IMC Newsdesk

Middle East/Africa: IoT Public Policy Index

  • September 23, 2026
  • William Payne

 

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Expands IoT Sensor and Vision-Based Smart City Systems

September 4, 2026

Riyadh Municipality has deployed expanded IoT and computer vision operational frameworks under its municipal digital transformation roadmap. The initiative introduces vehicle-mounted IoT cameras for automated urban monitoring, AI-driven management of public green spaces, and a real-time wireless sensor network across stormwater and rainwater drainage networks. These systems are integrated into a centralised data telemetry hub to enhance real-time municipal responses to infrastructure stresses.

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India: Scaling IoT and Open Agriculture Networks

September 2, 2026

The Government of Uttar Pradesh’s Department of Agriculture and the World Bank have jointly reviewed field progress on the UP-AGREES project, which deploys digital telemetry and AI advisory networks across rural farm cooperatives. The initiative links soil moisture sensors, weather telemetry stations, and open-source data layers through the Open Network for Agriculture (ONA) to automate precision irrigation and input management. The programme focuses on scaling sustainable rice intensification and verifiable carbon-credit monitoring for smallholder farmers.

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Egypt: Implementation of “Water 2.0” Precision Irrigation Automation

August 16, 2026

Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation convened bilateral implementation sessions for the “Water 2.0” modernisation framework in partnership with Spain. The scheme introduces smart irrigation pilot programmes across five agricultural governorates (Alexandria, Beheira, Qalyubia, Dakahlia, and Sohag). The initiative combines ground-level IoT moisture monitors, mathematical hydrology models, satellite analytics, and automated canal regulators to increase yield per cubic metre of water and mitigate structural shortages.

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Kenya: Ministry of ICT moves Emerging Technologies to Operational Phase

September 21, 2026

The Kenyan Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE) has announced that its programme for emerging technologies and AI is shifting into implementation. The policy establishes mandatory developer liability, incident-reporting frameworks, and data sovereignty safeguards for public-sector systems. Concurrently, the ministry outlined integration plans to deploy agentic AI frameworks across connected e-government platforms. The Government has also signed an MoU with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University to support its operationalisation of its emerging technologies programme.

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African Development Bank (AfDB) & South Korea: Expansion of African Digital Transformation

September 17, 2026

The African Development Bank Group and the Government of the Republic of Korea have announced an expanded continental financing compact focused on artificial intelligence and industrial modernisation. The programme allocates concessionary development financing toward sovereign high-performance computing facilities, smart grid transformations, and climate-smart agricultural robotics across regional member countries. The strategy aims to bridge the digital divide by pairing East Asian digital industrial expertise with African public-private partnerships.

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UAE: Monitoring Centre for Smart Grid Visibility

July 27, 2026

The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has inaugurated the Emirates Monitoring Centre (EMC), the country’s first unified platform for real-time visibility across the national power grid. The centre links all four national electricity utilities through a single AI-driven system to manage 48 gigawatts of generation capacity and optimise energy distribution.

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Kenya: AI-Powered Drones for Precision Farming

August 17, 2026

Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment are expanding the use of AI-powered drones for precision field monitoring and seedball dispersal. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded land and modernise commercial farming in counties like Trans Nzoia.

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South Africa: 5G & IoT in Intelligent Mining Shift

August 6, 2026

South Africa’s mining industry together with the Minerals Council South Africa is exploring transitioning from connected to “intelligent mines” through private 5G, digital twins, and edge computing. Talks have included the University of Pretoria and Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, and have focused on enhancing safety and operational efficiency in underground and open-pit operations.

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DRC: US alliance on rural smart microgrids

August 6, 2026

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s National Agency for Electrification (ANSER) has signed a agreement with a US-Congolese consortium to develop up to 2 gigawatts of clean energy infrastructure. The partnership aims to solve the industrial power deficit for critical mineral mining while simultaneously expanding rural electrification through smart microgrids.

Uzbekistan: World Bank Approves Grid Digitisation

August 18 2026

The World Bank has approved Uzbekistan’s “Electricity Sector Transformation and Resilient Transmission Project” to modernise the country’s national electric grid. The project focuses on integrating renewable energy sources, which generated 7 billion kWh in the first seven months of 2026, into a digitised and more reliable national grid.

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Kazakhstan: AI-Native Smart City Framework

August 14, 2026

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has approved a “Smart City and Smart Region” framework. The framework shifts regional governance to a unified digital model that mandates AI-driven monitoring for utilities, public safety, and unmanned aerial system infrastructure across all provinces.

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Saudi Arabia: Public Consultation on AI Cybersecurity

July 5, 2026

The Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has launched a public consultation on its “Cybersecurity Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence.” The document outlines frameworks across four pillars: governance, defence, cyber resilience, and third-party risk. It mandates baseline configurations for all government entities and external vendors integrating generative AI technologies.

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UAE establishes Federal AI and Data Authority

June 18, 2026

The United Arab Emirates has established a unified federal body called the AI and Data Authority to consolidate responsibilities previously split across the Office of AI, the UAE Data Office, and the Digital Government Sector of the TDRA. The authority is designed to coordinate national policies, draft AI legislation, and accelerate data governance and digital procurement frameworks.

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UAE launches “Shabab AI” Industrial Initiative

May 8, 2026

The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology has launched the “Shabab AI” initiative to boost AI, IoT, cybersecurity, and automation skills in the workforce through embedding advanced AI tools, Internet of Things (IoT) hardware, and automated technology stacks directly into local factories.

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WHO joins Open Health Stack Foundation for Open Digital Health

July 9, 2026

The World Health Organization has announced formal membership in the Open Health Stack Software Foundation to promote open, standards-based digital health architectures. This step aims to accelerate the adoption of interoperable mobile health (mHealth) and electronic health record tools in low- and middle-income regions, supporting national digital health initiatives across the African continent.

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World Bank achieves 50 Million Electricity Connections in Africa

June 16, 2026

The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group have announced that their joint “Mission 300” initiative has achieved its first major landmark, connecting over 50 million people to electricity across 40 African nations. The initiative finances off-grid and smart-grid infrastructure, combining grants, public guarantees, and private investment to transform regional energy access.

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Saudi Arabia: National Cybersecurity Reporting Framework Consultation

June 9, 2026

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) of Saudi Arabia has released a public consultation draft for its proposed National Framework for Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Incident Response (NFCISIR – 1:2026). The framework establishes strict 24/7 reporting windows and rapid information-sharing protocols for public and private organizations, specifically highlighting IT, operational technology (OT), and edge/IoT critical infrastructure vendors.

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UAE: AI-Driven Work Permit Screening System Launch

May 11, 2026

The United Arab Emirates has officially introduced an automated artificial intelligence and robotics-based system to screen and assess work permit applicants. Spearheaded by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship alongside the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the data-driven framework evaluates professional qualifications and skills matching to optimize labour efficiencies.

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Egypt: Trans-Mediterranean €690 Million Clean-Energy Grid Modernization

June 15, 2026

The Egyptian government and the European Union have finalised a €690 million financial package consisting of an EIB Global loan and European Commission grants to upgrade Egypt’s electricity transmission grid. Managed by the state-owned Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), the programme will construct modern substations and deploy advanced transmission infrastructure to integrate 22 GW of renewable energy by 2030.

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Turkey: Centralized UAV Traffic Management System Draft Regulation

June 1, 2026

Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has released a comprehensive draft regulation updating operations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The policy outlines the deployment of a centralized, real-time tracking UAV Traffic Management System to process automated flight permits and machine-readable data across Turkish airspace.

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Morocco: Digital Health Interoperability Initiatives at GITEX Future Health Africa

May 4, 2026

The Moroccan Ministry of Health and Social Protection, alongside the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health, have launched the inaugural GITEX Future Health Africa forum in Casablanca. During the summit, the Ministry detailed its new roadmap focusing on medical artificial intelligence regulations, telemedicine deployment frameworks, and centralizing regional hospital information systems.

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South Africa: Electronic Communications Amendment Bill 2026 Publication

May 5, 2026

South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has officially published the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill 2026 alongside its accompanying Explanatory Summary. The updated legislation sets terms for electronic communications infrastructure deployment, impacting data network rules and sector licensing standards overseen by ICASA.

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Saudi Arabia NCA Hajj Season 1447 AH Cybersecurity Drill

May 25, 2026

Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority has implemented a large-scale cybersecurity drill involving over 300 national entities and 1,000 specialists. The technical simulation focused on threat detection, incident response, and securing the digital infrastructure of essential public services40.

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Saudi Arabia SDAIA National Data Quality Guidelines

May 21, 2026

The Saudi Data and AI Authority have issued unified guidelines to standardize and measure data quality across public-sector systems. The roadmap aims to ensure accurate business decisions, reduce operational costs, and maximize AI application readiness.

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UAE ISNR 2026 Launch and National Security Platforms

May 16, 2026

The 9th International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience opened in Abu Dhabi, introducing the inaugural AI Security Forum and a Code Breaker Hackathon. The exhibition showcased critical infrastructure protection, emergency response systems, and cybersecurity platforms.

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South Africa Gauteng Smart City Performance Dashboard

May 25, 2026

South Africa’s Gauteng Provincial Government has unveiled a real-time monitor to track key performance indicators across all 11 of the province’s municipalities. The tool integrates municipal data with CCTV networks, land-invasion monitoring, and smart water management systems.

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