News

Gen Z Spearheading Payment Innovation In The Middle East

According to new data, Gen Z’s adoption of new payment technology is driving widespread growth across the MENA region.

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2023

gen z spearheading payment innovation in the middle east

As Gen Z begins to make its presence felt in economies worldwide, the technological proficiency of the demographic is driving innovation in the digital space. In the Middle East — and the UAE especially — research shows a sharp drop in cash purchases as digital payments and their associated technology become commonplace.

According to data from Amazon Payment Services, a digital payment revolution is taking place in the UAE, with contactless and app-based transactions rising at a compound annual growth rate of 18.3% between 2021 to 2023.

“About 61% of Gen Z in the UAE have digital wallets, which indicates that they are adopting new ways of payments and technology. On the other hand, millennials have access to disposable income. Many of them are entrepreneurs and are not only users of digital payments from a consumer perspective but also a business perspective. This combination is the unbeatable match in the region,” says Peter George, Managing Director of Amazon Payment Services.

Also Read: Best Video Streaming Services In The Middle East

According to George, travel, hospitality, and airlines have seen the most significant changes in payment preferences. By 2023, however, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt’s digital payment sectors are expected to double in size across the board. High rates of internet use, a fintech boom, and a comparatively young population are driving the digital payment sector, eventually leading to a trickle-down effect allowing small businesses to flourish.

News

Truecaller For iPhone Gets Real-Time Caller ID And Auto Spam Blocking

The latest update integrates with Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, launched with iOS 18 last year.

Published

2 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Nour Nasir

Truecaller

Truecaller has rolled out a major update for iPhone users, introducing API support that brings real-time caller identification and automatic spam blocking. The upgrade aims to bring the iOS version of the app closer to its Android counterpart, which has long offered these advanced call-screening features.

The latest update integrates with Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, launched with iOS 18 last year. The technology allows third-party apps to cross-check incoming calls against a database of known spam numbers in real-time. Importantly, the process employs “homomorphic encryption,” ensuring user privacy by masking the caller’s number, concealing the client’s IP address, and using anonymous authentication.

With this update, Truecaller has also introduced global automatic spam call blocking for iPhones. However, the real-time caller ID feature is being released gradually and is available only to Truecaller Premium subscribers on iPhones running iOS 18.2 or later. Free users will still have access to ad-supported features, such as manual number searches and caller identification for verified businesses.

How To Enable The New Features

To activate the new features, follow these steps:

Update the Truecaller app to version 14.0 or newer via the App Store.
Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification on your iPhone.
Turn on all Truecaller toggles, then restart the app.

Also Read: “AI Seal” Certification Now Required For Dubai Gov Partnerships

While these features are new to iOS, Truecaller has hinted at this update for months. Following Apple’s iOS 18 update and the introduction of its Live Caller ID API last September, Truecaller Co-founder Alan Mamedi shared his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Truecaller finally works on iPhone”.

The global rollout of spam call blocking is already live, but users may need to wait for gradual access to the live caller ID feature.