News
Kuwait Aims For Digital Transformation With Google Partnership
Google Cloud will work closely with several government agencies to digitize citizen services and increase public sector productivity.
As part of Google’s expansion of its Cloud services into the Middle East, the tech giant has signed up to a strategic alliance with the government of Kuwait. The move shows a solid commitment to the region’s digital future, and as part of the agreement, the two entities will collaborate on a comprehensive digital roadmap that will encompass both governmental entities and state-owned enterprises.
As part of its expansion, Google Cloud aims to set up a local headquarters in Kuwait and will team up with the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), and the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT).
The Government of Kuwait and Google Cloud will work towards “digitizing citizen services” and increasing employee productivity. In addition, the partnership will begin implementing several transformative initiatives that will help to digitize a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, education, disaster recovery, and smart living.
By leveraging Google Cloud’s technology and formidable expertise in data analytics, the Government of Kuwait will also be able to improve regional cybersecurity and artificial intelligence deployment. Meanwhile, Google Cloud support will become available to public sector organizations, businesses, and startups to build a modern, data-driven economy.
Also Read: Meet Hotdesk: A Homegrown UAE Remote Workspace Platform
“The strategic alliance supports the Government of Kuwait’s Vision 2035, which aims to transform Kuwait into a digital society and diversify its economy. We are proud to bring the latest Google Cloud technologies to Kuwait to help the country realize its digitization ambitions. The arrival of Google Cloud will contribute to developing a rich tech ecosystem in the country, creating exciting, highly-skilled job opportunities for Kuwaitis,” says Thomas Kurian, Chief Executive Officer, Google Cloud.
As well as a raft of economic benefits, the Google Cloud partnership will enable Kuwait’s Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) to develop a national upskilling program for government employees. All in all, the strategic allegiance looks set to radically overhaul Kuwait’s government and public sector, ushering in a new era where cutting-edge data analytics, machine learning, and enhanced security mesh seamlessly into everyday life.
News
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.
Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.
The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.
Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.
Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.
Also Read: Deezer Says AI Tracks Now Make Up 44% Of Uploads
Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.
“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.
Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
AltoVolo Releases Sigma Footage & Sets Date For Demonstrator
Careem Launches Lebanon Aid Drive With WFP
United Arab Emirates To Quit OPEC After 59 Years
YouTube Tests Conversational AI Search Tool
Yango Ride Introduces In-Chat Trip Planning In ChatGPT
Deezer Says AI Tracks Now Make Up 44% Of Uploads
NVIDIA Puts GPT-5.5 Codex In Hands Of 10,000 Staff
United Arab Emirates To Quit OPEC After 59 Years
