Middle East & North Africa

Egypt

Features 21 June 2021

The Facebook page searching for Egypt’s missing children

Its members claim to have tracked down over 2,800 people, solving cases that no one else has been able to.

By Bahira Amin

Iraq

Reports 17 June 2021

Three Iraqi women explain how and why they stay anonymous online

The internet affords some Iraqi women unprecedented freedom, but for many, it’s hard to shake the patriarchal norms of their IRL lives.

By Sofia Barbarani

Israel

3 Minutes With 8 June 2021

3 minutes with: Zohar Gendler, NGT3

Managing partner/CEO NGT3, Nazareth, Israel 🇮🇱

By Yinka Adegoke

State of Palestine

Politics 27 May 2021

3 Palestinians reflect on 11 days of conflict, refracted through the internet

They say social media played a vital — and often frustrating — role during recent violence in the region.

By Vittoria Elliott

United Arab Emirates

Labor 27 May 2021

Dubai is a paradise for “digital nomads”— and hell for low-wage gig workers

The UAE has eased visa requirements for white-collar freelancers, but migrant gig workers struggle.

By Meaghan Tobin and Roohan Ahmed

Morocco

Features 26 May 2021

The high-tech ‘makeover’ of Europe’s deadly border with Africa

A tech overhaul is meant to make the border more “humane.” The reality is anything but.

By Sam Edwards

United Arab Emirates

3 Minutes With 22 May 2021

3 minutes with Tariq Bin Hendi

Director General, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, UAE 🇦🇪

By Yinka Adegoke

State of Palestine

Access & Connectivity 18 May 2021

Venmo is halting some payments referring to Palestine

A number of Venmo users say the payment app is stalling transactions for “Emergency Palestinian Relief Fund.”

By Louise Matsakis

BrazilIndiaTurkeyVietnam

Politics 14 May 2021

New laws requiring social media platforms to hire local staff could endanger employees

Governments around the world are considering legislation designed to provide greater control over social media.

By Vittoria Elliott

BahrainIndiaIranMyanmarRussiaSudanUganda

Lists 3 May 2021

Four ways governments disrupt internet access

There’s more than one way to break the internet.

By Vittoria Elliott

Saudi Arabia

Money 19 April 2021

In MBS’s Saudi Arabia, tech, not oil, is the hot new thing

As Riyadh vies to be a tech hub, young Saudis find new cachet in the startup scene.

By Mehr Nadeem

BangladeshIranKyrgyzstanMexicoPhilippinesSaudi ArabiaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaThailand

Year of the pandemic 16 March 2021

Step into my (home) office

From a florist in Tehran to a chef in Bangkok, meet nine workers who turned their homes into makeshift offices during the pandemic.

By Anna Rasshivkina, Cengiz Yar and Devi Lockwood

Israel

Features 9 March 2021

Inside Israel’s lucrative — and secretive —cybersurveillance industry

The country’s hacking software is recognized the world over. Not everyone thinks it’s a good thing.

By Amos Barshad

United Arab Emirates

E-commerce 3 March 2021

For delivery apps in the UAE, it’s a race to the bottom

Careem and Noon are fighting for control of the market, but restaurants say they’re getting the squeeze.

By Meaghan Tobin

Saudi Arabia

Ideas 25 February 2021

On Clubhouse, Saudis are speaking freely. For now.

Saudi users are talking about everything from feminism to politics on the audio-only platform. How long before authorities notice?

By Mehr Nadeem

Syria

Access & Connectivity 21 February 2021

Funding the needy, or funding terror?

Social media platforms are struggling to figure out how to deal with fundraising campaigns that flirt with the boundaries of what’s legal.

By John Beck

Kuwait

Creators & Communities 11 February 2021

Social media influencers in the Gulf are breaking their silence

Normally averse to controversy, influencers in the region are using their platform to address harassment.

By Meaghan Tobin

Iran

Access & Connectivity 3 February 2021

What Iran’s Signal ban means for its social media future

Internet censorship is a hot-button issue ahead of this year’s presidential elections.

By Mehr Nadeem

United Arab Emirates

Innovation 3 February 2021

The UAE sees its future on Mars

A young team of Emirati scientists is behind an ambitious bid to reach the red planet.

By Elia El Habre

Turkey

Features 2 February 2021

The cleric has uploaded a new video

Turkish clerics on YouTube attract millions of viewers — but perhaps no one is watching them as closely as the Erdoğan government.

By Kaya Genç

Iran

Tech 101 3 December 2020

Snapp: Your guide to Iran’s indefatigable version of Uber

Despite brutal U.S. sanctions and being banned by Apple and Google, Snapp continues to survive and captures 85% of the Iranian taxi market.

By Mehr Nadeem

Iran

Creators & Communities 9 November 2020

Selfies and Sharia police

After countrywide protests and pandemic lockdowns, Iranian Instagram has taken a decidedly political turn. The authorities are taking note.

By Mehr Nadeem

Saudi Arabia

Features 19 October 2020

Travel influencers, meet authoritarian regimes

The influencer industry has grown to be cozy with some unsavory governments, but its clout might not be as effective as it once was.

By Krithika Varagur

Iran

Access & Connectivity 24 September 2020

How the Iranian diaspora is using old-school tech to fight internet shutdown at home

With the threat of another big internet blackout looming, companies are creating workarounds for Iranians using satellite dishes.

By Mehr Nadeem

State of Palestine

Creators & Communities 21 September 2020

Designed in Minecraft, built IRL

In Gaza, citizens are imagining what public spaces could be, and then actually building them.

By Lauren Kelly

Lebanon

Access & Connectivity 27 August 2020

WhatsApp school is now in session

After the catastrophic blast in Beirut this month, more than 55,000 students were left without classrooms. For them and many others, Lebanon’s “WhatsApp schools” are the only solution.

By Elia El Habre

Turkey

Features 11 August 2020

Delivery wars

Local shops in Turkey have been transporting groceries for centuries. Getir promises to bring them to your doorstep in 13 minutes or less.

By Kaya Genç

Egypt

Creators & Communities 6 August 2020

(Not so) free encyclopedia

After a gay Egyptian activist committed suicide, her profile was published in 18 languages. But Arabic Wikipedia deleted it.

By Majd Al Waheidi

EgyptSaudi Arabia

Features 28 July 2020

E-rranged marriages

For young Muslims, a new slate of dating apps have become a merger of love and tradition.

By Yasmin Hai

EgyptSaudi Arabia

Features 28 July 2020

“تطبيقات المواعدة الإسلامية”: إعادة تخطيط للزواج دون الخروج على التقاليد؟

بعدما كانت تطبيقات التعارف قديماً تُنتَقد بشدة بذريعة تشجيعها على المجون وتهديدها البناء الأسري في المجتمع، باتت تطبيقات التعارف الإسلامية اليوم في مكانة جيدة ومثيرة، تقودها شركات ربحية تحاول التخلص من التقاليد القديمة في الخطبة والزواج

By Yasmin Hai

United Arab Emirates

E-commerce 7 July 2020

(Online) open house

With everyone in the UAE stuck at home, real estate companies have turned to virtual reality to help people buy new ones.

By Rahel Aima

Sertaç Taşdelen, a Turkish entrepreneur and creator of the fortune telling app Faladdin, removes a poster that was hiding graffiti created by his team advertising his app in Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey

Features 26 May 2020

Can a former model predict your future? A million Turkish users say yes

Meet the flamboyant founder behind the app that’s disrupting the centuries-old tradition of coffee fortune-telling.

By Kaya Genç

Iraq

Been There, Built That 12 May 2020

Randi Rahbar: “What do I do with a credit card in a country like Iraq?”

The founder of ShopYoBrand on connecting Iraqis with the world through her e-commerce platform

As told to Majd Al Waheidi

State of Palestine

Access & Connectivity April 2020

Here’s what it takes to order KFC in Gaza

Despite the high cost of delivery and the food arriving cold and a day late, Palestinians still think it's worth it.

By Majd Al Waheidi

Qatar

Innovation March 2020

How a robotics engineer accidentally upended child labor practices in the Gulf

Human rights was the last thing on Esan Maruff's mind when his team assembled to build a camel-racing robot.

By Andrew Deck

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Middle East & North Africa

The Facebook page searching for Egypt’s missing children

Three Iraqi women explain how and why they stay anonymous online

3 minutes with: Zohar Gendler, NGT3

3 Palestinians reflect on 11 days of conflict, refracted through the internet

Dubai is a paradise for “digital nomads”— and hell for low-wage gig workers

The high-tech ‘makeover’ of Europe’s deadly border with Africa

3 minutes with Tariq Bin Hendi

Venmo is halting some payments referring to Palestine

New laws requiring social media platforms to hire local staff could endanger employees

Four ways governments disrupt internet access

In MBS’s Saudi Arabia, tech, not oil, is the hot new thing

Step into my (home) office

Inside Israel’s lucrative — and secretive —cybersurveillance industry

For delivery apps in the UAE, it’s a race to the bottom

On Clubhouse, Saudis are speaking freely. For now.

Funding the needy, or funding terror?

Social media influencers in the Gulf are breaking their silence

What Iran’s Signal ban means for its social media future

The UAE sees its future on Mars

The cleric has uploaded a new video

Snapp: Your guide to Iran’s indefatigable version of Uber

Selfies and Sharia police

Travel influencers, meet authoritarian regimes

How the Iranian diaspora is using old-school tech to fight internet shutdown at home

Designed in Minecraft, built IRL

WhatsApp school is now in session

Delivery wars

(Not so) free encyclopedia

E-rranged marriages

“تطبيقات المواعدة الإسلامية”: إعادة تخطيط للزواج دون الخروج على التقاليد؟

(Online) open house

Can a former model predict your future? A million Turkish users say yes

Randi Rahbar: “What do I do with a credit card in a country like Iraq?”

Here’s what it takes to order KFC in Gaza

How a robotics engineer accidentally upended child labor practices in the Gulf