It has been two years since the debut of the original HUAWEI FreeClip, Huawei’s first-ever open earbuds that took the market by storm. Its massive popularity proved that the world was ready for a new kind of listening experience. The new HUAWEI FreeClip 2 tackles the hard challenges of open-ear acoustics physics head-on, combining a powerful dual-diaphragm driver with computational audio. It delivers depth and clarity, which was once thought impossible with an open-ear design.

Solving the acoustic limitations of open-ear audio alone would have been sufficient to make the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 our pick for best open-ear audio. But it is way more than that.

Comfortable C-Bridge design

The HUAWEI FreeClip 2 earbuds weigh only 5.1 g per bud, a 9% reduction from the previous generation. This lightweight architecture ensures an effortless experience, perfect for long calls, workouts, and commutes, allowing you to wear them all day without fatigue. The comfort bean is 11% smaller than the previous model, yet the design provides a secure fit that prevents the earbuds from falling out, even during intense activity.

Constructed from a new skin-friendly liquid silicone and a shape-memory alloy, the C-bridge is 25% softer and significantly more flexible than its predecessor. Finished with a fine, textured surface, it ensures a comfortable, irritation-free wearing even after extended use.

Adaptive open-ear listening

The acoustic system has been significantly upgraded, featuring a dual-diaphragm driver and a multi-mic call noise cancellation system. This setup not only delivers powerful sound but also maximises space efficiency. That’s why, despite their small size, these earbuds can deliver substantial acoustic performance.

The Open-fit design of the earbuds demands high computing power to maintain sound quality and call clarity. The HUAWEI FreeClip 2 offers ten times the processing power of the previous generation, serving as Huawei’s first earbuds to feature an NPU AI processor for a truly adaptive experience. The new dual-diaphragm driver includes a single dynamic driver with two diaphragms, effectively doubling the sound output within a compact space to provide a significant boost in volume and bass response.

Furthermore, the earbuds dynamically detect surrounding noise and adjust volume and voice levels in real-time. If the environment is too noisy, the system uses adaptive voice enhancement to specifically boost human frequencies, ensuring you never miss a word of a podcast or audiobook. When you return to a quiet environment, the earbuds automatically settle back to a comfortable volume level.

Crystal clear calls

To ensure call quality in chaotic environments, the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 utilises a three-mic system combined with multi-channel DNN (Deep Neural Network) noise cancellation algorithms. This system intelligently identifies and filters out ambient noise. Thanks to the NPU AI processor, the earbuds automatically enhance voice clarity, ensuring your conversations remain crisp regardless of your surroundings.

Battery life and charging

With the charging case, the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 offers a total battery life of 38 hours, allowing users to enjoy music throughout a full week of commuting on a single charge. On their own, the earbuds last for 9 hours—enough for a full workday of uninterrupted calls. For those in a rush, just 10 minutes of fast charging in the case provides up to 3 hours of playback. For added convenience, they support wireless charging and are compatible with watch chargers.

Rated IP57, the earbuds are resistant to sweat and water. They can easily withstand intense workouts or even a downpour.

Connectivity

The earbuds support dual connections and seamless auto-switching across iOS, Android, and Windows. When connected to EMUI devices, you can even switch audio between more than two devices. Additionally, when connected to a PC, the earbuds allow you to answer an incoming call without disconnecting from or interrupting your conference setup.

It is, quite simply, a pair of earphones reliable enough for the gym, the office, and the commute.

In the vibrant heart of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are orchestrating a digital revolution that extends far beyond the realm of gaming – it’s an unfolding narrative that captivates enthusiasts and resonates with governments, heralding an era of unparalleled cultural and economic transformation.

According to the revelatory Game Changer report by the Boston Consulting Group, an astonishing 60% of the Middle East’s population proudly identifies as gaming enthusiasts, effortlessly surpassing the global average of 40%. This statistic isn’t just a numerical anomaly; it’s a testament to a cultural renaissance that is reshaping the narrative of the region.

Saudi Arabia’s Mobile Gaming Odyssey

Leading this transformative charge is Saudi Arabia, contributing a formidable 45% to the region’s gaming sector, boasting a valuation of a staggering $1.8 billion. The kingdom has pivoted decisively towards mobile gaming, which now constitutes an imposing 65% of market revenue. In a strategic symphony, Saudi Arabia unfurls its National Gaming and Esports Strategy, envisaging the development of 30 games and the creation of a colossal 40,000 jobs by 2030.

The Saudi Esports Federation, a linchpin in this narrative, infuses vitality with a generous funding injection of $488 million. This commitment goes beyond mere investment; it signifies the cultivation of an ecosystem for innovation and employment on an unprecedented scale. The appointment of Prince Faisal bin Bandar, the federation’s president, as the vice president of the Global Esports Federation adds a royal stamp to this gaming renaissance.

UAE’s Ascent to Global Gaming Prominence

Simultaneously, the UAE crafts its own narrative on the global gaming stage. Abu Dhabi Gaming and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre’s Gaming Centre roll out enticing incentives, beckoning global gaming behemoths like Ubisoft and Tencent to establish their regional headquarters. Dubai’s ambition reverberates through the halls of power with the launch of a groundbreaking gaming program, envisioning the creation of 30,000 jobs in the next decade and aspiring to secure a spot among the top ten gaming cities globally.

Dubai’s Programme for Gaming isn’t just a blueprint; it’s a manifesto for economic transformation, seeking to bolster the industry’s GDP contribution by nearly $1 billion by 2023. The stakes are high, the ambition boundless, as the UAE positions itself not just as a regional hub but as a global force in the gaming industry.

Hub of Innovation

At the heart of this transformation are players like Gamers Hub Middle East, Power League Gaming, Calyx, and Game Centric. Their efforts go beyond building platforms and are shaping how gaming is created, experienced, and scaled across the region.

As the Middle East embraces gaming and gamification, it’s not just about creating an industry; it’s about sculpting an identity, a future where gaming is the pulse of innovation, a driving force propelling economies and cultures into uncharted territories.

The Middle East isn’t merely a market; it’s an arena where the convergence of technology, culture, and ambition is scripting a saga that resonates far beyond the gaming realm, heralding a bold leap into the future.

---

You can review and add more names.

By Subrato Basu, Global Managing Partner, The Executive Board with Srijith KN Senior Editor, Integrator Media. 

On 28 January 2026, Integrator Media hosted the 18th edition of the ICT Champion Awards at the Shangri–La Dubai Hotel, bringing together the region’s ICT ecosystem for an evening designed to celebrate milestones, recognise innovation, acknowledge ecosystem leaders, and foster community.  

The programme—aligned with INTERSEC 2026—spotlighted organisations making measurable impact across enterprise solutions, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and public-sector technology.  

By 7pm, the Shangri-La Dubai’s Al Nojoom Ballroom had the feel of a ‘state of the union’ for regional ICT—CXOs, partners, and platform leaders in one room, with AI dominating every board agenda. This wasn’t just an awards evening; it was a moment to take stock: are we still experimenting with AI, or are we ready to operationalise it at scale? 

Across conversations at tables and in the corridors, the same theme surfaced: experimentation is easy—operational confidence is the hard part. 

Opening keynote: “Is AI ready for us in the UAE—and what next?” 

The evening’s tone was set by Mr. Maged Fahmy, Vice President, Ellucian MEA, who opened with a deliberately provocative question: Is AI ready for us in the UAE? What made the question stick wasn’t the technology—it was the implication that leadership models are now the constraint. 

His message wasn’t framed as a technology debate—it was framed as a leadership test. 

As a leader in enterprise technology for education and public-sector institutions—where trust, governance, and outcomes are non-negotiable—Fahmy’s ‘hype to habit’ message landed with particular weight. 

His argument was simple: the UAE is past AI curiosity. The next phase is habit—repeatable, governed AI embedded in day-to-day work. The real question is no longer ‘Can we do a PoC?’ but ‘Can we run this reliably, measure it, and scale it?’ 

We’re moving from Generative AI (creating content) to Agentic AI (executing work). That shift changes leadership: fewer people doing repeatable steps, more orchestration of workflows across systems—with humans focused on judgement, risk, and exceptions. 

For example, an agent can triage a service request, propose the fix, route it for approval, execute the change, and only escalate the ‘weird 3%’ to a human owner. 

Leadership reality check: are we still leading like it’s 2022? 

He also offered a leadership reality check: if your operating rhythm still assumes long cycles, manual coordination, and slow approvals, you’ll struggle in 2026. Strategy can’t be an annual exercise; it must become a live set of decisions, guardrails, and feedback loops. 

AI gives the “how”; humans must own the “why” 

His framing landed: AI increasingly gives you the how—options, sequencing, automation. But leaders must own the why—purpose, priorities, ethics, and accountability. In an agentic era, that ‘why’ is what keeps speed from becoming risk. 

He also anchored AI’s value in a more human currency: time. Yes, AI drives efficiency. But the real prize is what leaders do with the time they get back: better customer interactions, faster decision-making, more innovation, and more space for creative work that machines cannot replicate. 

Talent gaps, transformation, and “sovereign AI” 

The keynote did not gloss over constraints. Fahmy flagged the talent gap that emerges when adoption rises faster than capability—especially in AI engineering, cybersecurity, governance, and change leadership. His call was practical: the future workforce isn’t only “AI builders,” but AI challengers—people who can validate outputs, pressure-test recommendations, and govern autonomous workflows. 

He also introduced the importance of sovereign AI in the GCC context—where nations like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are thinking deeply about data residency, cultural alignment, regulatory control, and strategic autonomy. The point wasn’t simply “host it locally,” but to build AI that is trustworthy in local context: aligned to language, norms, governance expectations, and national priorities. 

In practical terms, sovereign AI means keeping sensitive data and model control within national boundaries, enforcing local governance and auditability, and ensuring outputs reflect language, culture, and regulatory expectations. 

Strategy ownership, authority, and misinformation 

In 2026, he argued, leaders must be explicit about who owns strategy when decisions are increasingly shaped by AI systems. If an agent can recommend, negotiate, or trigger actions at speed, the organisation needs clarity on authority: approval thresholds, auditability, escalation paths, and responsibility when something goes wrong. 

He also linked AI strategy directly to misinformation risk—not as a social media issue alone, but as an enterprise challenge: hallucinations, deepfakes, synthetic fraud, manipulated signals, and decision contamination. The answer, he implied, is not fear—it’s governed adoption: controls, verification, identity assurance, and clear human accountability. 

He closed with a grounded reminder that landed strongly with the awards theme: the winners in 2026 won’t be defined by the “fastest AI,” but by the clearest purpose—and by the culture they’ve built to sustain transformation. 

Panel discussion: “Seamless Intelligence” — when AI becomes invisible (and unavoidable) 

The panel discussion, moderated by Srijith KN (Senior Editor, Integrator Media), brought the theme down from keynote altitude into product and platform reality. The session, titled “Seamless Intelligence: How AI and Dataare Powering the Next Generation of Intelligent Experiences,” featured: 

• Mr. Rishi Kishor Gupta, Regional Director (Middle East & Africa), Nothing Technology 
• Ms. Bushra Nasr, Global Cybersecurity Marketing Manager, Lenovo 
• Mr. Nikhil Nair, Head of Sales (Middle East, Turkey & Africa), HTC 
• Ms. Aarti Ajay, Regional Lead Partnerships (Ecosystem Strategy & Growth), Intel Corp 

One way to read the panel: infrastructure decides what’s possible, security decides what’s safe, and experience decides what gets adopted. 

The discussion converged on one powerful idea: in the next phase, the user shouldn’t “see” the intelligence—it should dissolve into the experience. The ambition is not “AI features,” but AI-native interactions that feel natural, predictive, and frictionless across devices and contexts. 

Infrastructure: where does intelligence actually run? 

From the infrastructure angle, the panel stressed that “AI everywhere” requires deliberate choices about where compute happens—on device, at the edge, or in the cloud—and how workloads move across that spectrum. This included clear emphasis on the hardware stack (CPU/GPU/NPU) and what it takes to scale AI responsibly. 

“AI won’t scale on slogans; it scales on architecture—device, edge, and cloud—each with different cost, latency, and security trade-offs.” 

Trust: security, fear factor, and the “moving data center” 

From the trust perspective, the panel highlighted the growing “fear factor” around devices and autonomy: more sensors, more data, more models—more attack surface. A memorable analogy landed well: the modern connected vehicle increasingly behaves like a moving data center, raising the bar on governance, identity, and resilience. 

“Every new AI capability is also a new attack surface—security has to be designed in, not bolted on.” 

Human experience: AI as an experience, not a tool 

On the human side, the conversation explored how AI will increasingly show up as experience—wearables, ambient assistance, multi-sensory support, and interactions that augment how people see, decide, and act. The subtext was clear: if AI is going to become ubiquitous, it must become intuitive—and aligned to what humans actually value. 

“AI is becoming an experience, not an app—supporting how we see, decide, and act, often without the user noticing the machinery behind it.” 

Consumer reality: “make human life smarter” and “declutter your life” 

From the consumer device lens, the message was refreshingly plain: AI should help make human life smarter—not noisier. That includes automation that reduces cognitive load and helps people “declutter” their day-to-day, rather than introducing another layer of complexity. 

The moderator wrapped the session with a sober economic note: as the stack expands from devices to cloud subscriptions and services, the cost of modern digital life rises—making it even more important that AI delivers tangible value, not just novelty. 

“If AI doesn’t declutter your life, it’s not helping.” 

Executive Board Commentary: The real shift is “delegation”—not adoption 

If there was one undercurrent in the room, it’s that we’ve moved past the question of whether AI is “interesting.” The real question now is: what can we delegate—safely, repeatedly, and at scale—without degrading trust? That’s why the keynote’s emphasis on moving beyond PoCs into governed, repeatable operating models felt so relevant.  

This is the step-change many organisations underestimate: adoption is a technology story; delegation is an operating model story. In an agentic era—where systems don’t just generate answers but initiate actions—the enterprise doesn’t need more demos. It needs a way to decide: what tasks can be automated end-to-end, what must stay human-led, and what requires a hybrid “human-in-the-loop” pattern?  

A useful lens: the “Delegation Curve” 

Think of your AI journey as a curve with three stages: 

1. Assist (copilot) – AI helps humans do the work faster (drafting, summarising, analysing). 
2. Act (agentic) – AI executes steps across workflows (triage → route → approve → action), escalating exceptions.  
3. Assure (governed autonomy) – AI operates with clear authority limits, auditability, and continuous controls (especially critical in regulated sectors and national infrastructure contexts).  

Most enterprises are still celebrating Stage 1, experimenting in Stage 2, and under-investing in Stage 3. Yet Stage 3 is where operational confidence is built—and where reputational risk is avoided. 

The missing KPI: “Trust latency” 

The panel made it clear that infrastructure, security, and experience all shape whether “seamless intelligence” is adopted in the real world.  

But the deeper measurement leaders should add is trust latency: how long it takes an organisation to trust an AI outcome enough to act on it without manual re-checking. 

In practical terms, the most important AI metrics in 2026 won’t be model accuracy in isolation. They’ll look like: 

• Time-to-trust (how quickly decisions can be taken without repeated human verification) 
• Exception rate (the “weird 3%” humans must handle)  
• Containment rate (how often an agent resolves end-to-end without escalation) 
• Governance velocity (how quickly policy, approvals, and controls keep up with agent speed) 

This is where leadership becomes the constraint—or the advantage. 

Sovereign AI isn’t just residency; it’s “accountability at the boundary” 

The keynote’s introduction of sovereign AI resonates strongly in the GCC because the stakes aren’t only technical. They are cultural, regulatory, and strategic.  

The next phase of sovereign AI will be defined not by where data sits, but by where accountability sits—who can inspect, audit, override, and certify AI behaviour, especially when agents trigger actions across systems. 

Sovereign AI done well will become a competitive advantage: it makes cross-sector adoption easier because it offers confidence by design—clear boundaries, policy alignment, and traceability. 

The “AI dividend” test: what are you doing with the time you saved? 

A subtle but powerful keynote point was that AI’s real asset is time.  

The leadership question is what you do with it. In organisations that win, the reclaimed time becomes: better customer experience, sharper decision-making, faster innovation cycles—and more human attention where it matters. 

In organisations that struggle, that time gets lost to rework, re-checking, and governance friction—because trust was never engineered into the operating model. 

The new perspective to carry forward 

At ICT Champion Awards, the celebration of winners implicitly reinforced the real benchmark for 2026: repeatability. Not “who has the flashiest AI,” but who can run it reliably with trust, governance, and measurable outcomes.  

So perhaps the most useful question to take forward is this: 

What are the first 3 workflows in your organisation that you are willing to delegate to agentic AI—end-to-end—under clearly defined authority, auditability, and exception handling? 

That’s also what the ICT Champion Awards ultimately celebrated: not technology theatre, but execution maturity. The winners weren’t simply early adopters—they were organisations demonstrating innovation with outcomes, leadership with accountability, and scale with governance. In a year defined by agentic possibilities, the Awards served as a reminder that the real competitive edge is operational confidence—systems that work, controls that hold, and teams that can sustain change. Hype is easy; habit is earned.