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Aster DM Healthcare launches myAster in Saudi Arabia, alongside AI and Generative AI-enabled Arabic voice response with Google Cloud

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Aster DM Healthcare marks a significant milestone with the launch of its flagship digital health platform, myAster, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This launch aligns with Aster’s ambitious plans to expand its footprint in the Kingdom and transform the healthcare experience for the people of the country.

With a proven track record as the UAE’s No.1 wellbeing and healthcare app and over 2 million downloads, myAster is set to redefine digital healthcare in Saudi Arabia. The app offers an all-encompassing suite of services, including online pharmacy, prescription home delivery, appointment management, video consultation, and home care services.

As part of its launch at the prestigious LEAP 2025 event, myAster unveiled a groundbreaking feature: AI and gen AI voice integration in collaboration with Google Cloud. This advanced capability introduces Arabic voice response, allowing users to describe their symptoms in their native dialect for personalized and culturally relevant interactions. The AI-driven symptom analysis guides users to the most appropriate specialists or healthcare services within Aster’s network. By bridging language barriers and enhancing accessibility, this innovation underscores Aster’s dedication to delivering inclusive and patient-centric healthcare solutions in Saudi Arabia.

Designed to meet the diverse needs of users, myAster empowers individuals to track their health vitals, access lab reports and health records, and benefit from chronic disease management programs tailored to address lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. With these features, myAster provides a comprehensive solution for users to proactively manage their wellness journey.

Commenting on the launch of myAster in Saudi Arabia, Alisha Moopen, Managing Director & Group CEO, Aster DM Healthcare said “The launch of myAster in Saudi Arabia is a pivotal moment in our journey to bring integrated and accessible healthcare solutions to the Kingdom. With the introduction of myAster, we continue to lead the digital revolution in the GCC, reaffirming our commitment to building a future-ready healthcare ecosystem that prioritizes convenience, accessibility, and innovation.”

Nalla Karunanithy, CEO of Digital Health and E-Commerce, Aster DM Healthcare added “myAster not only empowers individuals to take charge of their health but also bridges the gap between patients and specialists by guiding them to the right care based on real-time symptom analysis. By leveraging AI and collaborating with Google Cloud, we’re setting a new standard for digital healthcare innovation. As we continue to innovate, our vision is to build a future where healthcare is not only smarter and more efficient but also deeply human-centered, meeting the unique needs of every individual we serve.”

“Unlocking solutions that empower customers remains the most critical component of every enterprise’s digital transformation strategy,” said Bader Almadi, Google Cloud GM in Saudi Arabia at Google Cloud. “Using Google Cloud’s AI and generative AI technologies, Aster DM Healthcare aims to transform the patient experience with myAster. The introduction of Arabic voice response, powered by our advanced AI models, makes healthcare more accessible and personalized for the people of Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the potential of AI to revolutionize how healthcare is delivered.”

Aster DM Healthcare has pledged an investment of SAR 1 billion (USD 250 million) in Saudi Arabia over the next 2-3 years, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to enhancing healthcare in the region. This investment will support the expansion of Aster Pharmacy to 180 stores across the Kingdom, while also scaling bed capacity to 1,000 through the establishment of five new hospitals in major cities alongside the existing Aster Sanad Hospital.

Additionally, Aster plans to launch 30 medical centers to reinforce its integrated healthcare model and provide employment opportunities to approximately 4,900 people in the Kingdom over the next five years. The introduction of myAster is a pivotal component of this strategy, designed to deliver a seamless connected care experience for the residents of Saudi Arabia.

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Nothing Raises $200M Series C to Power the Next Phase of Consumer AI

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Nothing Phone (3) aesthetic shot

Today, we’re announcing new funding––USD $200M in our Series C round at a USD $1.3B valuation. This milestone marks the start of our next phase: From being the only independent smartphone company to emerge in the last decade, towards building an AI-native platform in which hardware and software converge into a single intelligent system.

a portrait of Carl Pei, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing
Carl Pei, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing

Building the foundations for the future
When we started Nothing, we had a thesis that if we could build a smartphone business at scale and own the last-mile distribution point in consumer tech, we would be well-positioned for the next technology shift. Although we didn’t know what that would look like at the time, the opportunity is now crystal clear.

From the start, we knew that the foundation had to be an end-to-end value chain
capable of delivering products at speed, scale, and quality. As we’ve seen from many others that have tried, building a hardware company is hard. There are many potential failure points and almost no room for error. For us, it required assembling a team that balanced a pragmatic approach of rapidly launching products, with an innovative mindset to deliver experiences that our community would immediately love.

Today, the foundations are firmly in place. From award-winning design, to our global manufacturing and supply chain network built for quality and cost. In four years, we have shipped millions of devices, began 2025 crossing $1B+ in total sales, while growing 150% in 2024.

Building this infrastructure has been the hardest and most valuable thing we’ve done so far. With the support of our community, we’re fortunate to have made it here. Today, we’re in a position that will be very hard to copy: The ability to launch any consumer hardware product from start to finish within months, go-to-market operations that can ship and service worldwide, a global user community that co-creates with us, all without the innovator’s dilemma or bureaucratic constraints that the incumbents face. On to chapter 2.

Operating systems, evolved
In the last 18 years, the smartphone became ubiquitous. It is the primary personal computing tool to manage the countless tasks of daily life. Beyond its distribution scale, what makes the smartphone the most powerful consumer device in the market is its unmatched access to contextual information and user knowledge. For this reason, I believe the smartphone will remain one of the most important devices in the AI era.

On the other hand, while AI has made revolutionary progress in the last three years, the smartphone experience has barely evolved. Most of the innovation has been underwhelming, limited to incremental improvements in photo editing, translations, and assistant features that barely work.

For AI to reach its full potential, consumer hardware must reinvent itself alongside it. This is the opportunity we see for Nothing. We see a future where operating systems are significantly different from the ones today. Each system will know its user deeply, and be hyper-personalised to each individual. Interfaces will adapt to our context and needs. Suggestions will surface naturally, and once we confirm an intent, agents will execute on our behalf. The system will handle the non-essential for us, allowing us to focus on what truly matters, which will be different for every person. Unlike today’s one-size-fits-all solution, a billion different operating systems will be rendered for a billion different people.

Over time, this OS will be transversal across all form factors: We’re starting with smartphones, audio products and smart watches, devices that people already use every day. In the future, our OS will carry into smart glasses, humanoid robots, EVs, and whatever comes next.

Why we are uniquely-positioned to create this future: Owning the last-mile distribution point with all its contextual and user knowledge is essential to developing an OS that will help people in their daily lives. An AI OS that doesn’t know its user and isn’t ever-present can’t deliver a hyper-personalised experience. This is the next chapter for Nothing, integrating an AI experience into our hardware devices to reinvent how technology amplifies us.

The next billion unit scale product
In the near-term, we believe that the smartphone will remain the only device shipping at billion-unit scale each year. But soon, we’ll all be carrying an additional device that will be just as important. In the coming years, we’ll learn that the more context we can feed our AI, the more useful it becomes. The smartphone, while powerful, can’t always be there for us. Sometimes it’s in our pocket, or we might be on the move with our hands full.

A new class of AI-native devices will emerge. Products that are available to the user at the moment of need, paired with intelligence that turns understanding into action. This is a very exciting time, imagining devices that capture context across modalities and generate interfaces on demand, shaped by what the user is trying to accomplish.

We have been hard at work imagining what this future could look like, and can’t wait to launch some of our first AI-native devices next year.

Our Series C capital raise
This funding round allows us to execute on this vision by accelerating our innovation roadmap and further scaling our distribution. Our round was led by Tiger Global, with significant support from existing shareholders GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF, and Tapestry, alongside new strategic backing from Nikhil Kamath and Qualcomm Ventures.

Alongside this Series C, we’re also preparing to launch our next Community round giving our supporters another opportunity to become part of Nothing’s journey. More details will be shared soon.

As we continue our journey, we do so with huge gratitude to our community, our team, and our partners. This next chapter is only possible because of you.

Carl, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing

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Innovo and Siemens Announce Strategic Partnership in Building Technologies

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Two executives from Innovo and Siemens shake hands during a strategic partnership agreement signing ceremony in Dubai.

Innovo, an industry leader in construction and innovation, has signed a strategic partnership with Siemens, a leading technology company, to drive innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable growth across building technologies in the UAE.

Under the agreement, Innovo Technology Services has officially become a Siemens Solution Partner for Building Automation, authorised to deliver and integrate the Building X portfolio in the UAE. Building X is Siemens’ open, cloud-based platform for smart building management.

Innovo will provide full sales, integration, and support across modules including Lifecycle Twin, Energy Manager, Operations Manager, Comfort AI, Security Manager, Fire Manager, and API Manager.

This milestone strengthens Innovo’s commitment to digital adoption and sustainability in the built environment, while extending Siemens’ global leadership into one of the world’s fastest-growing construction markets.

The strategic partnership was formalised at a signing ceremony attended by Bishoy Azmy, CEO, Innovo, and Hakan Ozdemir, CEO, Smart Infrastructure, Siemens Middle East.

Bishoy Azmy, CEO, Innovo, said: “Our partnership with Siemens reflects our shared vision, to create smarter, safer, and more sustainable digital ecosystems. By combining Siemens’ advanced solutions with Innovo’s digital innovation, we are delivering intelligent solutions that will transform building performance and enhance quality delivery across the UAE.”

Hakan Ozdemir, CEO, Smart Infrastructure, Siemens Middle East, said: “Innovo is a trusted partner with a proven record in digital solutions. Their appointment as a Siemens Solution Partner will accelerate the deployment of our Building X portfolio in the UAE, supporting more efficient, resilient, and connected communities.”

Innovo continues to operate at the forefront of innovation. This strategic partnership supports the company’s vision to be part of the future of intelligent, sustainable building solutions that transform communities across its global markets.

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Lexar MEA expansion: 5,000+ retail stores

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Lexar MEA expansion has hit a major milestone: the brand’s products are now available in over 5,000 retail stores across the Middle East and Africa. Moreover, the footprint reflects a fivefold increase in outlets carrying Lexar-branded solutions. With GITEX Global 2025 approaching, Lexar will showcase its latest memory and storage innovations for photographers, gamers, and content creators.

Lexar MEA expansion: momentum built with partners

At the core, growth comes from “The Lexar Way.” Specifically, the company co-builds the channel through training, consumer engagement, and incentive programs—so partners can move faster and serve customers better. Consequently, retailers gain the resources and product knowledge to match users with the right cards, readers, SSDs, and DRAM. In turn, this partner-first model has underpinned demand over the past three years.

For nearly 30 years, Lexar has been empowering the world with memory innovations,” said Fissal Oubida, General Manager – Middle East, Africa & India. “Ultimately, our rapid growth in the region reflects rising demand for reliable memory solutions and the strength of our retail partnerships. Therefore, expanding our footprint demonstrates a long-term commitment to a market that’s become a hub for imaging innovation and creativity.”

Lexar MEA expansion at GITEX: what creators and gamers will see

At GITEX Global 2025 (Hall 1, Stand H1-25), Lexar plans to spotlight professional-grade memory cards, high-speed card readers, portable SSDs, and performance DRAM—solutions tuned for regional workflows. For creators, that means faster offloads, smoother edits, and simpler backup routines. For gamers, it means quicker load times and more responsive systems with NVMe upgrades and reliable storage tiers. Additionally, visitors can expect hands-on demos and guidance on selecting media for mirrorless bodies, cinema cameras, and gaming rigs. Notably, the team will translate specs into practical choices for real-world use.

Partner enablement that scales across MEA

To keep pace with demand, Lexar runs channel seminars and roadshows across the region. During these sessions, product details become clear use cases—from 4K/8K capture on CFexpress to hybrid creator–gamer setups. Furthermore, the company invests in localized education so floor staff can explain speed classes, endurance ratings, thermal behavior, and backup best practices. As a result, customers leave with the right media for their device and workload.

Going forward, Lexar will continue to consolidate its regional presence,” added Oubida. “In fact, GITEX is an ideal platform to extend collaborations, strengthen local partnerships, and introduce new offerings tailored to MEA consumers.”

Why the Lexar MEA expansion footprint matters for end users

Availability matters. Because the retail network is broader, buyers can compare products in person, ask questions, and walk out with the right kit the same day. Moreover, consistent access improves creator and gamer confidence—especially when tight deadlines depend on fast cards and dependable SSDs. In practical terms, the 5,000-store milestone shortens the path from idea to delivery. Likewise, it supports regional growth in content creation, esports, and professional imaging.

Looking ahead

Expect continued product rollouts and deeper collaboration with resellers. Next, the roadmap includes more education-first initiatives, clearer in-store guidance, and expanded after-sales support. Ultimately, photographers, videographers, streamers, and gamers will gain a simpler, more reliable way to upgrade daily tools. In summary, Lexar’s partner model and retail reach position the brand to scale with MEA’s demand.

Bottom line

The Lexar MEA expansion is about reach, relevance, and reliability. With 5,000+ stores and a strong showing planned for GITEX Global 2025, the company is doubling down on creators and gamers across the Middle East and Africa—therefore bringing pro-grade memory and storage closer to where people work and play.

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