Tuesday August 11, 2026
China will send a new naval escort fleet to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia in mid-August to carry out an escort mission, the country’s Ministry of National Defense announced on Tuesday.
The deployment marks the 49th Chinese naval escort fleet to operate in the region, and it will take over duties from the 48th fleet, which set sail in October last year, the ministry said in a statement.
The latest fleet consists of the guided-missile destroyer Kunming, the guided-missile frigate Yueyang and the comprehensive supply ship Luomahu, according to the statement.
The ministry statement said the Chinese navy is committed to building and supporting a maritime community with a shared future and contributing to the security of global sea lanes as well as regional peace and stability.
In line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, China has maintained a regular naval escort presence in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters since 2008 to safeguard the security of international shipping routes, escorting over 7,000 Chinese and foreign vessels, and rescuing, protecting or assisting ships in distress.
The naval ships also participated in evacuations of Chinese citizens and foreign nationals from some war-torn countries.
 has announced the graduation of 10 technology companies from the third cohort of the Scale Now programme.</p><p> </p><p>Simultaneously, the MCIT launched the programme’s fourth cohort with the participation of 12 new companies, reaffirming its commitment to accelerating the growth of promising technology ventures and further strengthening Qatar’s position as a regional hub for innovation and digital entrepreneurship.</p><p> </p><p>The graduating companies have developed innovative solutions across a range of strategic sectors, including industrial technologies, health technologies, media technologies, agricultural technologies, e-commerce, enterprise technologies, and logistics.</p><p> </p><p>The diversity reflects the strength of Qatar’s technology entrepreneurship ecosystem and the programme’s role in supporting companies that develop innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of local and international markets.</p><p> </p><p>The graduating cohort in the Industrial Technologies sector includes Syook, which operates as a no-code Industrial IoT and AI platform enabling real-time asset tracking, safety, and compliance. Alongside it, Digital Petroleum provides patented AI sensor technology designed to enable instant digitalisation of industrial plants.</p><p> </p><p>Within HealthTech, Medica serves as a healthcare fintech platform automating insurance and revenue cycle management for hospitals and clinics, while Eshfaa functions as a digital healthcare and medical tourism platform coordinating care for local and international patients.</p><p> </p><p>In MediaTech & Publishing, Aligator offers an AI media intelligence platform that monitors and improves organisational reputation in Arabic and English.</p><p> </p><p>Complementing this, Rawi is an Arabic audio platform producing audiobooks, educational programmes, documentaries, edutainment, and podcasts.</p><p> </p><p>In Agritech, Growa delivers data-driven farming solutions through IoT, AI, GNSS, and agronomic expertise. Meanwhile, in e-commerce, Genio provides a cashless payment and nutrition-tracking system enabling parents to monitor their children’s spending and food consumption at school.</p><p> </p><p>For Enterprise Tech, Byanat acts as an AI observability platform analysing telecom and data centre infrastructure performance and recommending optimisations.</p><p> </p><p>In Logistics, WareOne operates as an asset-light logistics orchestrator delivering on-demand, tailored supply chain solutions across the value chain.</p><p> </p><p>Across its first three cohorts, the Scale Now programme has delivered tangible results that reflect its impact in supporting the growth of high-potential technology companies. Participating companies have collectively secured investments secured approximately $13.8mn in funding, closed 388 B2B deals, and achieved an average 32% revenue growth.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, entrepreneurs participating in the programme have benefited from 569 hours of dedicated advisory support, while the programme achieved an overall participant satisfaction rate of 89%, underscoring the quality of the experience and value delivered to participating companies.</p><p> </p><p>Faraj Abdulla, director of Digital Economy Department at MCIT, said: “The graduation of the third cohort of the Scale Now programme reflects the tangible outcomes the programme has achieved in supporting high-potential technology companies and enabling them to grow, expand, and access new markets.”</p><p> </p><p>Ali al-Mawlawi, director of Business Development Department at MCIT, said: “This initiative reflects our commitment to empowering startups, fostering innovation, and advancing the Digital Agenda 2030, further reinforcing Qatar’s position as a leading hub for the digital economy.”</p><p> </p><p>The third cohort concluded with WareOne successfully expanding its operations into Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Khalifa al-Thani, founder and CEO of WareOne, said: “When we joined the Scale Now programme, our goal was to better understand the local market. However, the programme delivered far more than we expected.”</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the graduation of the third cohort, the MCIT also announced the launch of the fourth cohort of the Scale Now programme, welcoming 12 new technology companies.</p><p> </p>%20%20%20%20<p>Related%20Story</p>
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