PULSE · Monday, June 2, 2026

Daily GCC briefing.

AI Launch Wave Hits June, e& Sells Careem Stake, SDAIA Powers Hajj with AI

🤖 AI 📈 Business 🤖 AI 🔐 Security 💰 Funding

TODAY'S STORIES

5 stories for today.

June 2026 AI Launch Wave: Gemini 3.5 Pro, Claude Mythos, Grok 5 All Converge

Four major AI model storylines are colliding in June: Google's Gemini 3.5 Pro is confirmed for release this month, Anthropic's Claude Mythos remains in restricted preview through Project Glasswing for cybersecurity, a rumored Claude Sonnet 4.8 circulates after source code leaks, and xAI's Grok 5 continues training with only 12-33% odds of a June ship. Gemini 3.5 Flash is already in production at $1.50/$9.00 per million tokens. Builders are advised to focus on decision-layer upgrades rather than switching entire stacks.

📈 Business AGBI

e& Sells 12.5% Careem Stake Back to Uber for $100 Million

UAE telecoms giant e& has sold a 12.5% stake in Careem Technologies back to Uber for $100 million, reducing its holding from 50.03% to 37.53%. The move reverses part of e&'s 2023 acquisition where it invested $400 million for majority control of the Careem super app. Uber regains controlling interest in the Dubai-based ride-hailing and services platform.

🤖 AI Al Arabiya English

SDAIA Deploys AI-Powered Operations Centers for Hajj 2026 Season

Saudi Arabia's SDAIA has activated AI-powered mobile operations centers in Mina to enhance real-time monitoring and coordination during the 2026 Hajj season. The systems improve crowd flow, emergency response, and transportation logistics. SDAIA also integrated AI into the unified digital Tasreeh Platform for Hajj permits and deployed AI systems at 17 international entry points to streamline pilgrim processing.

🔐 Security World Economic Forum

Cyberattacks Surge Against Gulf Institutions Amid Regional Escalation

Cyberattacks targeting Gulf institutions have surged as geopolitical tensions escalate in the Middle East. The 2026 conflict produced the first military strike on cloud infrastructure, with 150+ hacktivist attacks in 72 hours. CrowdStrike reports Iranian-aligned threat actors conducting reconnaissance and DDoS operations. The WEF Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 found 64% of organizations are now accounting for geopolitically motivated cyberattacks. The GCC cybersecurity market is projected to reach $55.7 billion by end of 2026.

💰 Funding Wamda

MENA Startup Funding Rebounds to $150M in April After March Slump

MENA startup funding slipped to $941 million in Q1 2026 amid geopolitical uncertainty, with a dramatic 85% drop in March alone. However, April saw a strong rebound to approximately $150 million according to Wamda data. Larger rounds are emerging, with Yemeni fintech Yakeey raising a $15M Series A. The UAE continues to dominate the regional startup landscape with 22 of the top-funded startups, while Saudi Arabia and Egypt remain key markets. 500 Global and regional VCs maintain active deployment despite softer momentum.

ABOUT PULSE

No noise.
Just signal.

Pulse is Sabbk's daily intelligence brief for decision-makers across the Gulf. Every morning, we surface the stories that matter — AI breakthroughs, funding rounds, security alerts, market shifts, and dev tools reshaping how the region builds.

Curated by humans, informed by data. No filler, no recycled press releases — just the signal you need to stay ahead.

📡

Pulse Categories

6 beats, one daily brief

🤖 AI

🔐 Security

⚙️ DevTools

🌍 MENA

📈 Business

💰 Funding

Browse past briefings →

Explore every daily Pulse edition. Search by category, date, or keyword.

STAY AHEAD

Get Pulse in your inbox.

Free daily email — GCC business, tech, and market moves, curated every morning.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.