News

EcoFlow Power Kits Provide Power When You Need It Most

The compact and modular power packs are perfect for leisure use, but will also provide vital electricity during power outages.

Published

4 years ago

October 27, 2022

Nour Nasir

EcoFlow

EcoFlow, the company that created the world’s first eco-friendly portable power generators, has announced the official arrival of its products in the Middle East, and is preparing to team up with local dealers.

So what are EcoFlow’s products all about, and what makes them so useful? Put simply, the plug-and-play power stations are large, portable battery banks — think of them as a scaled-up version of the portable USB backup batteries available for phones and laptops.

EcoFlow Power Kits feature large lithium-ion batteries, with base capacities of 2KWh, with expansion modules available to boost that to 15KWh. However, unlike smaller smartphone batteries, EcoFlow’s solutions act more like a traditional petrol generator — except far cleaner and quieter — as they feature built-in inverters that will easily cope with the power demands of fridge freezers, right up to (depending upon model) an entire house or apartment.

As well as recreation-focused portable power packs, the company also produces a wide range of products to enable households to survive off-grid — or at least smooth out patchy mains supplies — an especially useful feature in countries such as Lebanon, where people often encounter severe delivery issues due to the lack of a government-provided power supply.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia To Build 150,000 EVs Annually By 2026

The modular components are designed for permanent installation, and include an AC/DC Smart Distribution Panel, Power Kit Console and various add-ons, including solar panels. Unlike building a traditional system of this type, EcoFlow’s kits are inherently safe, as they require zero custom wiring.

The idea of smart living has become a significant trend of late, and the number of smart homes is predicted to surpass 350 million by 2023. Ecoflow is well positioned to take advantage of that shift, with a range of products that allow users to build a fully connected, energy-efficient home with off-grid capabilities.

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.