News

New Samsung Astro Watch Honors Middle East Science Pioneers

The smartwatch will be part of a series of collectable devices exclusive to the region.

Published

3 years ago

August 28, 2023

Nour Nasir

Samsung

Samsung’s Gulf Electronics division has unveiled a limited edition version of its latest Galaxy Watch6 commemorating the Middle East’s contributions to science, astronomy, and timekeeping.

The 47mm Galaxy Watch6 Astro Edition features a rotating bezel with a unique astronomy pattern and a face that shows lunar and solar phases. The device was announced by T.M. Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, in Dubai.

Among those honored by the Galaxy Astro Edition are Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Al Fazari, a mathematician and astronomer who built the Muslim world’s first astrolabe, and Al Battani, widely accepted as the greatest astronomer of the Islamic Golden Age.

The regular versions of the Watch6 series (base model and Classic) were unveiled alongside Samsung’s latest foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5, at last month’s Seoul Galaxy Unpacked event.

Samsung did not specify the number of Astro Edition watches in the limited-edition run, but Fadi Abu Shamat, head of Samsung Gulf’s mobile experience division, said he was “confident that [they] will sell out within the first weeks of launch,” adding, “The Middle East holds a special place in Samsung’s heart as a region of dynamic innovation and tech-savvy enthusiasts […] The launch of the Astro Edition here is a testament to our commitment to providing tailored solutions that celebrate the region’s rich legacy and cater to the Gulf markets’ preferences and needs”.

Also Read: Corsair Unveils Huge, Expandable, All-In-One Standing Desk

The Galaxy Watch6 Astro Edition is the first in a series of limited-editions specific to the Middle East. Samsung Gulf did not provide a timetable or details for future versions but has noted that they will be available in the “UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Turkey”.

News

Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.