Carla Sertin
Carla Sertin is the head of editorial content at WIRED Middle East, leading content strategy and execution for the region. Prior to joining WIRED Middle East, Sertin was a group editor at ITP Media Group, overseeing 15 B2B magazines and growing their reach across the region. A Lebanese journalist, she has spent 10 years working in the GCC, starting her career as a reporter and video producer for Forbes Middle East.
Sertin graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a Master of Arts in Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism.
The Big Story
This Social Media CEO is Sick of the Algorithm
Upscrolled’s founder Issam Hijazi says algorithms were built to make you addicted to social media platforms. Now he’s trying to build one without them.
Gear News
Apple Raised Their Prices Because of AI – These Are the Products Affected
Apple raised prices across its Mac and iPad line-up overnight, and it’s all because of AI. This is how much their products cost in the UAE now.
Security
It’s Never Been Easier To Watch (Or Harder To Attend) the World Cup
The World Cup promised the biggest tournament in football history. What fans got instead were visa rejections, $11.5 million tickets and unprecedented surveillance.
Logistics and Transportation
The Strait of Hormuz Has Been Closed for 100 Days. Why Isn’t Oil Higher?
President Trump says a secret mission moved 100 million barrels of oil through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. That number is impossible to verify.
Digital Deen
Meet the Accidental Editor-in-Chief of Muslim Media
Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh was just trying to find an outlet for Muslim news. Now he has more than 12 million followers.
Synthetic Dreams
He Drilled a Hole in His Own Head to Control His Dreams
Meet the Siberian scientist who implanted a brain device into his own skull to study lucid dreaming and REM sleep.
THE LAUNCH ISSUE
Our First Print Issue Is Here. It's About the Future, And Who Gets To Shape It
In the AI era, being connected is more crucial (and complicated) than ever before.
Humane Tech
You Cannot Trust AI, Says Cisco's Global Innovation Officer
To benefit from AI, billions still need internet access, says Cisco’s Guy Diedrich – and humanity may matter more than ever.
Rewilding Arabia
A Single Saudi Reserve Is Home to Half the Kingdom's Wildlife Species
Saudi Arabia is bringing wildlife back to its ecosystems with dedicated rewilding programmes.
Under Surveillance
Microsoft Israel Chief Steps Down After Probe Into Palestinian Surveillance
Microsoft investigated its Israeli unit after allegations that it stored millions of calls captured through mass surveillance of civilians in the West Bank and Gaza
Missile Alerts
UAE Issues First Missile Alerts in Nearly a Month
The UAE received its first missile alert since the April 8 ceasefire, Ministry of Defence confirms missiles intercepted
Break Up
UAE To Exit OPEC After Nearly 60 Years
The UAE will leave OPEC on May 1, ending a 59-year membership and gaining freedom to raise output during one of the most volatile oil periods in years.
Crisis Response
“We Were Not Ready for This”: Inside Lebanon’s Improvised Crisis Infrastructure
As nearly 1.3 million people are displaced, Lebanon is tracking aid in real time – but the system reveals a deeper problem: the country is managing a modern crisis without the digital infrastructure it was supposed to have.
Tech War
G42 and Spire Solutions: The Only Two UAE Companies on Iran’s Target List
The UAE’s G42 and Spire Solutions are the only non-American firms named in Iran’s threatened strikes on regional tech infrastructure. Here’s what they do, and why they may have been included.
Big Tech
Iran Warns 18 US Tech Firms Will Be Targeted on 1 April
Companies including Google, Microsoft and Apple were listed as targets by Iranian media as the conflict with Israel and the US spills into digital infrastructure
Fintech
With One Million Displaced, Lebanon Turns to Digital Wallets for Aid
Amid mass displacement and collapsing trust in institutions, digital wallets are becoming critical conduits for aid, connecting diaspora donors directly with communities on the ground.
EDITOR'S LETTER
Who Gets to Be Safe in the Age of AI?
Technology has become a tool of war, but it is also a tool of resilience.
Computers and Software
Starlink Is Apparently Available in the UAE – Here’s What You Need To Know
Starlink has gone live in Kuwait and is listed as “available” in the UAE, marking a new era of satellite internet in the Gulf.
Energy
Why Iran Is Targeting the UAE’s Fujairah Port, critical to oil trade
Drone strikes on Fujairah port have disrupted operations at one of the few sites able to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, raising risks to global oil supply.