agile in a connected, fast-evolving world. This partnership formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 16 October 2024, focuses on providing enterprise solutions in critical areas like network optimisation, cloud services, and cybersecurity.
By merging their expertise, the companies intend to deliver advanced solutions that optimise network performance and bolster defences against cyber threats, essential capabilities for supporting business growth and resilience. Moreover, both companies see this partnership as a strategic move to drive digital transformation in the region, effectively meeting the rising demand for secure, efficient, and scalable digital services.
Furthermore, KEMS-Zajil Telecom emphasised that collaborating with MBCOM Technologies allows them to expand their digital services portfolio with cutting-edge solutions that enhance growth and security. Similarly, MBCOM Technologies highlighted how this partnership positions both companies to bring innovative technology to regional businesses. Ultimately, with its dual focus on advanced infrastructure and robust security, this collaboration reflects a shared vision to empower Middle Eastern enterprises through comprehensive digital solutions that drive long-term growth and resilience.
Khazna, BEEAH, and the Sharjah Communication Technology Authority (SCTA) are partnering to enhance Sharjah’s digital infrastructure by developing advanced data centres. Building on a joint venture formed in 2022 between BEEAH and Khazna, SCTA is joining the effort to create Sharjah’s largest data centre, featuring a 9MW capacity, with the first phase focusing on Kalba.
That project aims to provide the necessary infrastructure to support digital transformation in Sharjah, driving innovation and enabling emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. As a result, the collaboration will advance telecommunications solutions and significantly contribute to the emirate’s broader digital growth.
In addition to fostering technological advancements, the partnership also emphasises sustainability. The project will explore eco-friendly energy solutions, such as waste-to-energy power generation, and incorporate greywater recycling systems to minimise water usage.
Moreover, energy-efficient technologies will be integrated to reduce the environmental footprint. Consequently, it will foster economic growth and technological leadership in the UAE.
The Indian Ministry of Mines and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance India’s critical mineral sector. Through this collaboration, India will gain access to reliable data, analysis, and policy recommendations, improving decision-making and resource management.
Furthermore, the MoU aims to align India’s policies, regulations, and investment strategies with global best practices, accelerating the country’s transition to sustainable and resilient energy systems. In addition, the partnership will focus on capacity development and knowledge exchange through joint research projects, workshops, and training programs, which will enhance India’s technical and institutional capabilities in critical mineral management.
By learning from the experiences of other IEA member states, India seeks to foster innovation in technology development, extraction techniques, and recycling methods, ultimately boosting its competitiveness in the global market. Approved by the Union Cabinet in October 2024, this collaboration marks a significant milestone in securing India’s critical mineral resources.
As a result, the MoU underscores India’s commitment to adopting advanced global practices while addressing its domestic energy needs. Consequently, it sets the stage for long-term strategic growth in the critical minerals sector, promoting sustainability, innovation, and energy security across the nation.
FutureMain, Sensoteq, Al Bahlaq Trading, and Colonel have formed a strategic partnership at ADIPEC 2024 to accelerate the global expansion of FutureMain’s ExRBM industrial predictive maintenance solution, particularly in the Middle Eastern market. That collaboration integrates Sensoteq’s advanced wireless sensor technology with FutureMain’s AI-powered ExRBM solution, enabling real-time monitoring of equipment conditions and proactive maintenance through precise diagnostics.
As a result, the sensors help detect potential failures early, minimising downtime and reducing maintenance costs. Moreover, Colonel and Al Bahlaq Trading, UAE-based companies with expertise in data development, IoT, and security systems, will support the local implementation and market entry of ExRBM in the region.
By leveraging their extensive networks, they will provide customised solutions that address specific industrial needs. Together, these partnerships aim to improve operational efficiency, enhance equipment reliability, and offer tailored solutions that reduce equipment failures, optimise productivity, and create long-term customer value in the Middle East.
Additionally, the collaboration highlights the tangible benefits that clients will experience, including cost savings and productivity gains. Furthermore, the partnership reaffirms the commitment to advancing technology and expanding global partnerships, ultimately delivering differentiated value to the industrial sector. That will create a stable environment for regional customers to adopt ExRBM effectively and achieve long-term operational improvements.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is offering $110 million in free computing power to researchers to promote its custom AI chips. The programme provides credits for the use of AWS’s Trainium chips, which are designed to compete with Nvidia’s widely-used hardware, as well as Advanced Micro Devices and Alphabet’s cloud technology. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Berkeley, are already participating, with AWS planning to make 40,000 Trainium chips available.
AWS, the world’s leading cloud provider by sales, is facing intensified competition from Microsoft, especially as the demand for cutting-edge AI hardware grows. The company is taking a novel approach to lure AI developers by offering detailed documentation for Trainium’s instruction set architecture. This will allow researchers to program the chip directly, unlike Nvidia‘s chips, which usually require the use of proprietary Cuda software.
Gadi Hutt, head of business development for AI chips at AWS, said this strategy is aimed at customers with large-scale operations. Even minor programming adjustments could yield significant performance and cost advantages when using tens of thousands of chips. Hutt emphasised that companies investing hundreds of millions in computing infrastructure would welcome opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce expenses.
The US Commerce Department has pledged up to $18.2 million in funding to California-based Akash Systems to build a 40,000-square-foot cleanroom facility dedicated to advanced semiconductor manufacturing in West Oakland, California. This funding, part of the $52.7 billion semiconductor subsidy program, will be combined with Akash’s own investments and venture capital to create a $121 million production site for Diamond Cooling substrates and systems designed to enhance thermal management in AI-driven data centres.
Akash CEO Felix Ejeckam highlighted this investment as a significant step in meeting the challenges of high-performance computing. Last year, the company also established a landmark labor neutrality agreement for West Oakland semiconductor production workers in partnership with the IUE-CWA union, covering both construction and production roles.
The announcement comes as the Commerce Department works to finalise semiconductor grants under the 2022 Chips and Science Act, aimed at bolstering US-based chip production to reduce reliance on Asia. Thus far, around 20 companies have been awarded 36 billion in preliminary agreements, including a finalised $123 million deal with Polar Semiconductor to modernise its facility in Minnesota. Additional awards for major chipmakers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and GlobalFoundries, are expected before the administration transition in January.
Elon Musk’s Starlink has received government approval to provide satellite internet in Chad, aiming to bridge the country’s significant connectivity gap. With only 12% of the population online as of 2022, the move is expected to bring internet access to remote regions lacking fiber-optic coverage. Communications Minister Boukar Michel confirmed the agreement, noting that better connectivity could spur public service digitalisation and tech start-up growth.
The satellite internet provider, a division of SpaceX, operates in several African nations, including Nigeria and Madagascar, though it has encountered regulatory hurdles elsewhere. In Chad, Starlink’s deployment is seen as a solution to the nation’s limited infrastructure. Elon Musk celebrated the expansion with an announcement on social media, declaring, ‘Starlink now available in Chad!’.
Despite its growing presence, Starlink has faced resistance from state-run telecom monopolies in some regions. In Cameroon, its equipment was seised earlier this year due to licensing issues. Meanwhile, local telecom operators in countries like Kenya are urging regulators to require partnerships between satellite services and national mobile providers.
VVDN Technologies has partnered with SecureThings.ai to enhance cybersecurity across various industry sectors, primarily focusing on the connected vehicle ecosystem. Through this collaboration, SecureThings.ai’s advanced cybersecurity solutions will be integrated into VVDN’s automotive products and services, including vehicle connectivity, in-vehicle infotainment systems, instrument clusters, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and software-defined vehicle (SDV) solutions.
As a result, this partnership ensures that VVDN meets global cybersecurity standards, such as ISO 21434, while providing robust security for connected vehicles and IoT ecosystems. Specifically, key initiatives include intrusion detection and protection systems, real-time threat intelligence services, the establishment of a security research lab, and the provision of a red team as a service for independent cybersecurity assessments.
These efforts will help VVDN fortify connected devices, comply with evolving regulations like R 155/156 and AIS 189/190 in India, and offer comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Moreover, this partnership strengthens both companies’ positions in the cybersecurity market, with VVDN emphasising its commitment to delivering secure, reliable solutions globally.
Furthermore, SecureThings.ai’s expertise in cutting-edge security research and technologies will empower OEMs and tier-1 suppliers to combat emerging threats and adhere to stringent regulatory standards. The collaboration also leverages VVDN’s product engineering capabilities, thus driving innovation and setting new standards for cybersecurity in the automotive and IoT industries.
German optical tech firm Carl Zeiss AG has inaugurated its first global capability centre (GCC) in Bengaluru, India, and plans to double its local workforce to 5,000 over the next three years. The new centre will focus on cloud computing, cybersecurity, and network operations, alongside software development for Carl Zeiss’s medical tech division. This move highlights India’s transformation from an outsourcing destination to a strategic base supporting global operations.
Beyond the GCC, Zeiss is expanding its presence in Bengaluru with a new manufacturing plant slated to open in 2025. This facility, the company’s largest investment outside Germany, will be its fifth in India, contributing to its workforce growth. The India unit, also involved in R&D and sales, is projected to reach a revenue of 22 billion rupees for the year ending September 2025—a 19% increase.
India’s GCC sector is booming, with Karnataka’s government aiming to double GCCs in the state by 2029. Industry reports expect the Indian GCC market to reach up to $105 billion by 2030, reflecting the country’s increasing role in global business support.
