News
Starlink Internet Has Officially Launched In Bahrain
Elon Musk’s satellite-powered service is now live in the Kingdom of Bahrain for homes, offices, and mobile use on land or at sea.
Bahrain has officially joined the growing network of countries powered by Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture under SpaceX. With the launch, the Kingdom of Bahrain becomes the latest Gulf nation to unlock high-speed, low-latency internet access delivered directly from space.
The service, which uses a mesh network of over 7,100 low-Earth orbit satellites, provides broadband connectivity without relying on traditional ground-based infrastructure. The satellites orbit much closer to Earth than conventional ones — between 200 and 2,000 kilometers — allowing for faster speeds, reduced lag, and broader coverage, especially in remote or mobile environments.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) issued Starlink its operating license back in 2022, paving the way for today’s launch. Following successful rollouts in Oman, Jordan, Qatar and Yemen, Bahrain’s integration further accelerates the region’s adoption of next-generation internet. Kuwait is next in line, with a rollout expected in 2025, while the UAE is pending due to regulatory clearance.
Starlink’s offering is especially relevant for sectors that need always-on connectivity — such as maritime, aviation, logistics, and remote industries. Unlike fiber-optic networks that require significant infrastructure, Starlink provides a reliable alternative that performs well whether a user is offshore, in a remote location, or on the move.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia’s $5B AI Zone To Spark Tech Jobs & Global Innovation
The launch also aligns closely with Bahrain’s Vision 2030, which emphasizes technological advancement and infrastructure development as key pillars of national growth. Starlink’s arrival could bridge digital divides across the Kingdom, boosting opportunities for remote work, education, smart logistics, and emergency services.
Saudi Arabia is also reportedly preparing for Starlink’s phased rollout, with initial focus on aviation and maritime use cases, indicating a region-wide trend toward satellite-enabled digital transformation.
Whether you’re running a business in central Manama or operating far from mobile cell towers, Starlink offers a compelling, always-connected solution that rivals and often exceeds mainstream terrestrial speeds.
News
NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders
A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.
It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.
The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.
For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.
“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.
Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country
NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.
The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.
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