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Snapchat Rolls Out Sponsored AI Lenses In UAE And KSA
The new ad format lets users transform themselves with creative, AI-powered effects that brands can seamlessly integrate into.
Snapchat has introduced Sponsored AI Lenses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, offering brands a new way to engage with Snapchatters through immersive, AI-driven experiences. Powered by Snap’s proprietary Generative AI technology, the ad format allows users to creatively transform their appearances and surroundings, enhancing brand storytelling with visually striking, shareable effects.
The launch of Sponsored AI Lenses brings an exciting new layer of creativity to Snapchat’s Camera. The Lenses allow users to experiment with everything from nostalgic looks to futuristic styles, turning everyday moments into opportunities for self-expression. Brands can now integrate seamlessly into these experiences, capturing attention while offering Snapchatters a fun, personal, and interactive way to engage with their brand.
The possibilities for Sponsored AI Lenses are practically limitless: For instance, Coldplay, after their historic concert series in the UAE, used the new ad format to promote their “Moon Music” campaign. Fans were invited into a celestial experience through an AI-generated lens that not only captivated users but also encouraged widespread sharing, creating a closer connection with the band’s audience.
In the GCC region, where Snapchat users open the app a staggering 45 times a day, Sponsored AI Lenses offer brands a compelling opportunity to boost engagement. By tapping into this high-frequency interaction, brands can improve visibility and foster greater loyalty through dynamic, interactive content. In addition, Snap’s AI-powered technology reduces the complexity of ad creation, eliminating the need for intricate 3D models or VFX. The streamlined process allows for the creation of high-quality, AI-generated content in as little as three days.
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Accessible via the Lens Carousel, where over 300 million users engage with augmented reality (AR) daily, Sponsored AI Lenses help brands reach a broad audience with impressive scale. The format is designed to create an impact across the entire sales funnel — boosting brand awareness, increasing interaction, and encouraging shares — all from a single, seamless placement.
As Snapchat continues to experiment with Augmented Reality and AI, features like Sponsored AI Lenses give brands the opportunity to integrate more deeply into the creative, cultural moments that make Snapchat such a dynamic platform.
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.
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.
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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.
Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power
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