From Voice App to National Platform: The Story of Botim and Its G42 Reinvention

Botim launched in 2017 as one of the only VoIP apps legally allowed in the UAE, filling a gap left by blocked services like WhatsApp and Skype. Created by U.S.-based Algento, it quickly gained traction across the Middle East and South Asia, especially among expats. During the COVID-19 pandemic, its group calling features (up to 500 users) made it essential infrastructure for remote communication. By the early 2020s, Botim had grown to tens of millions of users across the region.

In 2022, Astra Tech was founded in Abu Dhabi by Jordanian entrepreneur Abdallah Abu Sheikh with backing from G42 and a $500 million funding round. Astra quickly acquired local fintech PayBy and home services platform Rizek, then in January 2023, it bought Botim. At that point, Botim had 90 million registered users and 25 million monthly active users.

Astra’s ambition was to transform Botim into a regional “Ultra App”—folding in payments, food delivery, visa services, government transactions, and more. Botim expanded to support users in 155 countries and surpassed 150 million users by late 2024. Then came the pivot: in November 2024, G42 acquired full ownership by buying out Abdallah Abu Sheikh’s shares. He stepped down, and Astra Tech CTO Long Roan took over interim leadership.

Now under full Emirati control and backed by G42’s AI empire (recently bolstered by Microsoft’s $1.5B investment), Botim is no longer just a chat app—it’s becoming national infrastructure for the UAE’s digital and geopolitical ambitions.