News

CheckRewards Secures $1.2 Million Mitgo Investment

The cashback service uses machine-learning technology to help consumers access promotions and track their expenses.

Published

3 years ago

November 23, 2023

Nour Nasir

Mitgo

CheckRewards, a cashback service that uses cutting-edge machine learning technology, is entering the MENA region after successfully launching Android and iOS apps in the UAE. Backed by a $1.2 million cash injection from the Mitgo Group, CheckRewards is set to redefine the cashback experience for shoppers and businesses in the Middle East and North Africa.

CheckRewards works as a smart shopping companion that assists with budget management. The app provides access to promotions, cashback rewards, and features receipt scanning and expenditure tracking to help users keep up with their finances. The startup plans to onboard 50 major retail and food brands, including Noon, Amazon, Sharaf DG, Samsung, Dyson, Starbucks, and H&M.

For businesses, CheckRewards allows better engagement with customers and the quick launch of promotions without complex technical integrations. Brands can precisely target specific audiences based on their preferences, boosting sales volumes and customer loyalty.

Alexander Bachmann, CEO of Mitgo Group, commented: “We recognize the immense potential within CheckRewards and firmly believe in their vision for the MENA market. This strategic collaboration is well-positioned to reshape the cashback landscape in the region, offering unparalleled opportunities for both consumers and businesses”.

Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2023

Artem Ostapenko, CEO of CheckRewards, added: “We are thrilled to introduce CheckRewards to the MENA region, where the demand for cashback services is on the rise. CheckRewards stands as a unique solution, presenting remarkable advertising opportunities, including geo-targeting and customer preference-based targeting. We are eager to transform the cashback experience for users and foster business growth in this dynamic region”.

The MENA region presents a tremendous opportunity for the new solution as the popularity of cashback services continues to grow. According to a Statista report, retail sales in the UAE alone were estimated at around US $74 billion and are forecasted to pass US $114 billion by 2026.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.