News
STARZPLAY Partners With Seekr To Enhance AI Streaming
Seekr’s AI technology will enhance content discovery on STARZPLAY, with mood-based search, AI-driven recommendations, and more.
Streaming on STARZPLAY has just received a major upgrade. The popular subscription video-on-demand service has teamed up with Seekr, an AI-as-a-Service provider, to introduce a more intuitive and personalized content discovery experience. Starting March 2025, STARZPLAY viewers will spend less time browsing and more time watching, thanks to an AI-powered search tool designed to match content with their moods.
Seekr’s advanced GenAI technology, integrated with its SeekrFlow Enterprise AI platform, will introduce a sentiment-based search feature that allows users to find content simply by typing keywords that reflect how they’re feeling.
“STARZPLAY is dedicated to enhancing the entertainment experience for our users. This collaboration with Seekr empowers you to take charge of your entertainment journey like never before,” said Maaz Sheikh, CEO of STARZPLAY, adding: “The introduction of sentiment search and improved profiling is merely the beginning of our efforts to utilize AI in transforming how individuals discover and enjoy content”.
Beyond sentiment-based search, STARZPLAY is rolling out deep-learning search capabilities, AI-powered chatbots, and metadata extraction — technologies that will refine user profiles and offer highly personalized recommendations. Viewers can also expect real-time subtitles, content highlights, and smarter search functions that align with their unique interests.
Also Read: Best Video Streaming Services In The Middle East
By leveraging Seekr’s machine learning expertise, STARZPLAY aims to revolutionize how content is delivered, discovered, and consumed. The end goal? A more engaging and seamless viewing experience that keeps users connected to the content they love.
“We are excited to partner with STARZPLAY to introduce AI-driven technology and services to viewers. Together, we aim to realize a shared vision of creating user experiences that are more relatable, seamless, and superior than ever before. We look forward to witnessing how STARZPLAY users adopt these innovative methods of discovering content with enhanced relevance and precision,” remarked Rob Clark, President of Seekr.
As part of STARZPLAY’s 2025 growth strategy, the integration of AI solutions will further cement its position as a leader in the streaming industry, while at the same time solidifying Seekr’s position as the platform’s exclusive SaaS partner in the GCC region.
News
Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments
Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.
For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.
Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.
Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.
Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI
The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.
For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.
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