AD Ports Group has increased its global network to 36 ports and terminals with the addition of Aqaba Multipurpose Port in Jordan, marking another step in the Abu Dhabi-based operator’s overseas expansion strategy. Ahmed Al Mutawa, Regional Chief Executive Officer of AD Ports Group, said the company’s footprint now stretches across the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Europe, covering the UAE, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Spain, […]
Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence firm Origen has raised $50 million from Bluefive Capital, marking one of the larger disclosed growth investments in the emirate’s emerging AI ecosystem and signalling fresh momentum for technology ventures anchored in the Gulf. The funding, confirmed by both companies, will be directed towards expanding Origen’s operations, deepening research and development capabilities, and accelerating commercial deployments across the Middle East and other target […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai APM Terminals has agreed to acquire a 37.5 per cent stake in the South Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, marking a strategic partnership with DP World in one of the Red Sea’s most significant trade gateways. The deal, confirmed by both companies on Wednesday, will see the subsidiary of Denmark-based shipping group A. P. Moller-Maersk join DP World in the ownership of […]
Washington has begun withdrawing military forces from Syria, marking a strategic recalibration as the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa asserts control over security operations and the campaign against extremist groups. Officials in the Trump administration confirmed that the reduction in troop levels reflects a reassessment of the United States’ role in a country where American forces have operated for nearly a decade. The deployment, initially aimed at […]
OpenClaw, a widely used open-source autonomous AI assistant, has pushed out version 2026.2.17 with expanded capabilities that include support for Anthropic’s latest Claude Sonnet 4.6 model and enhancements across messaging platforms and automation workflows. The update, made available by lead developer Peter Steinberger on February 17, 2026, was designed to address user demand for broader model integration and improved context handling, but it arrives as the software […]
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the United States continue to hold around $85 billion in assets despite a sharp downturn in the price of Bitcoin, highlighting a divergence between investor behaviour in regulated funds and the broader cryptocurrency market. The resilience of these funds, which trade on regulated exchanges and offer exposure to Bitcoin without direct ownership of the digital currency, underscores both the growing institutional participation […]
Two of Abu Dhabi’s most influential investment vehicles significantly boosted their exposure to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust during the fourth quarter of 2025, pushing their combined bitcoin exchange-traded fund holdings above the $1 billion mark at the close of the calendar year. The moves, disclosed through quarterly filings with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission, underscore a broader shift among sovereign players toward regulated digital assets […]
WIESBADEN, GERMANY – EQS Newswire – 18 February 2026 – comforte AG, a global leader in data-centric security, and ITSS Global, a premier Temenos delivery partner, have announced a collaboration to help retail, commercial and private banks using Temenos Transact eliminate the risks associated with clear-text personally identifiable information (PII) and payment data across core banking systems and their connected environments.
As banks accelerate digital transformation and data-driven programs such as fraud prevention and AI, exposure of sensitive data across systems has become a growing concern. Regulators and industry standards worldwide are also raising the bar for how banks protect sensitive data and prove control across connected environments, including PCI DSS, privacy requirements, and resilience expectations. The comforte and ITSS collaboration addresses these challenges with a co-developed solution that extends data protection into Temenos Transact environments without complex customization.
Delivered by ITSS as part of its Temenos services, the integration leverages comforte’s TAMUNIO technology for centralized policy management, tokenization, and controlled de-tokenization, keeping sensitive data protected across environments while still supporting reporting, analytics, and downstream processing, including fraud detection workflows and AI-driven insights built on Transact data.
Turning Security into an Enabler
“The modern threat landscape demands a shift from securing systems to securing the data itself,” said Henning Horst, CTO at comforte. “Today’s regulators and auditors expect readable data to stay out of places it doesn’t belong. Together with ITSS, we help banks prove that control and move faster on analytics, fraud initiatives, and AI programs using protected data.”
Safe Implementation into Temenos Transact
“As banks modernize their Temenos environments, the real security challenge is no longer the perimeter. It is protecting sensitive data as it moves across core systems, analytics platforms, and the cloud,” said Somasundaram M, Regional Sales Director, MEA at ITSS. “Through our partnership with comforte, we enable Temenos clients to embed data-centric tokenization directly into their transformation journeys. This significantly reduces breach exposure, supports compliance with evolving regulatory mandates such as PCI DSS 4.0 and GDPR, and allows banks to adopt cloud, analytics, and AI-driven use cases without compromising data sovereignty or performance.”
To learn more or request a briefing, visit comforte.com. You can alsocontact us via email: [email protected] / [email protected].Hashtag: #comforteAG
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
comforte AG is a leading provider of data-centric security solutions that empower enterprises to protect sensitive information throughout its lifecycle while maintaining its usability for business operations. Headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, comforte is a trusted partner for global enterprises across various industries. The TAMUNIO data security platform automates the discovery, classification and protection of data within complex IT environments. With over 25 years of expertise, comforte safeguards data for over 300 global customers, including industry leaders like Visa and Mastercard, enabling them to drive digital transformation, optimize operations, and achieve sustainable growth with confidence.
For more information, visit comforte.com and follow comforte AG on LinkedIn.
About ITSS
ITSS Global is a Geneva-headquartered technology services and solutions provider with a presence in more than 25 strategic locations worldwide. Since 2001, ITSS Global has delivered best-in-class outcomes through deep banking expertise and strong technical capabilities, supporting organizations with end-to-end IT modernization and operational excellence. The company provides expertise across infrastructure, cybersecurity, and managed services—helping clients enhance performance, strengthen security, and scale with confidence.
A multi-certified Temenos partner, ITSS Global has supported 300+ clients globally as a system integrator across the full Temenos suite, while also delivering complementary solutions that extend and enhance the Temenos core—enabling future-ready banking transformation through cloud adaptability, AI enablement, and continuous innovation.
For more information, visit 
www.itssglobal.com and follow ITSS on 
LinkedIn and 
X.
Bitcoin retreated ahead of the US market open, mirroring declines in equity futures as traders returned from a three-day break to a more fragile macro backdrop marked by geopolitical strain and shifting rate expectations. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell below key technical levels in early trading, extending a pullback that began over the weekend. The move coincided with weakness in US stock-index futures and a firmer dollar, […]
United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are set to dominate Middle East sustainable bond issuance this year, with total regional volumes projected to reach between $20 billion and $25 billion, according to S&P Global, as governments and corporations accelerate funding for climate and energy transition goals. The ratings agency estimates that the two largest Gulf economies already accounted for about 80 per cent of sustainable bond issuance […]
An Iraqi-Emirati consortium is advancing plans for a $700 million subsea and terrestrial data cable connecting the United Arab Emirates to Turkey through Iraq, signalling intensifying competition among Gulf states to dominate regional digital infrastructure. One of the project’s backers confirmed that the system would run from the UAE across Iraqi territory before linking into Turkey’s networks, providing a new high-capacity route between the Gulf and […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai China’s Belt and Road Initiative recorded $213.5 billion in engagement during 2025, the highest annual level since its launch more than a decade ago, as a wave of construction contracts and energy investments reshaped the geographic balance of the programme and propelled the Middle East into the top ranks of recipients. Data compiled in the China Belt and Road Initiative Investment Report […]
Apple has rolled out a new feature in its latest iOS developer beta that allows users to generate customised Apple Music playlists using a simple text prompt, marking a deeper push into artificial intelligence-driven music curation. Called Playlist Playground within the beta software, the tool enables subscribers to type short descriptions such as “upbeat electronic for a late-night drive” or “soft acoustic tracks for Sunday morning” and […]
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Ford Motor is developing a new universal electric vehicle architecture through a tightly held internal programme designed to cut costs, boost range and stem heavy losses in its battery-powered division, according to executives and industry analysts familiar with the effort. The initiative, led by a small “skunkworks” team operating with a high degree of autonomy, centres on a flexible platform intended to underpin multiple vehicle types. Senior […]
NASHVILLE — Nakamoto Inc. has agreed to acquire BTC Inc, the global Bitcoin media and events group, and UTXO Management GP, an asset management and advisory firm focused on Bitcoin ventures, in an all-stock transaction valued at about $107.3 million. The merger agreements were signed on 17 February by the Nasdaq-listed firm as it seeks to build a diversified Bitcoin-centric operating company spanning media, finance and advisory services. Under […]
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Dragonfly Capital has secured $650 million for its fourth investment vehicle, pressing ahead with fresh commitments to digital asset infrastructure even as senior partners describe the current venture climate in crypto as a “mass extinction event”. The San Francisco and Singapore-based firm said the new capital will be directed towards foundational blockchain systems, stablecoins, on-chain financial services and tokenised real-world assets, signalling a long-term strategy despite persistent […]
Brussels has thrust the European Union’s carbon market into a fresh political battle, as leaders weigh changes to the bloc’s Emissions Trading System amid economic headwinds and mounting pressure from industry. Debate intensified at a summit of EU heads of state and government last week, where divisions surfaced over how far to adjust the Emissions Trading System, widely regarded as the centrepiece of Europe’s climate policy. European […]
Leading British boarding schools are set to deepen educational engagement with Nigerian parents and students this March through a series of exhibitions and interactive events in Abuja and Lagos, as part of UK Boarding Schools Week 2026. The initiative, driven by Mark Brooks Education, aims to provide a platform for direct dialogue between families and school leaders about admissions, academic pathways and boarding life. The programme is […]
Researchers tracking more than 400 toddlers have found no evidence that receiving an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during or just before pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder or developmental delays, offering what clinicians describe as strong reassurance for expectant mothers. The large prospective study, conducted across multiple clinical centres and involving detailed follow-up assessments of infants born during the pandemic, examined speech and language development, motor […]
Mozilla has issued an emergency update to its Firefox browser to address a critical heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the libvpx video codec library, urging users and organisations to apply the patch without delay. The fix, delivered through version 147.0.4 of Firefox and corresponding patches for the Extended Support Release branches, closes a flaw tracked as CVE-2026-2447 that could be exploited without user interaction on vulnerable builds […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform Khorfakkan into a city encircled by dense forests designed to enhance air quality and promote a sense of wellbeing among residents. Addressing an audience that included environmental planners and gardening enthusiasts, the Ruler outlined a long-term vision in which the coastal city, […]
