What AI-agents and blockchain in a ‘Post Web’ world means for tech-savvy Middle East

Special What AI-agents and blockchain in a ‘Post Web’ world means for tech-savvy Middle East
Outlier Ventures CEO and founder Jamie Burke discussing in a video what Post Web is all about. (Screen grab from Outlier Ventures video)
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Updated 15 January 2025
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What AI-agents and blockchain in a ‘Post Web’ world means for tech-savvy Middle East

What AI-agents and blockchain in a ‘Post Web’ world means for tech-savvy Middle East
  • Web3 redefined the internet with “read, write, own,” but Post Web takes it further, enabling users to “delegate” tasks through AI agents
  • Post Web shifts from attention-driven platforms to intention-based systems, with AI agents handling tasks autonomously

RIYADH: As blockchain and cryptocurrency drive the internet toward decentralization, the shift from Web 3.0 to Post Web is underway. And with a young, tech-savvy population and substantial investments in advanced technologies, the Middle East is poised for early adoption.

Building on this vision of a self-organizing, user-centered internet, Outlier Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm and accelerator specializing in Web3 and blockchain ecosystems, has announced the launch of its “Post Web Thesis.”

As predicted in Outlier Ventures’ 2016 “Convergence Thesis,” advancements in AI are merging with Web3 infrastructure to simplify the latter’s complexity.

Intuitive interfaces and automation now manage tasks like signing transactions, handling fees and bridging chains, making digital property rights and Web3 applications — or decentralized apps — more accessible and scalable through delegation.

“AI agents can now serve users by acting on their intent with a blend of deterministic precision and adaptive flexibility through hyper-contextual experiences,” Jamie Burke, Outlier Ventures founder and Chairman, told Arab News.

“In essence, in the Post Web, users won’t just read, write and own — they will also have the ability to delegate.”

An AI agent, Burke says, is intelligent, autonomous software powered by AI to interpret intentions, gather context and execute tasks across decentralized networks, either independently or on behalf of users, with varying degrees of sovereignty.

Those agents will initially handle simple tasks, such as booking appointments, but can gain economic agency over time by interacting with distributed ledger technology such as blockchain, enabling users to perform tasks without a centralized authority.

Burke highlighted the Middle East and North Africa region as a prime candidate for early adoption of the Post Web, citing its young, tech-savvy population and significant investments in advanced technologies.

The region’s advantages could position it as a global hub for Post Web innovation and development, he said.

Opinion

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Web3 defines the web’s “read-write-own” era. Its original goal was to create a decentralized internet using blockchain technology, giving users digital property rights and greater control over their data and assets.

Unlike Web 2.0’s reliance on centralized platforms, Web3, the latest evolution of the World Wide Web since Tim Berners-Lee’s creation in 1989, leverages blockchain technology to enable peer-to-peer interactions without intermediaries.

“Web3’s promise was to ‘unbundle’ the centralized platforms of the Web2 era, promoting greater control for users and peer-to-peer economic interactions,” Burke said.

“But a decade on we can see that mass adoption of its applications just isn’t going to be possible in its current form because, whilst it was a functional upgrade to the internet, Web3 ultimately still isn’t usable for the majority of the people.”

This sets the stage for the “Post Web Thesis,” which examines how the convergence of Web3 and AI could transform the internet.

Rather than operating within the constraints of the “attention economy,” this new paradigm envisions a shift toward an “intention economy” — one where user purpose and goals drive engagement and value creation.

“This shift will reimagine the web, moving from today’s human-centered interactions to a world where machines and autonomous agents act on our behalf through intent-based architectures,” said Burke.

This means that, in the near future, much of the consumer internet could be outsourced to intelligent agents that bypass search engines, price comparison websites and applications, instead accessing application programming interfaces and other agents directly to find information and compare services.

The Post Web’s intention economy seeks to prioritize users’ needs by seamlessly aligning their goals with counterparties through contextual, dynamic interfaces. This approach enables more valuable interactions while minimizing waste and reducing exploitation.

“This marks a profound shift toward an internet that organizes itself around solving real user needs, rather than mindlessly harvesting attention,” Burke said.

“We still believe that humans will interact with the web, but rather than spending hours searching for the best insurance for example or flights for a holiday, time will be spent with much more enriching engagements that people enjoy doing social, gaming and immersive shopping.”

And as AI agents handle most transactional activities and routine tasks in the background, the traditional web will largely fade away, making room for the “Thin Web.”

Inspired by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this streamlined web offers varying levels of immersion based on users’ personal and environmental contexts.

A simple example of how the Post Web will transform online experiences is booking a family holiday.

Traditional websites are often cluttered with ads for packages that do not fully meet a family’s needs, forcing users to make rushed or suboptimal decisions. Search engines, driven by optimization practices, frequently prioritize results based on rankings rather than quality.

“Paid advertisements and manipulation of organic rankings through search optimization often overwhelm users,” Burke said.

“While price comparison websites may seem like an alternative, these platforms also complicate matters. They typically prioritize results based on auction placements, and comparisons are rarely like-for-like.”

If a user is purchasing holiday insurance for a family with diverse ages and interests, a basic plan might not cover an advanced scuba diver, a beginner and another child who prefers surfing.

The more multidimensional and diverse the trip, the more complex and time-consuming the planning becomes.

In an intention economy, an AI agent compares policies across multiple dimensions, such as payout structures, activity-specific coverage and unique risk factors, Burke said.

“For example, they could recommend a product tailored to a family with an experienced scuba diver and novice scuba diver, factoring in skill level, diving conditions based on weather reports, and other nuances to ensure optimal coverage.”

In terms of cost-effectiveness, Burke says the Post Web eliminates inefficiencies in the consumer internet and “software as a service” sectors. It removes unnecessary intermediaries and aligns outcomes with user needs, resulting in faster, cheaper and better solutions.

DID YOUKNOW?

• In Outlier Ventures’ Post Web era, AI-driven agents will render search obsolete by acting directly on intent.

• The convergence of AI and blockchain will enable the agentic internet, where machines autonomously transact and collaborate.

• AI and Web3 could push organizations toward superfluidity, reducing friction and linking ideas and resources to fuel growth.

By enabling sellers to reach users without relying on interruptive advertising, it reduces costs for both buyers and sellers.

AI agents optimize the technology stack — compute, storage and networking — and replace inefficient centralized cloud systems. This benefits users and sellers but is a major loss for platforms profiting from the attention economy.

In addition to being a more cost-effective solution, the Post Web will lead to what Burke calls a “Supercycle.”

Burke believes these technologies will drive widespread adoption, bringing billions of users and real-world assets on-chain. This presents a valuable investment opportunity in digital assets, which will become crucial for powering the internet and its virtual supply chains.

Since these assets will reflect real-world supply and demand, they can be analyzed like traditional commodities, paving the way for billions in institutional and retail investments through exchange-traded funds and stock market indexes.

“It’s important to see the transition into the Post Web as a vision that will evolve and adapt over time,” he said.

“Web3 was first introduced 10 years ago and while we are sharing our vision for the Post Web now, we see this as an evolution that will evolve over the next 10 years.

“During this time the web as we know it will continue to evolve as AI agents manage more and more tasks on users’ behalf, and the most relevant technologies will converge into the Post Web, but others will become obsolete such as the app store and search.”
 

 


NGOs, civil society groups urge EU to end trade with Israeli settlements

NGOs, civil society groups urge EU to end trade with Israeli settlements
Updated 19 sec ago
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NGOs, civil society groups urge EU to end trade with Israeli settlements

NGOs, civil society groups urge EU to end trade with Israeli settlements
  • Bloc is violating ICJ ruling by allowing goods to enter European market, letter warns
  • Human Rights Watch: EU should ‘live up to its obligations under international law’

LONDON: More than 160 NGOs, civil society groups and trade unions have urged the EU to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories.

The appeal came in a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

She was urged to take action to ensure that Europe complies with international law by ending its support for Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise.

It comes amid renewed international attention on the Palestinian question in the wake of the Gaza ceasefire.

Palestinians “continue suffering” in the enclave despite the “fragile” ceasefire, while in the West Bank Israeli authorities have “expanded their illegal settlements and intensified their repression of Palestinians,” Human Rights Watch said.

EU member states have repeatedly condemned Israeli settlements through unanimous voting. Two rounds of targeted sanctions against Israeli settlers were also launched by the bloc.

Last July, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation is illegal, and called for the dismantling of settlements.

States have an obligation to prevent trade “that assists in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the court said.

Existing EU policies breach this obligation, groups said in the letter, warning that goods exported from Israeli settlements are not excluded from entering the European market.

HRW said: “Amid sharp divisions, the EU has been unable to adopt measures that respond to Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide in Gaza.

“But the bloc should at least be coherent with its own statements, and live up to its obligations under international law, by banning trade and business with settlements, which are inexorably linked to egregious rights abuses.”


Syria’s Sharaa to discuss defense pact with Turkiye’s Erdogan, sources say

Syria’s Sharaa to discuss defense pact with Turkiye’s Erdogan, sources say
Updated 27 min 5 sec ago
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Syria’s Sharaa to discuss defense pact with Turkiye’s Erdogan, sources say

Syria’s Sharaa to discuss defense pact with Turkiye’s Erdogan, sources say

AMMAN/BEIRUT/DAMASCUS: Syria’s transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are expected to discuss a joint defense pact in Ankara on Tuesday, including establishing Turkish air bases in central Syria and training for Syria’s new army, four sources familiar with the matter said.
NATO member Turkiye has long backed Syria’s armed and political opposition to ousted leader Bashar Assad, who was toppled in late December in a lightning offensive spearheaded by Sharaa’s forces.
Ankara is positioning itself to play a major role in the new Syria, filling a vacuum left by Assad’s main regional backer Iran, in an expansion of Turkish sway that could spark rivalry with Gulf Arab states and put Israel on edge.
The sources — a Syrian security official, two Damascus-based foreign security sources and a senior regional intelligence official — spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media about the meeting.
This is the first time that elements of any strategic defense arrangement by Syria’s new leaders, including details of additional Turkish bases, have come to light.
The pact could see Turkiye establish new air bases in Syria, use Syrian airspace for military purposes, and take a lead role in training troops in Syria’s new army, the sources said.
Syria’s new leadership has dissolved the army and its various rebel factions, and is working on integrating them into a new military command.
The sources said the deal was not expected to be finalized on Tuesday.

TURKISH AIR BASES IN SYRIA
The regional intelligence official, the Syrian security official and one of the Damascus-based foreign security sources said the talks would include setting up two Turkish bases in Syria’s vast central desert region, known as the Badiyah.
An official in Syria’s presidency told Reuters that Sharaa would discuss Turkiye’s “training of the new Syrian army, as well as new areas of deployment and cooperation” with Erdogan, without specifying the deployment locations.
The Turkish presidency and Syrian defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue.
The Turkish presidency’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said on Monday that Erdogan and Sharaa would discuss the latest developments in Syria and possible joint measures to rebuild Syria’s economy and achieve stability and security.
A Turkish defense ministry official familiar with the talks between both defense ministries told Reuters he did not have information on Turkish bases in Syria and training for Syrian troops as part of a possible defense pact.

TURKEY’S AIR DEFENSE ROLE
The senior regional intelligence official, the Syrian security official and one of the Damascus-based foreign security sources said the bases under discussion would allow Turkiye to defend Syria’s air space in case of any future attacks.
Assad’s other main backer — Russia — is also in talks with the new Damascus administration about the fate of its two military bases in Syria, a naval base in Tartous and an air base near the port city of Latakia, the Kremlin said on Monday.
In an interview in January, Syria’s defense minister Murhaf Abu Qasra told Reuters the country’s new leaders would seek to build strong ties in the region, “and that through these ties, we will be able to build our military force well.”
If these ties lead to a partnership “on arming, training, air defense or other issues — we would welcome it,” Abu Qasra said, without mentioning Turkiye.
The regional intelligence official said the possible air base locations were the Palmyra military airport and the Syrian army’s T4 base, both in the province of Homs.

MESSAGE TO KURDISH FIGHTERS
The official said Ankara was keen to set up bases there as a message to Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria, known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Ankara views them as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is deemed a terrorist group by both Turkiye and the US
Turkiye has threatened a military offensive against the YPG, but has held off as talks are underway to address the fate of the Kurdish forces.
The Turkish defense ministry official told Reuters that Turkish and Syrian military delegations exchanged views last week on “what can be done in defense and security matters, especially in the joint fight against terrorist organizations that pose a threat to both Syria and Turkiye.”
“Our meetings will continue within the framework of the needs that will occur in coming period,” the official added.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said in December that Turkiye was “ready to provide the necessary support if the new (Syrian) administration requested it.
Ankara may discuss and reevaluate the issue of Turkiye’s military presence in Syria with the new Syrian administration “when necessary conditions arise,” Guler said at the time.


Israeli military says troops shoot dead gunman in West Bank

Israeli military says troops shoot dead gunman in West Bank
Updated 04 February 2025
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Israeli military says troops shoot dead gunman in West Bank

Israeli military says troops shoot dead gunman in West Bank

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said Tuesday that its troops had killed a gunman who critically wounded two soldiers when he opened fire at a military post in the occupied West Bank.
“A terrorist fired at soldiers at a military post in Tayasir. The soldiers exchanged fire with the terrorist and killed him,” the military said in a statement.
Israeli emergency services said six people were treated at the scene and evacuated to hospitals for treatment.
Israeli army radio reported that two of the soldiers were in critical condition.
Israeli forces have been engaged in what the army says is “an operation to thwart terrorism” in the northern area of the West Bank, primarily in the area of Jenin, long a hotbed of militancy.
On Sunday, the army said that it had killed at least 50 “militants” since it launched an operation on January 21, while the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah said Israeli forces have killed 70 people in the territory since the start of the year.
The operation has also seen troops levelling buildings in a refugee camp adjacent to Jenin.
The offensive has drawn sharp condemnation from the Palestinian Authority, which called Israel’s actions “ethnic cleansing.”
Violence has surged across the West Bank since war began in Gaza with the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 884 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the war, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
At least 30 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids in the territory over the same period, according to official Israeli figures.


Israel preparing to send team to Doha to discuss ceasefire

Israel preparing to send team to Doha to discuss ceasefire
Updated 04 February 2025
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Israel preparing to send team to Doha to discuss ceasefire

Israel preparing to send team to Doha to discuss ceasefire
  • Talks on a second phase, paving the way to a possible end to the war, are due to begin on Tuesday

JERUSALEM: Israel is preparing to send a high-level delegation to the Qatari capital Doha to discuss continued implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday.
Under the terms of the original deal that sealed a 42-day truce and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, talks on a second phase, paving the way to a possible end to the war, are due to begin on Tuesday.


From urban bars to country weddings, Moroccan folk singers break barriers and keep traditions alive

From urban bars to country weddings, Moroccan folk singers break barriers and keep traditions alive
Updated 04 February 2025
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From urban bars to country weddings, Moroccan folk singers break barriers and keep traditions alive

From urban bars to country weddings, Moroccan folk singers break barriers and keep traditions alive
  • Those who come to hear them sing say cheikha can serve as a community’s truth-tellers, singing about often unspoken dynamics related to marriage, agriculture or, historically, colonial resistance
  • Morocco’s music scene is increasingly embracing Middle Eastern pop and rap by North African artists from throughout the diaspora

SIDI YAHYA ZAER, Morocco: Mbarka Moullablad’s family frowned when she first told them she planned to make a living as a cheikha, singing about love, pain, and societal change to the melodies of her ancestors under the stage name “Thouria.”
Women like her are the stewards of one of Morocco’s most cherished oral traditions: a form of folk singing known as aita, which means a “cry” or “lament” in Arabic. From smoky bars and cabarets in Morocco’s largest cities to the gatherings in the country’s rural regions, they croon at weddings, festivals and private events and pub nights, hypnotizing audiences both humble and wealthy.

Girls dance during a traditional performance known as Aita, in Tamesna, south of the capital Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)

But despite aita’s position in Moroccan culture, the genre’s popularity does not always translate into acceptance for those who perform it. Cheikha are often stigmatized, eroticized, and pushed to society’s margins. That was once a fear for Moullablad, but she says her community in Sidi Yahya Zaer, a farming town on Morocco’s Atlantic plains, has mostly accepted her.

“My family did not agree at first and I used to suffer from society’s judgment, but now everything is good,” Moullablad said on the sidelines of a recent performance south of Morocco’s capital, Rabat. “I do it in order to earn money for my children.”

Cheikha folk singer Mbarka "Thouria" Moullablad applies makeup as she prepares for a traditional performance known as Aita, in Sidi Yahya Zaer, south of the capital Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)

A form of sung poetry, aita has long explored themes of societal triumphs, ironies, and unspoken struggles, including those related to relationships and economic hardship. Cheikha don heavy stage makeup, silk caftans, and golden takchita belts as they sing about their community’s agonies and triumphs. They sway their hips to amplify emotion, dancing seductively or cheerfully depending on the context.
When Moullablad performs, men and women lean in as her voice softens, captivated as she climbs octaves into a full-throated howl. The beads wrapped around her sister Fatiha’s belly shake as she dances. The band leader, another singer, backs her with his own poetry while a drummer keeps the beat, a guitarist strums, and a violinist drags his bow in sync.

A music band prepares for a traditional performance known as Aita, in Sidi Yahya Zaer, south of the capital Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)

Those who come to hear them sing say cheikha can serve as a community’s truth-tellers, singing about often unspoken dynamics related to marriage, agriculture or, historically, colonial resistance. Moullablad sings in Moroccan Arabic, embodying traditions specific to her community. But cheikha across the North African Kingdom also perform in the indigenous Amazigh language, adapting the music and lyrics to reflect their region.
The art form has inspired contemporary acts like the electro-infused “Aita, Mon Amour” and Kabareh Cheikhats, a troupe of male actors who pay homage, dress and sing in the tune of Morocco’s most celebrated 20th century women folk singers. It is also the subject of Morocco’s submission for this year’s Academy Awards, “Everybody Loves Touda,” which follows a single mother who leaves her town in the Atlas Mountains to pursue her dream of singing in bars, cabarets, and hotels in Casablanca.

Moroccan tea is distributed during a traditional performance known as Aita, in Tamesna, south of the capital Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)

“I was always amazed by their strength and the power that they have toward people when they open their mouths. Whether they are modern or conservative people, they all stand up and get into a kind of trance like gospel,” Nabil Ayouch, the film’s director, said in an interview when the film premiered at the Marrakech Film Festival last year.

Morocco’s music scene is increasingly embracing Middle Eastern pop and rap by North African artists from throughout the diaspora. And rural communities are shrinking amid the country’s rapid development and urbanization. But though the future of aita may seem uncertain, its musicians and listeners remain confident that it will endure.
“Aita will not die because it is renewed by young people. Aita will remain in all times and is loved by old people and young people as well. It is developed and improved, but they preserve its origins,” said Rachid Kadari, a Cheikh who also sings aita.