News

Notion Adds Arabic Language Across Its Workspace Platform

Productivity app localizes for Arabic speakers as Gulf startups and enterprises push deeper into digital tools.

Published

8 months ago

January 26, 2026

Nour Nasir

Notion

Notion has introduced full Arabic language support across its workspace platform, extending localization to its web interface, desktop software and mobile apps in what marks the company’s first dedicated product move for the Middle East.

From this week, users can switch the entire experience into Arabic, including navigation, settings and core features. The update brings the AI-powered productivity tool in line with how many teams across the region already operate, often juggling Arabic and English across documents and workflows.

The rollout follows years of steady local adoption rather than a formal market entry. Notion says it now counts millions of users across the Middle East, with hundreds of thousands in the UAE alone. Regional customers include Emirates Foundation and Emirates Investment Bank, while more than 1,000 UAE startups have gone through the company’s Startups Program.

“The Middle East has emerged as one of our most engaged communities, as the region’s vibrant startup ecosystem and rapid digital transformation have made it a natural fit for Notion’s flexible, AI-powered approach to work,” said Mick Hodgins, GM EMEA at Notion. “We now have millions of users across the region who have adopted Notion to build startups, manage teams, and create their life’s work. Arabic support is a foundation for what comes next, as we deepen our commitment to the region and the teams building the future here”.

Also Read: UAE-Built Falcon-H1 Arabic Leads LLM Benchmarks

For Notion, language coverage is also a practical lever: Public-sector bodies, banks and large enterprises across the Gulf increasingly require Arabic interfaces before rolling out software at scale. Vendors without it are often filtered out early.

The company paired the release with a recent Make with Notion Showcase event in Dubai, a sign it wants closer ties with the local ecosystem rather than treating the region as remote demand.

Arabic becomes Notion’s 21st supported language. The change turns a widely used foreign tool into something that feels native, and signals that the company sees the Gulf as more than a side market.

News

Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

Egypt’s telecom regulator says $57.6 billion moved through more than 57 million wallets in six months. And one operator handled 77% of the value.

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2026

Nour Nasir

egypt's mobile wallets are booming but cash still has power

Egypt’s mobile wallets handled EGP 2.96 trillion ($57.6 billion) in transactions in the first half of 2026, according to the National Telecom Regulatory Authority – a 56% rise on the EGP 1.90 trillion ($36.9 billion) recorded a year earlier. Transactions grew faster still, up 62% to 2.22 billion, while registered wallets climbed 23% to 57.01 million.

On one reading, that is exactly what Egypt’s regulators have been pushing for: a payments system that runs through telecom-linked wallets rather than banknotes. But the same data shows how far cash still reaches into it. Cash withdrawals made up just 12% of the transactions taking money out of wallets, yet 75% of the value withdrawn or spent.

Money arrives mostly from bank accounts: transfers through InstaPay accounted for 78% of deposit transactions and 58% of the value deposited, while incoming remittances from abroad made up 3% of deposit transactions but 10% of their value. Once inside, it largely moves between wallets – wallet-to-wallet transfers accounted for 54% of all transactions and 67% of total value, with mobile and internet top-ups a distant second at 25% of volume. In effect, the wallet is serving as a transfer layer: the place money passes through between the bank account and the banknote.

That layer also runs predominantly through one operator. Vodafone Cash held 53% of registered wallets and 57% of active ones, but handled 69% of transactions and 77% of their value. Its nearest rival, e& money, held 23% of registered wallets but 14% of transaction value; Orange Cash 20% and 8%; WE Pay 4% of wallets. How many of the 57.01 million are active is not stated.

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

Adoption is rather uneven in other respects. Men held 38 million wallets, or 67% of the total, against 19 million held by women. Users aged 26 to 45 accounted for half of all wallets, and Cairo alone had 10.6 million, or 19% of the national total, with Giza next at 6.5 million.

The NTRA says it is continuing to work with telecom operators on the regulatory framework for wallet services, part of a wider effort to expand electronic payments and financial inclusion. Its own figures show that effort succeeding on the way in. On the way out, three-quarters of the value still leaves as cash.