Tech News
AI-powered personalized learning: The next frontier for Middle East education
By Isil Berkan, Marketing Director, Middle East, Africa & Turkey at Pearson
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant promise: it’s already reshaping how we live, work, and learn. In the classroom, AI-powered tools are adapting lessons in real-time to each student’s strengths, gaps, and pace. That means less time marking, and more time for teachers to connect, coach, and inspire.
In the Middle East, governments are actively reforming education to build a digital-ready workforce. AI offers a unique opportunity to close skill gaps, increase engagement, and prepare youth not only for today’s jobs but for those yet to come. With thoughtful implementation and the right safeguards, AI-powered learning is reshaping education at an unprecedented scale and speed.
The current state of AI in Middle Eastern education
Across the region, governments are investing significantly in digital transformation in education. In the UAE, AI learning begins from kindergarten, part of its ambition to become a global leader in AI. The country now ranks third globally for attracting AI talent, according to Stanford’s 2024 AI Index report.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 includes a bold national strategy for data and AI, aiming to position the Kingdom among the world’s top AI-powered economies. Initiatives like “One Million Saudis in AI” and “Artificial Intelligence Hour” are already equipping hundreds of thousands of students with essential skills. Public-private partnerships are accelerating progress, especially in STEM and bilingual education.
Why AI-powered personalized learning is needed
Many traditional classrooms are constrained by fixed curricula and standardized teaching methods. This can make it difficult to meet the needs of individual students. AI can help close the gap—giving every student tailored support based on how they learn best. It doesn’t replace teachers; it gives them better tools to adapt, support, and engage.
The AI in education market is expected to grow to over $20 billion by 2027. Pearson’s own research found that 76% of teachers spend at least an hour a week planning lessons in their own time. This provided inspiration for innovations like our Smart Lesson Generator, which reduces admin and delivers curriculum-aligned content at the right level, in seconds.
Generative AI can identify at-risk learners early, recommend specific interventions, and dynamically adapt materials for better comprehension and retention. These tools tailor content to each learner’s unique needs by offering personalized explanations, summaries, and practice questions.
How it can be implemented and the benefits
AI needs more than access to devices; it works best when integrated into pedagogy. Tools like Mondly by Pearson let learners practise speaking and listening in realistic, role-based scenarios, powered by speech recognition and adaptive feedback.
This kind of real-time assessment is especially valuable for workforce preparation, where language skills, particularly English, directly influence employability. In Saudi Arabia, Pearson’s research shows a 40% gap in English skills across industries, something AI can help address at scale.
Challenges and considerations
In a world where 60% of educators are already implementing AI in the classroom, concerns around data privacy, digital literacy, and equitable access cannot be ignored.
Many schools still lack the infrastructure or teacher training needed to roll out AI programs effectively, with 61% of teachers indicating they would feel more confident using AI if they were properly trained. However, these challenges present opportunities for regional collaboration and innovation. Ethical frameworks, clear data policies, and inclusive curriculum design can mitigate risks.
AI-powered tools that are built on proprietary standards like the Global Scale of English can ensure precision and alignment with real-world learning outcomes. Rather than replacing educators, AI should be positioned as a tool that empowers them, providing real-time assistance during lessons, answering questions, and offering extra resources.
Government initiatives and national strategies
The UAE’s AI Strategy 2031 and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 show a clear commitment to integrating AI across all levels of education. Programs like the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) are sending students abroad to study advanced technologies, while EdTech partnerships are multiplying across the region.
By 2030, AI is expected to contribute over $96 billion to the UAE’s economy and $135 billion to Saudi Arabia’s. To realise this, education must lead the way.
The road ahead
To make the most of AI in education, we need more than devices and dashboards. We need collaboration.
Educators need hands-on training. Policymakers need to create regulations that promote safe, equitable use of AI. And technology providers must build tools with—not just for—teachers and learners. That includes embedding AI into curricula and teaching the next generation how to use it responsibly.
The Middle East has momentum on its side. If governments, educators, and tech companies act together, the region can set a global example, building an education system that’s more personalised, more agile, and fit for the future.
Tech News
Built To Endure: How HONOR Engineered Its Toughest X9e Pro From The Inside Out

Building a smartphone with a larger battery is relatively straightforward. Making that battery fit into a slim device while reinforcing its structure against drops, water and everyday wear presents a more complex engineering challenge.
For the unbreakable HONOR X9e Pro, that challenge shapes the device from the inside out. From advanced battery chemistry and reinforced materials to specialized bonding techniques and rigorous durability testing, every element is designed to contribute to long-term reliability.

Engineering More Into Less Space
At the centre of the HONOR X9e Pro is a fourth-generation silicon-carbon battery. By increasing the silicon content in the battery anode, HONOR improves energy density, allowing greater capacity within limited internal space.
The result is an 11,000mAh typical battery – the largest in the industry – housed in a body measuring just 8.08mm thick and weighing 203g.
Accommodating this capacity required HONOR to optimize the mainboard, secondary board, display structure, back cover and mid-frame, creating additional internal space without significantly increasing the device’s dimensions.
For consumers, this means enjoying up to two to three days of typical use between charges, reducing charging interruptions without sacrificing portability. It’s worth noting that HONOR has designed the battery to deliver up to six years of reliable performance, offering greater longevity and long-term durability.

Materials Engineered for Impact Resistance
The materials surrounding the battery and core components play an equally important role in durability.
HONOR incorporates arch-shaped structures around the phone’s corners and perimeter, supported by high-strength metal reinforcement embedded within the mid-frame. Together, these elements help distribute impact forces, reducing pressure on sensitive components.
The display receives additional protection through PUR shear-resistant adhesive, creating a continuous three-dimensional bonding structure around its edges. According to HONOR laboratory testing, this delivers approximately ten times the shear resistance of conventional backing adhesive solutions.
For consumers, these reinforcements provide greater confidence when accidental drops occur, potentially reducing damage-related repairs and associated costs.
Protection Built into Every Layer
Water and dust resistance are addressed through a compartmentalized sealing architecture.
The display and mid-frame form one protected zone, while the mid-frame and back cover create another. Openings including the USB port, speakers, buttons and SIM tray receive dedicated protective treatments.
Continuous adhesive, localized seals and drainage channels provide additional barriers, helping prevent moisture from reaching sensitive internal components.
This construction supports IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings, covering dust protection, immersion and high-pressure water exposure and submersion in water at depths of up to 10 metres.
For consumers, these protections offer reassurance against accidental spills, dust and water exposure, although water resistance is not permanent.
Tested and Certified for Durability
Beyond material selection and structural design, HONOR validates the device through laboratory testing. The HONOR X9e Pro has received the five-star SGS Premium Performance Certification for Drop Resistance in Harsh Scenarios, providing independent recognition of its durability performance.
In separate HONOR laboratory tests, the device was evaluated against drops from multiple angles, including heights of up to 3 metres. Its water-protection system underwent 100,000 immersion cycles, alongside 24-hour salt-spray exposure testing. Battery endurance was also evaluated across temperatures ranging from -20°C to 50°C.
These results offer consumers greater confidence in everyday use, potentially reducing the inconvenience of accidental damage and premature replacement, although actual performance varies by conditions.
Engineering Beyond Durability
Reliability also extends to imaging. The device incorporates a 108MP main camera with CIPA 6.0-level optical image stabilization, helping reduce motion blur during handheld photography, particularly in low-light environments.
A Connected Approach to Manufacturing
The HONOR X9e Pro demonstrates how manufacturing decisions contribute to overall device reliability.
By integrating advanced materials, structural reinforcement, protective sealing and rigorous validation, HONOR aims to deliver a smartphone that offers fewer interruptions, greater peace of mind and dependable performance throughout everyday use.
Tech News
Moscow International Game Week to Strengthen Gaming Ties with MENA and Türkiye
For the second time, Moscow will bring the international video game industry together at Moscow Game Hub, from October 29 to November 1, 2026, developed by the Agency of Creative Industries.
Over four days, players, developers and investors from more than 25 countries will discuss how games, alongside animation, film and literature, are becoming part of the creative economy. The event will also provide a platform for new projects and partnerships.
International participants will be able to meet Russian studios and discuss opportunities to co-produce and promote content. This year’s theme, “Beyond the Industry,” explores how video games connect with animation, film, literature and other areas of the creative economy.
Opportunities for companies from Türkiye and the MENA region
The event will give companies from Türkiye, the Middle East and North Africa a chance to learn about the Russian market, showcase their projects and find partners. Expected delegates include a representative of Digital Dunes, a Qatari mobile game developer and publisher.
For companies from Türkiye and the MENA region, Moscow International Game Week will be an opportunity to connect with Russian developers, publishers and technology partners, discover new projects, and discuss collaboration in game development, localization and distribution.
Moscow is open to international cooperation, exchange of expertise and joint projects. The city is building an environment for the gaming and animation industries by bringing together support programs, technology, skilled professionals and access to new markets.
Moscow Game Hub provides companies with infrastructure for developing, producing and promoting projects. Moscow International Game Week will introduce international participants to these opportunities and serve as a working platform to showcase projects, find partners and discuss agreements. Guests can also look forward to an extensive business program.
International exhibition
More than 85 companies will take part in the exhibition. Brazil’s national stand will be presented by Brasilia Game Hub, while the India group stand will feature projects by BUZZEDMEN STUDIO, ABRACA DABRA SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS and Nilee Games. The exhibition will also include stands by Chingmu from China, BURNING SOUL and BEAR&SKUNK from the Republic of Korea, and Experimental Design Team (EDT) from Malaysia.
Visitors will discover projects from Russian publishers and gaming platforms. Independent developers will showcase their games in the indie alley, while the residents’ alley will feature studios from Moscow Game Hub. A marketplace for themed merchandise will also be open to visitors.
The exhibition will give the wider public a chance to experience the industry firsthand: play new projects, meet their creators and learn more about game and animation development.
International tournament
One of the highlights of Moscow International Game Week will be the LAN finals of the Moscow Cyber Games 2026, an international Counter-Strike 2 tournament. The finals will take place on October 31 and November 1 at Moscow Game Hub. A total of 956 teams from Europe and Asia took part in the open qualifiers.
Tournament results count toward the Valve Regional Standings, which are used to allocate invitations to CS2 tournaments. Holding the event at the end of the ranking cycle gives Russian teams an additional opportunity to earn points and improve their standings. Spectators will be able to watch the professional teams’ final matches online and at the venue.
The finals will be part of Moscow International Game Week’s international program and will showcase Moscow Game Hub’s capacity to host major esports events.
Tech News
Rentify launches Ally, the first standalone AI maintenance agent for the UAE market
Rentify today introduced Ally, the maintenance agent in its Earn AI workforce, to help property managers reduce routine coordination and give owners clearer visibility into repair costs. Ally connects tenant requests, maintenance contract checks, approvals, vendor dispatch and invoice matching through a workflow that starts on WhatsApp.
The launch targets rental maintenance within the UAE’s broader facilities management market, which was valued at USD 6.56 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 10.95 billion by 2030, according to a TechSci Research report available through Research and Markets. Within this sector, Ally focuses on the coordination of rental repairs, connecting tenant requests, spending approvals, vendors and invoices.
A repair can involve a tenant, contractor, property manager and landlord before work even begins. Ally brings those exchanges into one process. Tenants report issues by text, photo or video. Ally classifies the request, checks the unit’s maintenance contract, estimates the cost and applies the property manager’s approval rules before dispatching a vendor. It then matches the invoice against the approved estimate, keeping the repair linked to the unit’s operating record.
Property managers set the rules for approvals and escalation. Routine coordination is automated within those rules, while decisions requiring judgment, higher spending or safety oversight are referred to people. Emergency requests are routed to the on-call vendor. Actions are logged with the rule applied and a timestamp, giving teams a record of how each request was handled.
“Our ambition is a rental unit that can collect its rent, renew its lease and arrange its repairs, with people retaining control over the decisions that matter,” said Rajneel Kumar, Co-Founder, Rentify. “Each completed job adds to the unit’s operating history. Connecting that history across collections, renewals and maintenance is how we build towards autonomous renting. Ally takes us another step in that direction.”
Ally is the fourth agent in the Earn AI workforce. According to Rentify, customer portfolios associated with Earn AI represent more than 180,000 units and USD 3.4 billion in annual rent roll. Ally adds maintenance coordination and repair costs to the platform’s wider view of rental operations.
“For a property manager, growth should not mean an equivalent increase in time spent chasing repairs,” said Rashed Hareb Al Mheiri, Co-Founder & CEO, Rentify. “We built Ally to reduce that coordination burden while keeping teams in control of spending and service decisions. For owners, it brings a clearer record of what was approved, what was charged and how maintenance costs build up across their portfolio.”
Landlords receive approval requests with photos, the quote and their share of the cost. A maintenance cost history for each unit helps them understand expenditure alongside rental income. Vendors receive structured job cards, while invoice matching helps property teams check charges against the approved work.
Ally is designed to work alongside existing property management systems and spreadsheet-based processes, with tenants interacting through WhatsApp. Deployment requirements depend on the customer’s systems, data and approval workflows.
The launch addresses a recurring operational need in a substantial rental market. Dubai recorded 1.38 million tenancy contracts worth AED 126.4 billion in 2025, according to the Dubai Land Department, spanning residential and commercial activity.
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