News

Dubai-Based Noon Has Eliminated 10% Of Its Workforce

Employees in the marketing and advertising departments were laid off.

Published

3 years ago

April 24, 2023

Nour Nasir

Noon

After an initial surge during the height of the pandemic, many tech companies are now announcing cutbacks as the global economy continues to slump. Despite a generally buoyant digital economy, many Middle Eastern companies are also beginning to feel the strain as profits decline. One of those companies, Noon, recently issued a statement announcing layoffs of around 10%.

According to founder Mohamed Alabbar, Noon recently reduced its workforce to minimize costs, noting that the marketing and advertising departments of the Middle Eastern rival to Amazon were targeted for cuts.

Also Read: Bybit Opens Global Headquarters In Dubai’s World Trade Center

“We’ve been cutting costs and reducing staff for the past year and a half,” said Alabbar.

In 2021, Noon hoped to raise $2 billion from investors to aid further expansion across the Gulf e-commerce market. In February, the company acquired fashion e-retailer Namshi in a bid to expand its digital products and services with new fashion and lifestyle brands.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.