Tech News
Cisco 2024 Trends: Hybrid Work Model is Here to Stay
- Cisco unveils the transformative collaboration trends poised to impact hybrid work environments.
- As hybrid work becomes standard practice, Cisco emphasizes the critical importance of cybersecurity, revealing further insights from the Cisco 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index
Cisco recently announced key insights into the future of hybrid collaboration and workplace trends. As businesses continue to navigate the shift towards hybrid work environments, Cisco’s latest predictions highlight the transformative impact of AI-driven collaboration technologies and the evolving challenges of cybersecurity.
As the global workforce continues its transition towards a more permanent hybrid model, organizational leaders are strategically balancing investments in physical office setups while empowering employees with flexible work arrangements, ultimately enhancing the productivity of today’s hybrid workforce. According to Cisco’s own Hybrid Work Study 2024, a significant 83% of organizations acknowledge that collaboration-driven enhancements effectively attract and retain top talent.
Reflecting on its innovations in the past year and the solutions prepping to unveil this year, Cisco emphasizes the enduring significance of the hybrid collaboration trends that promote inclusivity, innovation, and flexibility.
AI-Powered Collaboration Experiences
The adoption of AI in collaboration is set to revolutionize how we work and collaborate. Today, Cisco’s advanced AI audio and video intelligence technologies enable devices to intelligently follow presenters, listen for audio cues, switch between cameras, and optimize meeting views in real-time, creating an immersive virtual experience.
Looking ahead, technologies will continue to get even closer to fundamentally eliminating distance in any room type. As organizations map priorities for the year, it is critical to invest in technology that supports the integration of rapidly evolving AI capabilities, ensuring long-term value and fostering inclusivity and equity in collaborative environments.
Equitable and Inclusive Meetings
Meetings where everyone is physically present are no longer the norm, making it critical to provide equitable and inclusive meeting experiences. This fundamental shift in office dynamics has led to a substantial increase in virtual meetings among in-office workers, highlighting a 50% rise in participation compared to other work modes before offices reopened.
Despite this shift, only a limited number of conference rooms today are equipped with video conferencing technology, with basic camera and audio solutions falling short in achieving truly inclusive meeting experiences that capture the essence of in-person interactions.
To address these challenges, organizations will need to adopt advanced solutions that transcend physical barriers and emulate the richness of face-to-face collaboration, enabling all meeting participants to feel connected and engaged regardless of their location.
Workspace Transformation
With the ability to work from anywhere, motivating employees to return to corporate offices presents a unique challenge. Organizations are embarking on a journey to reimagine and revitalize workspaces, surpassing the comforts of home to generate excitement and collaboration.
These redesigned spaces prioritize organic interactions, essential for office environments where creativity and teamwork thrive on spontaneous, serendipitous encounters. Designated brainstorming areas and cutting-edge technology will further support co-creation and whiteboarding for both in-person and hybrid participants.
Cybersecurity in Hybrid Work Environments
With organizations navigating the shift towards hybrid work models, cybersecurity must remain top of mind. Recent insights from the Cisco 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index reveals that 86% of employees in UAE companies connect to work platforms from unmanaged devices. The study further indicates that 86% of UAE companies acknowledge that logging in remotely as part of hybrid arrangements has increased the risk of cybersecurity incidents in their organizations to some extent.
Cisco emphasizes the critical importance of integrating AI-driven cybersecurity measures into collaboration technologies to ensure the security and efficiency of hybrid work environments. By leveraging advanced technologies, Cisco enables organizations to navigate the complexities of hybrid work securely.
Cisco’s Approach
Ahmad Zureiki, Director of Collaboration Business, Cisco Middle East and Africa commented: “The demand for hybrid work collaboration solutions for businesses in the region continues to grow. Organizations are recognizing the value of adaptable workspaces and technologies that empower employees to work seamlessly, whether in the office or remotely. Cisco is committed to driving innovation in collaboration through advanced technologies and solutions in AI, ensuring that the future of work is inclusive, secure, and efficient.”
Cisco’s collaboration solutions have leveraged AI for years as a powerful tool to facilitate seamless hybrid interactions. It is no doubt that hybrid work models are here to stay. By offering employees flexibility and choice, this model will continue to not only benefit individuals but also organizations by fostering talent recruitment and retention without geographical constraints.
Tech News
IT services spend in MENA set to reach up to 28% of total IT budgets as services-led transformation accelerates
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is entering a decisive, services-led growth phase in its IT sector, as enterprises and governments accelerate large-scale digital transformation initiatives. Investments in cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, and cybersecurity are reshaping technology priorities, with implementation, integration, and managed services gaining prominence over traditional software-led models.
Industry analysis by Grand View Research (GVR) reveals that IT services currently account for around 21–22% of total IT spending across MENA, a share expected to rise to between 26 and 28% by the end of the decade. The region’s professional IT services market, valued at USD 33.9 billion (Dh124.5 billion) in 2024, is forecast to grow to nearly USD 58.3 billion (Dh214 billion) by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.5%.
Sourav Bhanja, Middle East Head of GVR, said: “Many B2B IT services firms in the region continue to underinvest in digital engagement. Professional platforms such as LinkedIn remain underutilised, while company websites often lack strong case studies, sector-specific storytelling, and clear positioning.”
Government-led digitalisation programmes, sovereign cloud deployments, smart city initiatives, and national data strategies, coupled with rising enterprise adoption across sectors such as banking and financial services, healthcare, energy, logistics, and public infrastructure, are driving this shift. As hyperscalers and global technology firms expand their regional footprint, demand for localised integration, migration, and managed services continues to accelerate.
Bhanja also emphasised the importance of leadership visibility in the region’s competitive IT market: “Technical capability alone is no longer enough. Firms that combine deep technical expertise with consistent marketing, strong leadership visibility, and clear communication of value are the ones most likely to succeed in the MENA market.”
The analysis highlights that with growing competition among IT services providers, market visibility and differentiation have emerged as critical growth drivers. Integrated, always-on digital marketing strategies are increasingly vital, as many B2B IT services firms underutilise channels such as LinkedIn, websites, thought leadership content, newsletters, blogs, infographics, and short-form video to engage decision-makers.
Market data also indicates a broader shift towards digital-first engagement. Digital advertising spend in the Middle East, estimated at USD 32 billion (Dh117 billion) in 2024, is projected to rise sharply to USD 81.4 billion (Dh298.9 billion) by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.7%. In contrast, the regional events and conferences market is expected to expand at a more modest 7.1% CAGR, reflecting changing enterprise marketing priorities.
Grand View Research concluded that IT services firms combining technical depth with strong market communication, data-driven marketing, and visible leadership will be best positioned to capture the next phase of growth across MENA.
Tech News
Loylogic Shares 2026 Vision to Advance the Global Rewards Marketplace
Advanced AI innovation, intelligent marketplace design, and trusted global infrastructure position Loylogic for continued leadership in rewards and loyalty commerce.

As the Middle East loyalty market is projected to reach $3.27 billion in 2025, expanding 16.3% year-on-year, and digital-first, personalized, and coalition-based models reshape the industry, brands face rising expectations around relevance and engagement. Against this evolving landscape, Loylogic, a leader in global loyalty rewards management, today shared its 2026 strategic outlook, outlining how the company is evolving its global rewards marketplace to support brands navigating rapidly changing loyalty expectations.
The company enters the year with a renewed focus on continued investment in AI-powered rewards marketplace intelligence, enhanced catalogue curation, and deeper integration capabilities designed to improve reward relevance, partner value, and member experience across industries and geographies. Rather than simply expanding choice, Loylogic’s approach centres on intelligent rewards marketplace design, aligning consumer relevance, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation within a single global platform.
To support enterprise scale deployment, Loylogic continues to operate under a robust compliance and security, compliance and governance framework. The company adheres to internationally recognised standards ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, and AES-256 encryption, ensuring secure and trusted data handling across every layer of its technology while maintaining alignment with the European Accessibility Act 2025 and WCAG 2.0. All platforms remain adaptable to regional data residency and regulatory requirements.
“As loyalty programs mature, brands are looking beyond scale alone,” said Gabi Kool, CEO of Loylogic. “They want reward ecosystems that are smarter, more relevant, and commercially sound. Our focus for 2026 is about advancing how global rewards marketplaces are designed, governed, and experienced, combining intelligence, trust, and flexibility.”
Advanced AI innovation is central to Loylogic’s next phase of growth. Loylogic continues to enhance its use of advanced analytics and machine learning to support smarter reward discovery, improved marketplace performance, and deeper insights for loyalty operators, while maintaining strict standards for privacy, security, and compliance.
“Our innovation efforts are focused on making rewards marketplaces more intelligent and adaptive,” said Amit Bendre, COO of Loylogic. “This means better insight, better decision support, and better experiences, without compromising on trust, transparency, or regulatory rigor.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Loylogic plans to deepen collaboration with global partners, engage more actively with industry stakeholders, and selectively strengthen capabilities across commercial, product, and technology functions, supporting a growing pipeline of enterprise clients across financial services, travel, and consumer sectors. With a proven global infrastructure, deep marketplace expertise, and a clear strategic direction, Loylogic continues to help leading brands transform everyday engagement into meaningful, long-term loyalty.
About Loylogic
Loylogic is a leader in global rewards marketplaces for loyalty and incentives management, enabling brands to deliver scalable, flexible engagement experiences through a modern commerce platform. Its global catalog and redemption marketplace support meaningful engagement across B2C, B2E, and B2B programs worldwide. With deep expertise in sourcing, fulfilment, and patented points-plus-cash innovation, Loylogic has enabled over 200 billion points and miles transactions, delivered more than $1 billion in commerce, and shipped experiences spanning 100+ categories across 190 countries to more than 10 million loyalty members worldwide.
Tech News
Webook.com Strengthens UAE Footprint, Bringing World-Class Entertainment Experiences
Webook.com, one of the fastest-growing platforms for booking lifestyle and entertainment experiences in the Middle East, is deepening its footprint in the United Arab Emirates following strong traction across the country.
Founded with a vision to transform how people discover and book experiences, webook.com continues to elevate convenience through a unified platform that brings together entertainment, dining, and leisure in a seamless digital journey.
Within the UAE, webook.com has rapidly expanded its user base while curating a lineup of world-class experiences. From comedy nights with Bassem Youssef to electrifying Teddy Swims concerts and the magic of Disney on Ice, webook.com continues to bring some of the region’s most unforgettable events to audiences across the UAE. Beyond these major hosted events, users can also book global entertainment experiences, including MDLBEAST, Riyadh Season, AFCON and other leading events happening across MENA.
Commenting on the expansion, Nadeem Bakhsh, CEO of webook.com, said: “Webook.com was built to curate the experiences that matter most, from front-row access to world-class entertainment to discovering hidden local gems. Expanding our footprint to the UAE allows us to bring a carefully selected lineup of events and experiences to the region. Our goal is to continue providing variety, quality, and seamless access to unforgettable moments.”
As the platform widens its presence across the UAE, it continues to strengthen partnerships with top entertainment brands, cultural institutions, and iconic venues, enabling users to access an unmatched selection of events and experiences.
Webook.com’s technology has proven itself across multiple markets, handling millions of transactions during major events, tournaments, and high-demand ticket releases. With real-time queueing, robust infrastructure, and flexible integration, webook.com delivers landmark events with unmatched reliability and scale.
With momentum accelerating in the UAE, webook.com aims to transform how people discover, plan, and enjoy experiences, turning every booking into the start of a memorable story. Beyond expanding its presence, webook.com is shaping a movement centered on connection, culture, and the joy of shared moments.
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