News

Yango Group Unveils Yasmina AI-Enhanced Smart Speakers For UAE

The Mini and Midi-sized models feature a bilingual AI assistant with personalized interactions and smart home integration.

Published

2 years ago

August 26, 2024

Nour Nasir

Yango

Yango Group has just introduced two new AI-enhanced smart speakers in the UAE. The Yasmina Midi and Yasmina Mini come equipped with a bilingual AI assistant with conversational skills in both Khaleeji Arabic and English, making interactions feel natural and culturally relevant.

Powered by Yango Group’s proprietary large language model (LLM), Yasmina can conduct lifelike conversations and even add a touch of humor with local jokes. The speakers’ features extend beyond basic conversation and can recognize up to four different family members by their voices and tailor content according to each individual’s preferences. By remembering users’ likes and dislikes, Yasmina can suggest music and other content based on personal tastes.

In addition, Yasmina can also display information such as the time and weather, while also conveying emotions through an LED screen. The dynamic lighting adjusts to match the ambiance of the music or the nature of the interaction.

Finally, for religious users, Yasmina can also recite surahs from the Quran, play Adhans, and provide the Hijri calendar date. Both speakers also offer prayer times for any global location.

Key Features Of Yasmina Smart Speakers

The Yasmina Midi speaker is designed for spaces up to 300 square feet, featuring three speakers, including a subwoofer and two tweeters, for a powerful, expansive sound. The more compact Yasmina Mini is ideal for smaller rooms up to 200 square feet, offering clear, balanced audio.

Also Read: Tribit StormBox Pro Portable Speaker Review

Both models prioritize privacy with a mute button that disconnects the microphones, preventing Yasmina from listening or responding to voice commands when activated. The speakers also function as smart home hubs, enabling users to control their environment using voice commands. Yasmina Midi includes Zigbee and Wi-Fi capabilities, while the Yasmina Mini connects to smart home systems via Wi-Fi.

Availability & Special Offers

Yasmina Midi and Yasmina Mini can be purchased from various retailers and online platforms across the UAE, including Virgin Megastore, Jumbo Electronics, Sharaf DG, and noon.com. The Yasmina Midi is priced at AED 449, and the Yasmina Mini is AED 279.

To enhance the smart speaker experience, Yango Group is also offering a 90-day free trial of Yango Play. With an active subscription, Yasmina can recommend and play content tailored to each family member’s preferences, making the listening experience more personalized.

Related Topics:Artificial Intelligence Yango Yasmina

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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.

Published

4 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

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.

my syria super app launch event

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.