News
Zoho Expands Qatar Operations & Releases New Survey Data
The productivity platform has seen strong regional growth and increased demand for its cloud-based solutions.
Productivity and collaboration platform Zoho has announced the opening of its first office in Doha, Qatar, following significant regional growth. The company experienced a 29% increase in revenue while expanding its partner network by 50% in 2023.
Zoho’s remarkable growth in Qatar underscores the rising demand for its cloud-based business applications. The firm’s new office and strategic expansion should enable it to offer more tailored services while strengthening customer relationships.
Hyther Nizam, President of Zoho for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) stated: “We are excited about our continued success in Qatar […] The dynamic business landscape and progressive approach to digital transformation provide an ideal environment for our expansion. We are committed to supporting the country’s journey towards digitalization by offering cutting-edge solutions that cater to the evolving needs of businesses and contribute to national economic growth”.
Productivity & Collaboration Trends In Qatar
The announcement of a new local office was accompanied by news of a Zoho productivity and collaboration survey that revealed important insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses in Qatar, as well as local productivity and collaboration trends.

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Here are some of the key findings:
- Despite the shift towards hybrid and remote work post-pandemic, 60% of Qatari businesses have fully returned to on-site work, while 32% have adopted a hybrid model. Only 8% of respondents work fully remotely.
- The use of digital tools was widespread, with 51% of respondents using 1-5 apps daily, 31% using 5-10, and 18% using more than 10 apps.
- Unified task tracking was shown to save time, with 76% of those using it reporting savings of up to three hours. However, 77% of those manually tracking tasks or not tracking at all also noted potential time savings with a unified system.
- Access to information remains a challenge, with 25% of respondents reporting limited or no access, and 24% needing occasional help finding information.
- The survey highlighted a lag in technology adoption, with 72% of companies reporting no significant changes in the last two years, despite the competitive advantages of AI and automated workflows.
- Remote workers were more likely to adopt new technology and use a broader range of apps, but they struggled with data access. In contrast, hybrid and on-site workers expressed a greater need for improved collaboration tools and communication.
News
Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
Google brings its latest image model to Gemini and Search, adding 4K output and tighter text control for regional users.
Google has opened access to Nano Banana 2 across the Middle East and North Africa, pushing its newest image model into everyday tools rather than keeping it inside the exclusive (and expensive) Pro tier.
The rollout spans the Google Gemini desktop and mobile apps, and extends to Google Search through Lens and AI Mode. Developers can also test it in preview via AI Studio and the Gemini API.
Nano Banana 2 runs on Gemini Flash, Google’s fast inference layer. The focus is speed, but also control. Users can export visuals from 512px up to 4K, adjusting aspect ratios for everything from vertical social posts to widescreen displays.
The model maintains character likeness across up to five figures and preserves fidelity for as many as 14 objects within a single workflow. This enables visual continuity across scenes, iterations, or edits — supporting projects like short films, storyboards, and multi-scene narratives. Text rendering has also been improved, delivering legible typography in mockups and greeting cards, with built-in translation and localization directly within images.
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Under the hood, the system taps Gemini’s broader knowledge base and pulls in real-time information and imagery from web search to render specific subjects more accurately. Lighting and fine detail have been upgraded, without slowing output.
By embedding the model inside Gemini and Search, Google is normalizing advanced image generation for a mass audience. In MENA, where startups and marketing teams are leaning heavily on AI to scale content across languages and borders, that shift lands at a practical moment.
The move also folds creative tooling deeper into search itself, so that image generation is no longer a separate workflow. It now sits right next to the query box.
