Application deadline is approaching for the Forward KSA Accelerator program by AstroLabs, if your startup has significant traction and at least 1 Saudi (co-)founder then you are eligible to apply ; BeyondCapital was awarded $450K from Mercy Corps to collaborate and invest in rising early-stage start-ups in Jordan ; STEP Group, organizers of the annual technology festival, STEP Conference, has launched Dreamers, a platform dedicated to preparing children with skills needed to succeed for the jobs of tomorrow ; Careem enters micro-mobility space with acquisition of Cyacle, the UAE-based bikeshare company ; Emirates NBD, one of the biggest banking groups in the region, has recently opened a Virtual Reality (VR) Academy to make their employees more efficient through an engaging and intuitive learning experience ; Eksab, the leading Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform in MENA and the GCC, announced a six-figure seed investment from 500 Startups as it looks to capitalize on the prestigious African Cup of Nations being hosted in Egypt for the first time in more than a decade ; Amazon Prime has launched in the UAE and is available to customers for AED16 ($4.4) per month, or AED140 ($38) per year ; Domino's Pizza, the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales, and Nuro, the robotics company transforming local commerce, are partnering on autonomous pizza delivery pilot in Houston ; Orcas, the mobile application that connects parents and students with tutors and babysitters, has raised $500K in a pre-Series A funding round led by Algebra Ventures, Egypt’s leading VC fund, with participation from NFX Capital ; Tenderd, a heavy equipment rental marketplace for the construction industry in the MENA region, has launched with the region’s largest seed funding round of $5.8 million from a spectrum of high profile San Francisco and international investors ; The Hunger Games is getting a prequel next year that takes place 64 years before the first book, set for release on May 19th, 2020.

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