Blog

ElOuazzani will lead Censys’s expansion and position it as the region’s trusted internet intelligence partner, along with Rajaee Al-Dalgamouni and Ahmed Ehlayel

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 February 2026: Censys, the authority for internet intelligence and insights, has appointed Meriam ElOuazzani as its first dedicated Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region. In her new role, Meriam will lead the company’s end-to-end regional growth strategy, including revenue expansion, partnerships and ecosystem building, as well as establishing the organization’s position as the default external attack surface intelligence layer for organizations across the region.

“We are delighted to welcome Meriam ElOuazzani as Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. This deepens our investment in a region where Censys has established strong momentum and is strategically positioned for accelerated growth,” said Sarah Ashburn, Chief Revenue Officer at Censys. “Meriam’s proven track record of scaling cybersecurity markets across META, combined with her deep regional insight, makes her the right leader to grow our market presence and meet rising demand for trusted internet intelligence.”

 With over two decades of extensive experience in cybersecurity and enterprise technology, Meriam ElOuzzani has consistently built and scaled markets across the region, assembling the teams, channel ecosystems, and marketing blueprints. Her career trajectory reflects her strong regional leadership through her roles as Senior Regional Director at SentinelOne, where she established the regional go-to-market operation and multiple leadership roles at VMware across MENA, strengthening the channel, security, and distribution networks to accelerate growth. She has also led the Regional Product Sales for Mobility across the Middle East at Cisco Systems. At Censys, Meriam will focus on expanding strategic partnerships across government and enterprises, including channels, MSSP, and hyperscaler alliances, to scale efficiently across diverse markets.

“The META region is at an inflection point in cybersecurity maturity. Across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, governments and commercial organizations are moving beyond perimeter defense and demanding real-time threat detection and operational visibility into their digital footprint,” said Meriam ElOuazzani, VP META, Censys. “Over the past two decades in this region, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the right intelligence transforms the security operations entirely. Censys’s internet intelligence platform equips security teams with authoritative, real-time insight into exposure and adversary activity, replacing assumptions with actionable confidence. My mission is to establish Censys as a trusted partner across META, enabling the shift from reactive defense to proactive intelligence.”

Censys helps security teams identify exposures, monitor changes, and detect threats before they are exploited by continuously mapping internet-facing assets, services, and critical infrastructure. Its platform enables governments and enterprises to make confident decisions by delivering accurate, comprehensive insights into their digital footprint.

Recognized for pioneering internet-scale attack surface mapping and advancing ICS/OT threat intelligence, Censys has earned industry acclaim and built strong partnerships across the cybersecurity ecosystem globally. In the Middle East, Censys has already partnered with Rilian Technologies to bring its internet intelligence and ICS/OT capabilities to sovereign nations and critical infrastructure. With this new appointment, the company is further reinforcing its commitment to supporting national cybersecurity priorities and driving long-term regional growth.

As part of the regional expansion plans, Censys has also appointed Rajaee Al-Dalgamouni as Regional Sales Lead (META) and Ahmed Ehlayel as Solutions Engineer at Censys to strengthen the regional team under Meriam’s leadership.

Hyderabad, Feb 24: Sting? Energy, PepsiCo India’s high-voltage energy drink, today unveiled the next chapter of its sonic brand universe — transforming every Six into a signature ‘STIINNGGG’ moment. Building on its growing cultural presence, Sting? Energy enters the season with a bold ambition: to own the sound of every Six. Because when the ball clears the boundary, not every boundary is the same, not every Six is the same. This nationwide campaign positions Sting? Energy at the center of cricket’s most energetic moments with Sting? Energy sonic becoming the qualifier to define every Six shot.

The campaign’s centerpiece is a high-energy film featuring cricket legends Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri. Set on a cricket ground charged with nostalgia and flair; the film opens with playful banter and escalates into a power-packed sequence of towering Sixes. With every smasher Six, Yuvraj reveals to the audience that longer the Six, louder the ‘STIINNGGG’ signature sonic.

Responding in his unmistakable flair, Shastri calls out the evolving energy of every strike, building the drama and proving that no Sixes sound or feel the same. With every hit, Ravi’s commentary ranges from ‘STINNNNNGGGG’ to ‘STIINNGGG’ to ‘STINGGGGGG’, proving that every moment carries its own.

Together, the dynamic duo brings Sting? Energy’s sonic world to life, showing how the ‘STIINNGGG’ stretches, builds and intensifies with every unique towering hit. By the final strike, it is no longer just a sound effect; it becomes the pulse of the moment, reinforcing Sting? Energy as the unmistakable sound of cricket’s peak energy moments.

Commenting on the announcement, Diksha Bajaj, Category Head – Energy Portfolio, PepsiCo India, said,

 “Cricket is one of the biggest passion points in this country, with the Sixes making for peak energy moments. Our campaign is rooted in the insight that no two sixes are ever the same. Every Six is different in its energy; so, we set out to bring the distinct Sting? sonic identity as a qualifier that redefines every Six. This cricket season, longer the six, louder the ‘STIINNGGG’. So, when you hear a Six, you either go it is a ‘STINNNNNNGGGGG’ Six or a ‘STINGGGG’ Six? We are thrilled to bring this campaign to life with standout cricket icons, Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri, who have brought the right energy to make it a ‘STIINNNGGG’ energy season enjoyed by fans.”

Yuvraj Singh, on the campaign,

“Cricket has always been about big moments and big energy for me, and nothing captures that like a Six. What I love about this campaign is how Sting? Energy has turned that feeling into something fans can actually hear and celebrate together. It’s bold, it’s disruptive and it matches the intensity the game deserves. I look forward to be associated with a brand like Sting Energy? that has built a strong connection with today’s youth culture and brings a unique perspective to everything it does.”

Ravi Shastri, on the campaign,

“For me, commentary on a Six has always been the most exhilarating part of the game. It’s that split second where the energy shifts rapidly as we race to describe the shot, its length, its power to the listeners. This campaign takes that passion and gives it a whole new dimension by adding a distinct sonic. The idea of owning the sound of every Six is powerful and instantly relatable for cricket fans. I’m thrilled to be part of a campaign with Sting? Energy that celebrates the drama, volume and pure of the sport.”

Vikram Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Leo – South Asia, shared,

“To truly bring alive the energy of a six, we gave every six its own ‘STIINNGGG’. And what better way to recreate this than with Yuvraj Singh, the iconic smasher of sixes, paired with Ravi Shastri’s legendary commentary, allowing us to relive most energetic cricketing moments through a fresh, sonic lens.”

The campaign will be rolled out across television, digital and social platforms, aimed at connecting with young audiences who live life at full charge and thrive on energy, passion, and drive.

New development taking its cue from the world’s longest-lived communities

 

Dubai, UAE, Feb 24: Scientific research launched just over 20 years ago to find the places where people live longest, identified five ‘blue zones’ where nature played a fundamental role, and healthy behaviour was built into daily life.

 

American writer, explorer and National Geographic Fellow, Dan Buettner, first coined the term ‘blue zones’ after an expedition in 2000 to investigate historic longevity associated with the remote Japanese islands of Okinawa.

 

With a team of scientists, he then set out to discover other communities where people not only lived longer, but also enjoyed a high quality of life in their old age. 

 

Ultimately, Sardinia, Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and Loma Linda, California joined the list of five ‘blue zones’, and Buettner used the term to found an organisation to create healthy communities across the United States. 

 

The concept is a major influence behind a first of its kind development in Dubai which Talal M.Al Gaddah, CEO and Founder of the Keturah luxury brand, believes will shape luxury community design across the Gulf region and beyond.

 

Keturah Reserve, the AED5.7 billion bio-living community at Mohammed Bin Rashid City’s District 7, the first project of its kind in the Gulf, is under development at a moment when Dubai is making nature and human wellbeing central to how it builds its future.

 

Launched at the recent World Governments Summit, Dubai Municipality’s Blue and Green Spaces Roadmap includes a portfolio of projects valued at more than AED4 billion, showing Dubai as a leading global sustainable city that harnesses nature to enhance human wellbeing.

 

Over the next five years, this will plant 1.5 million trees, create 120 new parks across nearly 3 million square metres, and weave more than 200 sports and recreational spaces into green networks across the city.

 

“It’s a masterful plan, which showcases the ingenuity and innovation which has made Dubai one of the world’s best cities in which to live and work,” said Talal. “This inspires us to create communities offering a new quality of life, where nature and its impact on people’s health is an intrinsic element of design.”

 

Keturah Reserve, itself a veritable explosion of green, is built around the idea that three environmental inputs – air, water, and light – are the foundations of human health. Air purification systems remove not just dust particles but chemical compounds and pathogens that conventional buildings leave untouched. Water infrastructure is treated with similar precision.

 

The community’s lighting adjusts throughout the day to mirror natural daylight, supporting the body’s sleep and wake cycles in ways that standard artificial lighting cannot. Landscaping is just as deliberate, with centuries-old olive trees, thousands of mature trees sourced from Thailand, and green corridors and Japanese-inspired dry gardens built into public spaces.

 

For families there are safe play areas, educational programming spaces, a creche and educational daycare centre. Summer camps, Montessori classes, and a Bio Living Farm, all designed to encourage outdoor activity and learning for children of all ages.

 

“The commercial case is well established, with wellness-centric properties in Dubai commanding price premiums of up to 15%, while branded residences with strong lifestyle credentials are securing premiums of 15% to 25%,” says Talal.

 

“Developments that successfully integrate green infrastructure, walkable streets, and community-focused amenities are expected to outperform the wider market. It’s a trend that shows no sign of slowing as health and longevity move from personal aspiration to primary purchasing criterion for luxury buyers.”

Mumbai, Feb 24: India’s state government debt is rapidly taking on a larger role in country’s overall sovereign borrowing profile. A recent report by Vedartha, the AIF & PMS brand under Bandhan AMC, ‘The Changing Face of State Borrowings’, notes that State Government Securities (SGS) now account for a markedly higher share of sovereign issuances. Historically, the Central Government’s borrowing far outstripped that of the states. But over the last decade, this gap has narrowed significantly. Since FY2015, SGS outstanding has surged roughly five-fold, far outpacing the ~2.7x growth in central government debt. Annual state borrowings have climbed to about ₹12 lakh crore in FY2026E, and it is now approaching parity with central government’s annual borrowings. In short, states are increasingly reliant on market loans to finance deficits, fundamentally altering the overall demand-supply dynamics of India’s bond market.

Along with the rising debt issuance, states are also shifting towards longer-dated borrowings. The report finds that in FY2026, the weighted-average maturity of SGS issuance is expected to be around 16 years, which was around 11 years in FY20. Over half of all issuances are in tenors beyond 10 years now. “This extension is part deliberate and part opportunistic to manage refinancing risk as well as to lock lower yields in the current interest rate down-cycle for longer tenors” said Bhupendra Meel, Chief Investment Officer – Alternates (Fixed Income), Vedartha by Bandhan AMC.

The change in states issuance dynamics has clear implications for investors. The report notes that the combination of buy-and-hold ownership, larger issuance size and longer tenors, along with fragmented issuances & tenor buckets is leading to persistent illiquidity and higher term premiums. SGS volumes continue to remain at fraction of G‑Sec volumes despite large issuance. These characteristics deter active traders, making SGS more suitable for long‑term investors or roll‑down strategies. Investors must therefore emphasize on exit-liquidity, careful state/tenor selection and adequate spreads. The opportunities are most attractive for investors when yields are wide enough to compensate for underlying state credit risk-premium and liquidity constraints.

Looking ahead, the Vedartha report recommends several policy reforms to address these issues. A primary proposal is to create a single standardized yield curve for SGS: the RBI could define 8–10 benchmark maturities for all states and mandate states to issue only in those common tenors. The report also suggests strictly limiting new ISIN creation (for example, to 12 per state per year) to curb fragmentation. To improve pricing transparency, it urges mandatory credit ratings for every state; this would enable market participants to price state bonds more consistently, potentially via a published state credit spread index. State specific credit ratings and credit premium indices would likely push states towards more standardized budget reporting & fiscal disclosures. Crucially, the report proposes structural consolidation: for instance, setting up a pooled “SGS Consolidation Fund” to buy back and merge small legacy issues, and allowing structured switch auctions (swapping illiquid small ISINs for larger benchmark lines). They even recommend that a large majority of each state’s borrowing (e.g. 60%) be done through reissuances of its benchmark securities, greatly reducing outstanding ISIN count over time.

These measures – a unified SGS yield curve, credit-risk differentiation, and aggressive consolidation – are aimed at deepening the state-securities market and increasing the liquidity. In all, the analysis underscores that SGS are no longer a “quiet” segment of borrowing. Investors should be aware of the higher supply, term premiums, illiquidity in state bonds and adjust portfolio strategies accordingly. As articulated in the Vedartha report, it is important to recognize this shift and initiate comprehensive policy reforms for building a resilient sovereign bond ecosystem.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Feb 24: Censys, the authority for internet intelligence and insights, has appointed Meriam ElOuazzani as its first dedicated Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region. In her new role, Meriam will lead the company’s end-to-end regional growth strategy, including revenue expansion, partnerships, and ecosystem building, as well as establishing the organization’s position as thedefault external attack surface intelligence layer for organizations across the region.

“We are delighted to welcome Meriam ElOuazzani as Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. This deepens our investment in a region where Censys has established strong momentum and is strategically positioned for accelerated growth,” said Sarah Ashburn, Chief Revenue Officer at Censys. “Meriam’s proven track record of scaling cybersecurity markets across META, combined with her deep regional insight, makes her the right leader to grow our market presence and meet rising demand for trusted internet intelligence.”

With over two decades of extensive experience in cybersecurity and enterprise technology, Meriam ElOuzzani has consistentlybuiltand scaled markets across the region, assembling the teams, channel ecosystems, and marketing blueprints.Her career trajectory reflects her strong regional leadership through her roles as Senior Regional Director at SentinelOne, where she established the regional go-to-market operation andmultiple leadership roles at VMware across MENA,strengthening the channel, security, and distribution networks to accelerate growth.She has also led the Regional Product Sales for Mobility across the Middle East at Cisco Systems. At Censys, Meriam will focus on expanding strategic partnerships across government and enterprises, including channels, MSSP, and hyperscaler alliances, to scale efficiently across diverse markets.

“The META region is at an inflection point in cybersecurity maturity. Across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, governments and commercial organizations are moving beyond perimeter defense and demanding real-time threat detection and operational visibility into their digital footprint,” said Meriam ElOuazzani, VP META, Censys. “Over the past two decades in this region, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the right intelligence transforms the security operations entirely. Censys’sinternet intelligence platform equips security teams with authoritative, real-time insight into exposure and adversary activity, replacing assumptions with actionable confidence. My mission is to establish Censys as a trusted partner across META, enabling the shift from reactive defense to proactive intelligence.”

Censyshelps security teams identify exposures, monitor changes, and detect threats before they are exploited by continuously mapping internet-facing assets, services, and critical infrastructure. Its platform enables governments and enterprises to make confident decisions by delivering accurate, comprehensive insights into their digital footprint.

Recognized for pioneering internet-scale attack surface mapping and advancing ICS/OT threat intelligence, Censys has earned industry acclaim and built strong partnerships across the cybersecurity ecosystem globally. In the Middle East, Censys has already partnered with Rilian Technologies to bring its internet intelligence and ICS/OT capabilities to sovereign nations and critical infrastructure. With this new appointment, the company is further reinforcing its commitment to supporting national cybersecurity priorities and driving long-term regional growth.

As part of the regional expansion plans, Censys has also appointedRajaee Al-Dalgamounias Regional Sales Lead (META) and Ahmed Ehlayel as Solutions Engineer at Censysto strengthen the regional team under Meriam’s leadership.

By Neeraj Kansal, Founder & CEO, Crack Academy

As India hosts the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Artificial Intelligence is firmly shifting from concept to classroom reality. The gathering of global leaders and policymakers highlights AI’s growing role in driving innovation, access and scale across education.

AI-powered tools such as adaptive learning, real-time translation and personalised mentorship are helping students learn at their own pace, regardless of location. For learners in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, this marks a meaningful step towards reducing geographical barriers to quality education.

At the same time, effective implementation remains key. AI is most impactful when it supports educators, strengthens learning outcomes and complements human mentorship rather than replacing it.

The summit reflects India’s broader shift from adopting technology to building indigenous AI capabilities. Focus on language AI, local innovation and digital infrastructure signals new opportunities for EdTech platforms to create scalable and affordable learning solutions.

At Crack Academy, AI is enabling more personalised preparation, smarter mentorship and wider access to competitive-exam education, helping bridge the gap between aspiration and opportunity.

Even as technology advances, education remains human-centric. The future will be hybrid combining intelligent tools with mentorship where critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence gain importance.

The AI Impact Summit signals intent. With thoughtful adoption, AI can expand access, improve employability and create equitable learning opportunities at scale. India now moves from momentum to execution.

Feb 24: IndiGo, India’s preferred airline, has launched its limited-period sale, ‘Splash into Savings’, enabling customers to plan ahead and travel more affordably on select domestic and international routes. The sale will be open for bookings from 24 February to 27 February 2026, for travel from 3 March to 30 September 2026. The offer is valid on bookings made at least seven days prior to departure and is applicable on non-stop and connecting flights across all booking channels.

As part of the ‘Splash into Savings’ sale, customers can book all-inclusive one-way domestic fares starting at ₹1,999 and international fares starting at ₹4,699. IndiGoStretch fares, offering added comfort on select domestic routes, are also available from ₹9,999.

In addition to special fares, IndiGo is offering attractive discounts on select ancillary services during the sale period. Customers can enjoy up to 70% off on select 6E Add-ons, including Fast Forward services, up to 50% off on pre-paid excess baggage, and up to 15% off on standard seat selection across select domestic and international sectors. Emergency XL (extra legroom) seats are also available starting at ₹500 on select domestic routes. Further, infants aged 0–24 months can travel for just ₹1 on domestic sectors, when bookings are made through IndiGo’s direct channels.

Bookings can be made conveniently through the IndiGo website, mobile app, AI-powered assistant 6ESkai, via IndiGo WhatsApp at +91 70651 45858, or through select travel partner websites and apps.