GLOBAL CIO EXPERTISE, DRIVING INNOVATION FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET
CONSULTING | RESEARCH | ON DEMAND
RESEARCH
INSIGHT & BENCHMARKING
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
GOVERNANCE
RISK & COMPLIANCE
CYBER SECURITY
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
DEOPS & DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
ERP & CRM
A call for action
The global cloud market is on a meteoric rise, projected to reach $1.266 trillion by 2028. While cloud adoption in the Middle East initially faced challenges, the tide is turning, with businesses in the region accelerating their cloud strategies. A recent PWC report found that 90% of companies in the region have moved beyond the basic "lift and shift" migration strategy and are now focusing on modernizing applications and developing cloud-native solutions.
However, despite this rapid transformation, one segment of the market seems to be lagging behind—channel partners. While many distributors have discussed plans to become cloud aggregators, few have successfully executed this transition. This represents a missed opportunity in a market that is rapidly evolving toward multi-cloud adoption, hybrid infrastructure, and industry-specific cloud solutions.
Companies in the Middle East are no longer looking at cloud as a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, they are diversifying their cloud portfolios, leveraging multiple cloud providers and integrating public, private, and on-premises infrastructure. This approach allows them to optimize costs, performance, and security while ensuring compliance with regional data sovereignty regulations.
However, with increased complexity comes a greater need for expertise, and this is where channel partners must step up. Organizations require specialized partners who can guide them through multi-cloud strategies, security challenges, AI-driven cloud solutions, and sectorspecific requirements.
A well-developed channel ecosystem is essential for cloud service providers. The cloud business is no longer just about reselling infrastructure; it requires expertise, strategic consulting, and value-added services. Channel partners must specialize in key cloud services, whether it's security, AI, SaaS, or hybrid infrastructure. Rather than trying to be generalists, they should develop expertise in specific areas to provide maximum value. Leveraging existing customer relationships is also crucial, as many enterprises already trust their current IT vendors. This creates an opportunity for partners to upsell managed cloud services, security solutions, and cloud consulting.
Embracing cloud aggregation is another important step. With the cloud market expanding rapidly, partners need to offer bundled cloud solutions that integrate services from multiple providers to meet evolving customer demands. Additionally, investing in skills and certifications is essential. Cloud technologies are constantly evolving, and partners must stay ahead by continuously upgrading their knowledge and capabilities.
As the Middle East cloud market matures, the opportunity for channel partners, VARs, and system integrators is massive. However, those who fail to adapt, specialize, and add value will struggle to remain competitive.
JEEVAN THANKAPPAN
jeevan@gecmediagroup.com
PUBLISHER
TUSHAR SAHOO tushar@gecmediagroup.com
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
RONAK SAMANTARAY ronak@gecmediagroup.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Jeevan Thankappan jeevan@gcemediagroup.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR
SEHRISH TARIQ sehrish@gcemediagroup.com
GLOBAL HEAD, CONTENT AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCES ANUSHREE DIXIT anushree@gecmediagroup.com
A PUBLICATION LICENSED BY International Media Production Zone, Dubai, UAE @copyright 2013 Accent Infomedia. All rights reserved. while the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracyof all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.
FUN & WEEKENDS THRILL JOIN
CAAS Middle East IT Industry Foresight 2025 launch: Defining the next era of digital transformation
CaaS Research unveiled key findings from its Middle East IT Industry Report 2025 at a readout event held at the DIFC Academy. The report, based on insights from over 450 tech leaders across various industry verticals in the region, highlights the strategic trends shaping the IT industry, including cybersecurity, AI, digital transformation, cloud computing, and IoT.
The event began with a keynote address
by Charbel Zreiby from Dell Technologies, who emphasized the growing importance of AI in the IT industry. He predicted that AI will surpass cloud computing and digital transformation as the top priority for CIOs and IT executives in the coming years.
The event unfolded through a series of insightful panel discussions:
Panel 1: CIOs Shaping the IT Industry
Moderated by Kenneth Lindegaard (CIO, Space42), this session explored how CIOs are balancing innovation with operational
demands. Topics included legacy system modernization and the rising importance of cloud-native architectures. The discussion also emphasized that true AI integration requires a solid foundation in digital transformation.
Panel 2: Cybersecurity Horizon 2025
Cybersecurity took center stage as experts examined strategies to counter evolving threats. Moderated by Faisal Khan (Dubai World Trade Center), the discussion highlighted the dual challenge
of defending against AI-powered attacks while ensuring compliance with stringent regional regulations. Panelists advocated for proactive security measures, including zero-trust frameworks and AI-driven threat detection, to safeguard critical infrastructure and data.
Panel 3: AI in Action
The final panel, led by Aditya Kaushik (CIO, Zakher Marine), explored AI’s transformative potential across industries. Discussions focused on ethical considerations in AI deployment, the democratization of generative AI tools, and the importance of building robust data pipelines to drive innovation. Case studies from healthcare, logistics, and finance showcased how AI is improving efficiency and reshaping competitive landscapes.
Unveiling
the
CaaS Middle East
IT Industry Foresight 2025
The highlight of the evening was the release of the CaaS Middle East IT Industry Report 2025, a comprehensive analysis derived from firsthand insights provided by CIOs.
Shoeb Mohammad Choudhari, Lead Research Analyst at CaaS, detailed the report’s methodology, emphasizing its foundation in firsthand industry expertise.
Jayakumar Mohanachandran, Chief Research Officer at CAAS, who presented
key findings from the report, stated: “We are discussing a very strong primary research effort, which is quite rare to see in most other organizations conducting similar studies. Amidst the constant noise of information overload, CAAS prioritizes direct access to primary data research—cutting through the clutter of secondary sources—while ensuring high-quality paraphrasing to deliver accurate, clear, and impactful insights. The key distinction here is that the findings emerging from this research are co-created, leveraging years of expertise and experience from industry leaders. This collective knowledge is then brought to market, highlighting the true power of this research.”
LOT OF INFORMATION IS GOING TO AND FRO BUT CaaS
bring you close to primary data reaseach and belives in quality
The key findings of the report include:
• 73% of Middle East enterprises prioritize AI and generative AI adoption by 2025, with investments focused on infrastructure, governance, and talent development.
• Cybersecurity budgets are expected to surge by 40%, as organizations prepare for sophisticated ransomware attacks and state-sponsored cyber threats.
• Public cloud migration will accelerate,
with 60% of IT workloads expected to transition by mid-2025, driven by scalability and cost-efficiency needs.
Venkatesh Mahadevan, founding board member of IamCaaS, highlighted the significance of the report: “This is the only regional research report curated and produced by the region’s leading CIOs in collaboration with our CaaS Research team. This exclusive report serves as a strategic guide, offering actionable insights to help enterprises, governments, and SMEs navigate the complexities of the Middle East’s IT landscape and achieve sustainable, technology-driven growth.”
Shaping the future of connectivity with 5G network APIs
Lucky La Riccia , Vice President and Head of Cloud Software and Services at Ericsson Middle East and Africa
Digitalization is a driving force for positive change around the world. The previous generation of mobile technology digitalized the consumer and gave rise to the app economy. Now with 5G, we have the potential to accelerate major trends shaping our society, such as the transition to clean energy, the establishment of resilient supply chains and the widespread adoption of industrial automation. To ensure this progress continues at pace, it is crucial to enable application developers to benefit from the most powerful elements of 5G networks, such as extreme low latency, lightning-fast speeds and precise location services.
Network application programming interfaces (APIs) allow developers to easily access advanced 5G capabilities, such as differentiated connectivity, location, security and network insights, to enhance existing solutions and develop new ones. These standardized programming interfaces enable applications and mobile networks to communicate with each other.
The prospects of network API are enormous. According to estimates by McKinsey & Company, the value of network APIs worldwide over the next five to seven years will reach USD 10-30 billion. Meanwhile, Communication service providers can unlock USD 100-300 billion in additional connectivity and edge
computing-related revenues.
Developers expect the experience of accessing and creating applications through network APIs to be similar to using communications APIs via Communications Platform-as-aService (CPaaS), which provides tools for easily integrating communication capabilities, such as SMS, chat, voice or video calls, into various software. By evolving CPaaS into a network platform that also offers network APIs, service providers can unlock opportunities to monetize their network investments and empower millions of developers and enterprises to easily create enhanced applications and services.
At Ericsson, we are on a journey to building a new market for network APIs that will help spur the next level of digitalization. This will allow the operators new ways to monetize the networks and help redefining the telecom industry. Vonage, which is a subsidiary of Ericsson is a key part of this strategy, and we have a great team ensuring the executing on this current business.
We continue to build the future of network APIs, supported by a global community of 1.6 million developers. This community is central to our growth strategy, which aims to unlock unique network features for both enterprises and developers through APIs. We believe advanced network capabilities will be crucial in driving the digitalization of enterprises and society.
Network APIs are a key focus at global tech events like MWC, seen as crucial for monetizing
5G. Ericsson’s partnerships with major operators like Deutsche Telekom, Verizon, AT&T, Orange, T-Mobile, and Vodafone demonstrate our leadership in this space. These collaborations open networks, making advanced capabilities accessible through a global API platform, enabling new monetization opportunities. This platform, enhanced by 5G, creates a seamless digital experience, shaping a new era of connectivity.
5G was designed as an innovation platform for enterprises and society. By leveraging network APIs and developer creativity, we’re accelerating digitalization and transforming connectivity. With Ericsson’s technical expertise and broad ecosystem, we’re unlocking new revenue streams for operators and enabling developers to drive global growth and innovation.
In our recent paper, "Monetizing Network APIs: A New Frontier for CSPs," we delve into the transformative role of Network APIs in the telecom industry. We emphasize their potential to drive innovation and explore their impact on the industry's future.
By fostering collaboration and leveraging the power of APIs, we can unlock new value, drive digitalization, and shape a future where connectivity and innovation go hand in hand. Together, we are poised to transform the digital landscape and redefine the possibilities for industries and society at large.
What is the status of Quantum-safe digital signatures?
Bas Westerbaan Research engineer at Cloudflare
In late October, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that fourteen post-quantum algorithms for digital signatures have advanced to the second round of the “signatures on ramp” competition.
These algorithms are designed to ensure the security of our digital communications in the future era of quantum computers. Previously, four quantum secure algorithms have been standardized: ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, XMSS and LHS, while work on Falcon is the fifth. This article provides insight into the importance and status of quantum secure digital signatures.
The role of digital signatures in TLS
When someone visits a Web site, a TLS (Transport Layer Security) connection is established between the browser and the server. With this digital signature, the server signs the exchanged communication and presents a TLS-leaf certificate to show that it is authorized to operate the Web site. This certificate is signed by a certificate authority (CA). Often this is not directly by the root CA, but through a third-party CA certificate.
In addition, a TLS-leaf certificate must contain a minimum of two Signed Certificate Timestamps (SCTs), which show that the certificate was publicly registered in Certificate Transparency (CT) logs. This may
increase to three or more SCTs in the coming years. Finally, the server may include an OCSP step to demonstrate that the certificate has not been revoked. Thus, a minimum of five signatures and two public keys are sent over the network to establish a new TLS connection.
Different types of digital signatures
Within TLS, both online and offline digital signatures are used. The signature to transmit information is generated online with every incoming TLS connection, so fast signing is essential. The other signatures are generated offline, often weeks, months or years in advance, so speed of signing is less critical. With offline signatures, fast verification is more important than fast signing.
Evaluation of quantum secure signatures
The fourteen algorithms in NIST's secondround competition vary in performance and size. Many have larger signatures and public keys than classical algorithms like RSA or ECDSA, increasing the data sent during the TLS handshake and impacting performance. ML-DSA (formerly Dilithium) has large signatures but is simple and low in computational demand. SLH-DSA (formerly SPHINCS+) offers strong security based on
hash functions but has large signatures and higher computational needs. Falcon has smaller signatures and fast verification but requires complex implementation, making it less suitable for online signatures.
Impact on the TLS handshake
Adding larger quantum secure signatures for the TLS handshake, as mentioned, can greatly increase the amount of data sent during the handshake. Experiments show that nearly half of the data sent over more than half of current QUIC connections already consists of certificates. Adding even larger digital signatures will further increase this overhead, which could adversely affect connection performance.
Future challenges
The shift to quantum-secure cryptography for digital signatures is less urgent than for key exchange but more complex, due to challenges with certificate management, signature sizes, and multiple parties involved. Good performance is key to successful quantum-secure cryptography for TLS, prompting discussions on reducing digital signatures. The next few years will be critical for evaluating and standardizing these algorithms and TLS changes to ensure secure Internet communications in the quantum computing era. Further details are available in the full blog.
Digitalization in the Middle East & Africa - Shaping a collaborative future in 2025 and beyond
Patrick Johansson President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa
Imagine a farmer boosting crop yields using 5G-enabled weather insights, a student in rural villages accessing global education through digital platforms, or a logistics firm slashing delivery times with IoT-powered solutions. These are not visions— they are realities powered by Ericsson's cuttingedge technology and long-standing partnerships with our customers the communication service providers across the Middle East and Africa (MEA). As we approach 2025, the MEA region is not just embracing the digital revolution but actively leading its evolution.
With 310 million 5G connections and over 1.2 billion mobile subscriptions expected by 2029, MEA is set for transformative growth. Ericsson is leading the way, empowering communities, supporting telecom operators, and driving enterprise innovation for a connected, inclusive, and sustainable future. Enterprises across MEA are using Ericsson’s technologies to innovate and succeed in a digitalizing world.
As a few examples, in Saudi Arabia, Ericsson's partnerships are building the next generation of networks, supporting digital transformation initiatives in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aspirations. In 2024, we partnered with leading telecom operators in the multiple countries in the region to implement 5G Advanced timecritical communication solutions, enhancing user experience and driving the adoption of
next-generation applications like cloud gaming and extended reality.
Our technology is powering logistics solutions and reducing delivery times by 30%, while private 5G networks are enabling manufacturers to automate operations and adopt Industry 4.0 practices. Ericsson’s Private 5G networks in South Africa are driving efficiency and safety in the mining sector by automating operations and enabling remote monitoring. These innovations are helping enterprises across the region unlock efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and contribute to national economic growth.
Ericsson’s technologies help telecom operators enhance connectivity, boost revenue, and deliver superior services. By 2030, 93% of mobile subscriptions in GCC countries are expected to be 5G, supported by Ericsson's dual-band radios and AI-driven solutions for faster speeds, seamless coverage, and lower latency. Last year, Ericsson modernized Egypt’s core networks, enabling 5G standalone services, while in Nigeria, AI analytics reduced network outages by 25%. Ericsson’s efficient, scalable, and sustainable solutions ensure telecom operators stay competitive and meet the growing demand for advanced connectivity.
Ericsson is making a significant impact across MEA. In Qatar, its 5G-powered stadiums are enhancing fan experiences at global sports events, while in Kenya, Fixed Wireless Access is bringing high-speed internet to remote villages, boosting
education and business. Ericsson tailors solutions to local needs, driving innovation and sustainable development. The company is leading the deployment of 5G, AI, and Cloud technologies, like in Nigeria, where AI network optimization improves connectivity. Ericsson also prioritizes sustainability, with initiatives in Morocco’s smart cities and energy-efficient 5G networks in the GCC reducing power consumption and supporting climate goals.
But what would it mean for every enterprise in MEA to harness the full potential of connectivity? How can advanced and emerging nations collaborate to ensure digital inclusion for all?
The answers lie in collective action. By 2030, mobile broadband will account for 70% of subscriptions, and 5G will revolutionize sectors such as education, healthcare, and finance. Ericsson is committed to being a driving force behind this transformation.
At Ericsson, we see technology as a bridge to opportunity, inclusion, and progress. Together with our customers and industry partners, we are shaping a future where connectivity empowers nations, uplifts communities, and drives sustainable development. Through groundbreaking innovations, impactful partnerships, and a commitment to sustainability, Ericsson is unlocking the potential of the Middle East and Africa, to lead in a connected world.
New data demands, same tightrope - Balancing usability and security in the age of AI and regulation
Dave Russell Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy at Veeam Software
Keeping data both safe and easily accessible has been a challenge for organisations since, well, since the first paper file was stored away.
Admittedly, over the last couple of decades, this has become much trickier to navigate - digitisation means the sheer amount of data collected, stored, and used has grown exponentially. And now, we’re seeing another data growth spurt due to widespread AI adoption.
Governments are introducing more data regulations each year, increasing pressure on organizations to maintain data resilience in the age of AI. They must balance making data usable for business while ensuring it remains secure and compliant with evolving regulations.
Dude, where’s my data?
With the widely acclaimed promise of AI, the demands on enterprise data have never been greater - requiring it to be accurate, accessible, and usable at all times. While the initial excitement around generative AI has quietened, organisations are now adopting the technology in earnest to unlock increased business value from all that existing data. According to the latest McKinsey Global Survey on AI, 65% of respondents worldwide reported that their organisations are regularly using AI. But what does this mean for data resilience?
AI thrives on data, but it's not just about quantity—accuracy and relevance matter most.
While some AI apps only need one training session, most require continuous data access to react in real time. Inaccurate or inconsistent data can quickly make AI outputs unreliable. It’s crucial to carefully manage what data is used, especially sensitive or mission-critical information, as organizations continue to embrace AI.
New regulations like NIS2 and the EU AI Act are pushing organizations to improve data resilience and security, especially with AI. These rules extend organizations' responsibility for data security, requiring them to consider how data will be protected when used in AI and other technologies. While data was originally collected without anticipating AI use, compliance with AI-related regulations now requires collaboration across the entire organization, especially from chief information governance teams, while ensuring teams can still access data to innovate.
No need to throw away the key
So, at the moment, organisations are starting to walk the tightrope between ensuring a suitable speed of access to data while also maintaining data resilience in line with evolving regulations. While this might seem like a herculean task, it is the same problem that organisations have been tackling for years, just with a new set of systems and circumstances.
This challenge never ends, it just evolves. The principles stay the same, but the technology, the environments, and the scale keep changing.
According to the Veeam Data Protection Trends Report 2024, 76% of organisations recognise a ‘Protection Gap’ between how much data they can afford to lose and how often their data is protected. That sounds like a big gap, but it's been getting smaller in recent years. With AI creating and needing exponentially more data as it evolves, however, this gap could start to widen unless action is taken.
Collaboration across teams—data governance, security IT, and production—is key to maintaining data resilience. By working together on new business risk assessments, organizations can better manage data in AI models. While new regulations align with the AI boom and require re-evaluating data security, organizations shouldn’t wait for regulations to prompt action. Regularly monitoring and adjusting risk levels should be an ongoing process, especially with emerging technologies like AI.
Two birds, one backup
Data backups are crucial for AI-specific regulation and will become even more important in the future. They ensure data remains accurate, secure, and usable, while also providing a record for organizations to prove regulatory compliance. Given AI’s complexity and difficulty in tracking how data is used, backups offer a reliable way to secure data. While total security is impossible, quality backups serve as a vital safety net for organizations.
A Roadmap to Modern Application Security
Chrystal Taylor SolarWinds Head Geek
Oil has long fueled the Middle East’s phenomenal growth story. But this being a finite resource, the region’s forward focused governments have been working to build knowledge rather than resource driven economies. Digitalization has underpinned these endeavors, evidenced in the UAE's Digital Economy Strategy which aims to aims to double the contribution of the digital economy to the nation's GDP within 10 years.
Just as automobiles and heavy machinery, using the region’s abundant oil resources, helped transform desert landscapes into glistening urban skylines, software, and the data (often touted as the region’s ‘new oil’) it depends on, are transforming industries, government services, and everyday life across the Middle East, driving the next phase of innovation and economic diversification. Indeed, software has become the vehicle carrying regional nations forward as they compete in the global race for digital dominance.
And just as cars today place miles ahead (both literally and figuratively) of their counterparts from yesteryear, the evolution of software into what it is today is nothing short of remarkable. Monolithic software hosted on on-premises servers have given way to user-friendly, flexible, and scalable modern applications.
The attack surface increases with modern applications, often decentralized across multiple platforms, environments, and
infrastructures. These complex, hybrid, and multi-cloud application environments are also difficult to visualize. If you don’t know where an issue is coming from or what’s causing anomalous activity, it’s much harder to address. Another potential area of concern is using open-source code in modern applications. Open-source code is used in nearly every modern application. A report earlier this year found “at least one known open source vulnerability” in 84% of commercial code bases.
Here’s a roadmap for organizations seeking to build secure modern applications.
Build security in with the shift left
Picture you’re an engineer building a car. Before you devote time to this process, you want to test and approve each piece to ensure the car operates safely. This same process should occur in application development through what’s known as the “shift left.”
The shift left can improve the development process by embedding security measures earlier. This helps DevOps teams identify vulnerabilities as the application they’re building is being developed. Traditionally, security checks occur after the build is complete in what’s known as the testing phase. If an issue arises during this phase, DevOps teams must work quickly to identify and fix the problem, ultimately slowing down the process and inhibiting a thorough application review.
Be transparent by utilizing a software bill of materials
In an age of unforeseeable cyberattacks by committed nation-state bad actors using novel and sophisticated techniques, the industry needs information sharing more than ever. Being transparent about vulnerabilities and threats is critical to helping ensure the security of our shared cyberinfrastructure.
Just as automobile manufacturers can clearly document every component in their vehicles, application developers should clearly communicate what goes into their products. This can be done with a software bill of materials (SBOM). An SBOM is a list of all the components and dependencies comprising a particular software application. Its purpose is to provide transparency and visibility into the software supply chain, which helps developers identify and address vulnerabilities.
Increase visibility into complex IT environments through observability
Returning to our car analogy, imagine you’ve just finished manufacturing a new car that’s safe and ready to be driven. After a while, regardless of the tests that have been run, the car will inevitably need maintenance and the check engine light turns on. For most of us, this means bringing the car to a mechanic, who will run a series of diagnostic tests to confirm the problem, tell you how it can be fixed, and how much it will cost. This is a time-consuming and inefficient process.
Technology gives content creators control over AI access and a path to monetisation
The market for AI-generated music and audiovisual content is expected to grow from €3 billion to €64 billion by 2028. While this is great for AI, it could negatively impact content creators.
Despite providing the “creative fuel of the Gen AI content market,” these human creators could be about to see their income drop by around a quarter.
A new report by CISAC predicts a €22 billion loss over the next five years—€10 billion in music and €12 billion in audiovisual—impacting five million creative industry professionals.
The report – Study on the economic impact of Generative AI in the Music and Audiovisual industries – is touted as the first-ever global study of its kind to tackle the subject.
The report warns that content creators will face reduced revenues due to unauthorized use of their works by Gen AI models and lost income from the rise of AI-generated content.
"For creators of all kinds, from songwriters to film directors, screenwriters to film composers, AI has the power to unlock new and exciting opportunities – but we have to accept that, if badly regulated, generative AI also has the power to cause great damage
to human creators, to their careers and livelihoods,” said CISAC President and ABBA frontman Björn Ulvaeus.
Content creators face an existential threat
While there is clearly a role for legislation, technology can also help provide a solution not only to protect content from Gen AI creators, but also to provide an avenue to monetise it.
With so much content online –everything from those who make a living from art and animation to filmmakers and wordsmiths – it’s a problem that extends far beyond the music industry.
In most cases, site owners have had little control over how AI services use their content for training or other purposes. Recently, though, new tools have been developed that make it easier for site owners, creators, and publishers to take back control of their content.
Cloudflare empowers creators with tools to safeguard and monetise their content
Cloudflare leverages its global network to help creators and site owners tackle challenges posed by generative AI. Our AI Audit tools enable creators to monitor and control AI bot activity, blocking unauthorized crawlers with one click. Additionally, we help monetize content
by providing analytics and control over AI scanning based on licensing agreements with model providers.
AI models access digital content through bots that "crawl" the internet. While "good bots" like search engine crawlers drive traffic, "bad bots" can pose security risks.
The rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative tools has created a grey area. Some crawlers from Gen AI platforms are not malicious but gather content to train LLMs, which poses a problem for content creators.
New tools are crucial in helping content creators protect and monetize their work. These tools allow them to identify and block bots scraping their content, preventing unauthorized access and enabling direct negotiations with AI companies for paid access. As contracts evolve, terms on scanning frequency and content access are becoming more common, signaling a shift in control. However, uncertainty remains about content value and AI crawling standards, leaving site owners at a disadvantage. Without resolution, creators may resort to paywalls, solving one issue but creating new ones. A collaborative effort from policymakers, tech companies, and creators is needed to balance AI innovation with safeguarding creativity.
Tony van den Berge VP, EMEA at Cloudflare
2025 Tech predictions: Shaping the Middle East’s connected future
Jason Ou President of Hisense MEA
The world of consumer electronics and home appliances is evolving faster than ever, and the Middle East is at the heart of this transformation.
As households grow more connected and lifestyles more dynamic, the demand for smarter, greener, and more intuitive technology is reshaping how we live, work, and entertain ourselves. From AI-powered appliances to cutting-edge entertainment systems, 2025 is set to be a landmark year for the region's tech landscape.
Here are the top tech predictions for 2025 that will redefine the future of consumer electronics and home appliances in the Middle East:
Smart Living Becomes Mainstream
By 2025, the concept of the smart home will evolve from novelty to necessity, fundamentally reshaping everyday life across the Middle East. Households will adopt smart ecosystems where every device, from air conditioners and lights to refrigerators and security cameras, can be seamlessly controlled through a single app.
Smart appliances will go beyond convenience, learning usage patterns and automating daily routines. For instance, air conditioners will adjust cooling settings based on room occupancy and external temperatures, while refrigerators equipped with intelligent sensors will maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels to preserve food freshness. These advancements will empower families to save time, reduce energy consumption, and enjoy a personalised living experience.
Entertainment Goes Bigger and Smarter
Entertainment is deeply ingrained in the Middle Eastern lifestyle, and 2025 will redefine how people engage with their favourite content. Ultra-large screens exceeding 100 inches will dominate living rooms, supported by advancements in OLED and laser technologies for unparalleled picture clarity.
Visuals will dynamically adjust for brightness, contrast, and colour to suit both the content and the surrounding environment, delivering crystal-clear imagery for everything from fast-paced sports to visually intricate documentaries. Similarly, AI-powered audio calibration will tailor sound output based on room acoustics, ensuring a surround-sound experience regardless of the setup.
For sports enthusiasts, AI is taking the viewing experience to the next level. Advanced image processing will ensure every frame of a live match is smooth and sharp, capturing the finest details of high-speed action. AI-powered motion smoothing will minimise blur, allowing fans to catch every tackle, sprint, or goal in pristine quality. Audio enhancements will amplify crowd noise and commentary, immersing viewers in a stadium-like atmosphere right from their living rooms. Gaming enthusiasts, too, will benefit from ultra-responsive visuals and sound that heighten the sense of realism and immersion.
Sustainability Meets Innovation
The Middle East’s commitment to sustainability
will drive significant innovation in home appliances by 2025. A standout advancement will be the widespread continued adoption of inverter technology in air conditioners and refrigerators.
Inverter technology allows appliances to adjust speeds and energy usage for optimal performance. Air conditioners will cool efficiently by learning usage patterns, while refrigerators will maintain precise temperatures with smart sensors, preserving food and minimizing energy consumption.
These innovations will not only help households reduce energy bills but also contribute to the region's broader sustainability goals by lowering carbon footprints and promoting eco-friendly living.
AI and Automation Redefine Lifestyles
Artificial intelligence will go beyond convenience to deliver truly personalised solutions that enhance everyday living. By 2025, AI-powered appliances will adapt to individual habits and preferences, ensuring an effortless user experience.
AI-driven home devices will optimize cooling, suggest meals, personalize content, and adjust settings for comfort and efficiency. With a single app, users can control everything from security cameras to lighting, creating a customized, smart home. The Middle East’s rapid technological advancements reflect a push for innovation and sustainability, transforming homes by 2025 into smarter, more efficient spaces tailored to modern needs.
Deloitte Middle East upgrades Tax and Legal Gen AI solution and enhances offerings to accelerate AI adoption
Deloitte Middle East’s Tax and Legal practice has announced the launch of the second generation of its in-house pioneering AI-powered solution, Tax Genie 2.0, designed to drive innovation in an increasingly complex tax landscape. Deloitte is at the forefront of AI adoption to reshape and transform industries, with cutting edge solutions that set new standards for progress.
Developed by the Middle East chapter of the Deloitte AI Institute, Tax Genie 2.0 encompasses all areas of the Tax & Legal business, including tax, legal, finance, human resources, risk management, and beyond for Tax professionals. Tax Genie 2.0 is based on GPT-4o with RAG architecture. Using the principles from Tax Genie 2.0, to help Tax & Legal clients ensure a successful adoption of Gen AI solutions, Deloitte employs a robust approach to GenAI implementation that spans every phase—from initial assessment
and strategy development to continuous optimization.
Muhammad Bahemia, Deloitte Middle East Tax and Legal Leader, highlighted the transformative potential of Tax Genie 2.0, stating, “The launch of the second iteration of Tax Genie exemplifies our unwavering commitment to innovation in tax and legal services across the Middle East. Our vision is to ensure our clients are well positioned on Gen AI to lead and succeed in the future.”
Although being an in-house platform, Tax Genie 2.0 is a flagship example of Deloitte’s GenAI capabilities. The platform features over 1,000 specialized workflows for a wide spectrum of tax, legal and operational matters. With an intuitive interface and workflow-based architecture, the platform is designed for ease of use, enabling tax and legal professionals to leverage its capabilities without the need for specialized technical skills.
2024 poised to be second-biggest year for cryptocrime as threats grow more diverse and professional
As global cryptocurrency utilisation continues to rise, evidenced most recently in the post-US election bull run, so too does the ever-present shadow of crypto crime. In its annual Crypto Crime report, Chainalysis found that through 2024, illicit addresses received a whopping US$40.9 billion — a figure that the blockchain data leader estimates will rise to US$51 billion, as it continues to refine its analysis.
While this places 2024 on track to be the second most prolific year for cryptocrime, it’s important to recognise that crime remains just a minute share of the larger crypto ecosystem, accounting for just 0.14% of the year’s total on-chain transaction value.
What Chainalysis experts noted as being concerning however, is the ongoing diversification and professionalisation of
crypto crime. “An increasing number of illicit actors, including transnational organised crime groups, are exploiting cryptocurrency to conduct a range of traditional criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, gambling, intellectual property theft, money laundering, human and wildlife trafficking, and violent crime. Notably, some criminal networks are turning to cryptocurrency to enable “polycrime” —engaging in multiple forms of criminal activity,” said Eric Jardine, Cybercrimes Research Lead at Chainalysis.
This trend is evidenced in the fact that of the US$40.9 billion received by illicit addresses in 2024, US$10.8 billion can be attributed to “illicit-actor organisations”, a category Chainalysis defines to encompass wallets linked to individuals and services directly involved in cybercrime, including hacking, extortion, trafficking, and scams, as well as those facilitating these crimes by offering infrastructure, tools, and services such as laundering-as-a-service.
Arushi Goel, Policy Lead - Middle East and Africa at Chainalysis
Vertiv drives AI and Edge computing innovation at Dell Technologies Forum 2025 in Dubai
Vertiv has announced its participation as a Silver Sponsor in the Dell Technologies Forum 2025, set to take place on January 16, 2025, in Dubai, UAE. This marks Vertiv’s second consecutive year of engagement in this influential event, further demonstrating its advanced technological innovations and AI-driven solutions.
The Dell Technologies Forum 2025 will serve as a premier platform for exploring the transformative power of AI-integrated solutions in reshaping business operations, enhancing productivity, and driving innovative approaches to solving complex challenges.
As part of its exhibit, Vertiv will highlight its easily deployed Vertiv™ SmartCabinet™ ID, a robust micro data center solution designed to withstand harsh industrial environments characterized by dust, dirt, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. This solution integrates power management, space-saving cooling, flexible heat rejection and feature-rich racks to provide superior protection for critical IT systems,
Nassif Yazbeck
Channel sales director for Middle East, Turkey & Central Asia, Vertiv
enabling enterprises to efficiently manage edge computing challenges.
Attendees will have the unique opportunity to experience live demonstrations of the SmartCabinet™ ID and discover how it can optimize infrastructure performance in industrial and commercial settings.
In addition to its exhibit, Vertiv will deliver a presentation that addresses how the current and future escalating demands of AI-driven workloads require new strategies for cooling and power management. Vertiv’s experts will provide attendees with valuable insights into the future of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies.
“The Dell Technologies Forum provides an outstanding opportunity for connecting the channel community and enterprises, creating a dynamic space for impactful dialogue and collaboration,” said Nassif Yazbeck, channel sales director for Middle East, Turkey & Central Asia, Vertiv.
Cemplicity expands to UAE, supporting national healthcare goals with Real-Time patient insights
Cemplicity has launched its advanced platform in the UAE, empowering healthcare providers to enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency, and achieve better clinical outcomes. By enabling real-time analysis of patient-reported data, the platform supports the UAE’s ambition to deliver worldclass healthcare and address pressing health challenges.
Already working with one of the UAE’s
leading private healthcare groups, Cemplicity’s entry into the market aligns with the country’s We the UAE 2031 vision to harness datadriven solutions for improving population health and positioning the UAE as a global hub for medical innovation.
and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), enabling real-time collection and analysis of patient feedback. These insights help drive measurable improvements in quality of care, operational efficiencies and patient experiences.
The platform helps hospitals measure patient experiences and manage chronic conditions like diabetes, affecting 12.3% of the UAE population, by enabling home monitoring. It also supports the UAE’s goal of reducing cancer mortality by 18% by 2025 through enhanced screening, early detection, and treatment adherence.
Blaik Wilson, Cemplicity CEO, said, “We are excited to bring Cemplicity to the UAE, a nation committed to healthcare excellence. With the private healthcare sector evolving at an impressive pace, partnering with such forward-thinking providers enables us to transform patient feedback into meaningful insights that enhance patient experiences and improve outcomes.”
Siemon releases 2024 ESG Report: A commitment to sustainability
Siemon has announce the release of its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report. This latest report highlights Siemon’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and robust governance principles, solidifying its leadership in advancing ESG initiatives within the information communication technology industry.
John Siemon, Chief Technology Officer, stated, “Our 2024 ESG Report underscores Siemon’s commitment to driving meaningful change across all aspects of our business.
Achieving the EcoVadis Gold Rating, investing in state-of-the-art tools for ESG reporting, and being recognised as a Great Place to Work for the second consecutive year reflect the strides we have made. At Siemon, sustainability and ethical business
practices are embedded in our DNA. Together with our employees and partners,
we are charting a course toward a more sustainable and equitable future.”
The 2024 ESG Report outlines several key accomplishments over the past year, including:
• 2023 Gold EcoVadis Rating: Siemon’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices has been recognised with a gold rating from EcoVadis, placing Siemon in the top 5 per cent of companies globally for our ESG commitment.
• Investing in advanced tools like 3E Exchange, Greenly and One Click to enhance reporting accuracy, transparency, and decision-making.
• Recognition as a Great Place to Work® for the second year in a row, reflecting the exceptional workplace culture at Siemon.
Synology launches activeprotect to simplify business data protection
Synology has announced the general availability of ActiveProtect, a new line of data protection appliances that integrate enterprise backup software, server, and backup repository into a unified solution. Designed to simplify complex data protection, ActiveProtect offers comprehensive platform support, advanced security, and scalability, all with a transparent pricing model.
“Data protection should empower businesses, not be a burden to businesses,” said Jia-Yu Liu, Executive Vice President at Synology. “ActiveProtect embodies Synology’s expertise in hardware and software engineering and insights from close collaboration with customers. We are confident that ActiveProtect will exceed enterprises’ expectations for data protection.”
Key features of ActiveProtect appliances include:
• Unified solution: Combines backup, recovery, and management in a single appliance, eliminating the need for separate hardware and software, sizing,
purchase, and maintenance.
• Comprehensive workload support: Protects PCs, Macs, file and physical servers, virtual machines, databases, and Microsoft 365 services through a single intuitive interface.
• Scalable management: The ActiveProtect Manager (APM) console supports users in viewing or monitoring up to 150,000 workloads or 2,500 sites, providing scalability, enterprise-grade
data visibility, and control.
• Advanced protection: Offers immutable backups, air-gap capabilities, and regulatory compliance to guard against cyber threats.
• Efficiency at scale: Delivers fast incremental backups with global sourceside deduplication, reducing network load by up to 99% and storage needs by 50%, empowering backup performance and minimizing operational costs.
John Siemon, Chief Technology Officer
Zebra technologies introduces new AI solutions to empower retail frontline operations
Zebra Technologies Corporation has announced several new products and AI innovations for the retail industry. Zebra’s solutions will be showcased in booth #3303 as part of Zebra’s AI-powered Modern Store at NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show on Jan. 12-14, 2025, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
Zebra is unveiling the Zebra Mobile Computing AI Suite, a comprehensive set of tools that includes an AI data capture software development kit (SDK) and example applications optimized for select Zebra Android mobile devices. This suite facilitates the development of AI applications, enabling customers, developers, and independent software vendors (ISV) to easily integrate cutting-edge vision AI capabilities into their mobile applications.
Zebra has leveraged these AI capabilities to enable frontline workers to easily, accurately and quickly capture workflow context and integrate that directly to Zebra Companion, a new and comprehensive suite of AI agents
specifically designed to empower retail frontline workers. This multimodal generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) solution is being developed in collaboration with select customers to work with frontline retail workers to improve productivity and elevate the customer experience.
“For years, we’ve been embedding AI into our products, elevating outcomes for our customers and partners,” said Yogesh Kulkarni, Vice President, AI Strategy, Zebra Technologies. “Our AI-enabled solutions are shaping the future of frontline operations by creating new ways of working.”
ServiceNow enhances global partner program, unlocking new revenue and market opportunities for AI solutions
ServiceNow announced, at ServiceNow Partner Kickoff, a major expansion to its global partner program, including it has nearly quadrupled its investment in new incentives and specializations to help partners capitalize on the rapid growth of ServiceNow AI solutions and deliver value to customers. Infosys and Cognizant have also been elevated to Global Elite partners, the highest level of partnership within the ServiceNow Partner Program.
This year, ServiceNow is offering substantial opportunities for partners to boost revenue and profitability through eligible discounts, rebates, and valuable credits that can be applied to training, professional services, and other practice building resources. It is expanding its program offerings to introduce more opportunities for partners to elevate and differentiate AI offerings in the market. This includes:
• Additional Product Line Achievements (PLA) for Now Assist to bolster credibility and support market positioning as a validated and trusted advisor with expertise in ServiceNow AI solutions.
• Expanded Specializations for partners to showcase their sales, product, and customer success across GenAI and
industries including Customer Experience GenAI, Employee Experience GenAI, ServiceOps GenAI, Cybersecurity, and Tech Risk.
• New GenAI Customer Value Partner of the Year award will honor partners who have successfully leveraged GenAI to drive customer value.
ServiceNow is committed to supporting partners with additional tools and resources as they build thriving ServiceNow practices and help customers accelerate their business transformation.
“Over the past two years, we have completely transformed our Partner Program, cultivating an ecosystem of specialized, industry leading capabilities and services for our customers,” said Erica Volini, executive vice president, worldwide industries, partners, and go to market at ServiceNow.
Erica Volini, Executive vice president, worldwide industries, partners, and go-to-market at ServiceNow
Madinah development authority achieves success in deploying Oracle fusion cloud applications suite
Oracle has announced that the Al-Madinah Development Authority (MDA) has achieved a significant milestone in implementing the Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite. The MDA has implemented the Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain and Manufacturing (SCM), and Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM). Additionally, a custom application for managing supplier payments has also been developed.
This achievement is part of the Authority’s efforts to enhance operational efficiency, boost productivity, and adopt the latest digital technologies. The project was executed in collaboration with technical partners and industry experts.
MDA has successfully redeployed its Oracle Fusion Applications Suite implementation from an international location to the Oracle Cloud Jeddah Region. This initiative has
AlMusa, Vice president – Business Applications, Public Sector, and managing director, Oracle Saudi Arabia
helped MDA enhance data security and improve system performance. The migration and re-deployment of the cloud applications were carried out smoothly and securely, enabling the Authority to fully leverage the capabilities of Fusion Applications to optimize processes and productivity.
“Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite enables organizations to take advantage of the cloud to break down organizational
silos, standardize processes, and manage financial, supply chain, and HR data on a single integrated cloud platform”, said Reham AlMusa, vice president – Business Applications, Public Sector, and managing director, Oracle Saudi Arabia. “With this deployment, Madina Development Authority has created a modern and agile cloud applications platform that will help accelerate key initiatives.”
First Abu Dhabi Bank Deploys Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM to Build an AI-Ready Workforce
Oracle has announced that First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is implementing Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM) to consolidate the bank’s human resources (HR) function on the cloud as part of a major digitalization program. With Oracle Cloud HCM, FAB will be able to unify, plan, manage, and optimize global people processes with one common data source to make better decisions and deliver a highly personalized employee experience.
By partnering with Oracle, FAB is building a future-ready bank capable of thriving in the AI-driven economy by embracing cutting-edge digital technologies, delivering operational efficiency, and driving business growth through innovative and personalized financial solutions. Oracle Cloud HCM will empower FAB employees with the latest digital tools to support a culture of innovation and continuous development.
Leopoldo Boado Lama, Senior vice president – business applications, ECEMEA, Oracle
By integrating Oracle Cloud HCM, FAB ensures that bank employees remain central to its success in navigating the dynamic and evolving financial sector.
With embedded AI, digital assistants, and
hundreds of new capabilities added regularly, Oracle Cloud HCM will help FAB to introduce new features across its global HR function continuously. Oracle Cloud HCM will also help FAB connect processes across the employee lifecycle, including recruiting and workforce management, helping to improve decision-making and reduce operational costs. In addition, Oracle Payroll, part of Oracle Cloud HCM, will provide FAB with a highly configurable, fully unified solution for efficient, compliant payroll processing.
“Digital native talent that can leverage the latest AI-powered tools is a major differentiator for businesses, especially in the financial industry. With Oracle Cloud HCM, FAB will be able to respond with speed and insight to the evolving needs of employees and business”, said Leopoldo Boado Lama, senior vice president – business applications, ECEMEA, Oracle.
Reham
Zoho achieves 50% revenue growth in UAE, partners with UAQ chamber of commerce to drive digital transformation in the Emirate
Zoho Corp has announced 50% growth in its revenue in the UAE and 40% increase in channel partner network in 2024. The company also recorded a remarkable 64% upmarket momentum as large UAE enterprises migrate to its solutions, further reinforcing the nation as a key regional hub for the company. As part of its ongoing commitment to support digital transformation of businesses in the country, Zoho has signed a strategic agreement with the Umm Al Quwain Chamber of Commerce. The announcements were made on the sidelines of Zoholics Dubai 2025, the company’s annual user conference.
The signing ceremony took place in the presence of His Excellency Ammar Rashid Al-Aleeli, Director General at UAQ Chamber
(L) His Excellency Khalfan Ahmed Mesfer & (R) Hyther Nizam, President Middle East and Africa (MEA), Zoho
of Commerce and Hyther Nizam, President Middle East and Africa, Zoho and Prem Anand Velumani, Associate Director, Strategic Growth (MEA) at Zoho.
With an investment of up to AED 17 million in wallet credits value and AED 43 million in value dedicated to digital upskilling, Zoho is set to help over 8,600 businesses in Umm Al
Quwain leverage its cloud technology to catapult their growth. As part of this partnership, eligible businesses in UAQ can register to receive up to AED 2,000 wallet credits and AED 5000 in training value for one year. These can be utilised for access to and workshops for Zoho’s suite of over 55 business applications, including Zoho One, the operating system for business, enabling them to automate and streamline all aspects of their operations.
His Excellency Khalfan Ahmed Mesfer, Chairman at UAQ Chamber of Commerce commented: “This partnership with Zoho is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to foster innovation and growth within the UAE’s business community. We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration will bring to our members and the wider business ecosystem.”
Gartner identifies key automotive trends for 2025
Gartner highlighted several trends set to shape the automotive sector in 2025, as the industry faces regulatory pressure on emissions and intense growth from China.
“Software and electrification will remain the two main drivers of the automotive sector’s transformation. However, in 2025, automakers will face uncertainties regarding emission regulations and growing trade tensions between China and the West, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) market,” said Pedro Pacheco, VP Analyst at Gartner.
The evolving political landscape in the U.S. and European Union (EU) is reopening the discussion on vehicle emission regulations, creating uncertainty for the automotive industry. As a result, some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) may be reluctant to put EVs at the center of their strategy.
Gartner estimates EV (bus, car, van and heavy trucks) shipments will grow 17% in 2025. By 2030, Gartner predicts that more than 50% of all vehicle models marketed by automakers will be EVs.
Geopolitics Slows CASE Adoption
Trade barriers set by the U.S. and the EU against Chinese EVs will slow the adoption of connectivity, autonomy, software and electrification (CASE) in these regions, as Chinese EVs are, on average, the most advanced type of vehicles in these areas.
“Drone manufacturers and Chinese telecommunication companies are already
feeling the impact of international sanctions, and robots are likely to follow,” said Bill Ray, Distinguished VP at Gartner. “The ubiquity of intelligent, updatable software, remotely accessible cameras and the integration of data gathering into the automotive business model make it inevitable that geopolitics will fragment the market and, therefore, slow adoption.”
Pedro Pacheco, VP Analyst at Gartner
Dubai Business Women Council and Oracle Launch sAIdaty 2025
The Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) and Oracle has announced the launch of sAIdaty 2025, the second edition of the transformative training program that aims to empower women professionals and entrepreneurs in Dubai and the wider UAE with Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills. sAIdaty 2025 builds on the success of the inaugural edition of the initiative, which has already trained and upskilled 500 UAE women.
The first edition of ‘sAIdaty’ equipped participants with foundational AI skills, enabling them to explore the deployment of AI in their start-ups and professional work environments. The new phase of sAIdaty will aim to expand the scope of the program with a focus on advanced AI applications, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation strategies.
Through training sessions and workshops delivered by Oracle and industry experts, the first cohort of ‘sAIdaty’ participants gained insights into the basics of cloud computing,
AI, and generative AI technologies. The inaugural edition also emphasized leadership development, fostering confidence, and
strategic thinking among women professionals and entrepreneurs.
“‘sAIdaty’ received an excellent response from women entrepreneurs and professionals in the UAE and during the one-year duration of the program, participants gained a strong understanding of AI and how they can leverage this incredible technology across their area of work”, said Nick Redshaw, senior vice president – Tech Cloud, Middle East and Africa, and UAE Country Leader, Oracle.
“At the Dubai Business Women Council, we are driven by a profound commitment to not only empower and support businesswomen but to also forge meaningful partnerships that amplify our collective impact. Our work goes beyond providing tools and knowledge; it’s about creating transformative initiatives that prepare women for the future of work, enabling them to lead, innovate, and thrive in a rapidly changing world”, said Nadin Halabi, Head of Business Development and Operations –Dubai Business Women Council.
Seagate recognized at Intersec 2025 awards
Seagate Technology has been recognized with the Outstanding Commercial Security Solutions Award for its groundbreaking Mozaic 3+ technology. This prestigious award highlights Seagate’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge storage solutions that address the evolving needs of the data-driven world.
“We are honored to receive this award in recognition of our pioneering work in developing the state-of-the-art Mozaic 3+ technology. This win underlines our relentless pursuit of innovation and our commitment to providing our customers with advanced, secure and reliable storage solutions.” said Emir Amri, Channel Marketing Manager META, Seagate.
Seagate’s Mozaic 3+ technology was shortlisted as an Intersec Awards 2025 finalist in the Outstanding Commercial Security Solutions category. This award recognizes solutions that significantly enhance the security posture of commercial entities, safeguarding them from risks, threats, and
unauthorized intrusions.
The Mozaic 3+ technology featuring Seagate’s unique implementation of HAMR technology, represents a significant leap forward. By achieving areal densities of 3 TB+ per platter, Mozaic 3+ enables hyperscale cloud and data center customers to store more data in the same space, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.
As we look to the future, the capacity to store, access, and leverage vast quantities of data will be integral to driving innovation and harnessing the full potential of the digital age. With Mozaic 3+, Seagate isn’t just keeping pace with the data explosion — it’s setting the tempo, driving the advancement of storage solutions towards a horizon where data’s potential is limitless.
Nick Redshaw, Senior vice president –Tech Cloud, Middle East and Africa, and UAE Country Leader, Oracle
Ericsson reinforces commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 at LEAP 2025
Ericsson is showcasing its cutting-edge technologies and innovation leadership at LEAP 2025, taking place February 9-12, 2025, at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham. Demonstrating its commitment to Saudi Vision 2030, Ericsson is showcasing advanced solutions, presenting live technology demonstrations, sharing success stories with partners, and unveiling expert insights into the future of connectivity.
Under the theme “Step Forward: Discover the Unfolding Future,” Ericsson is reinforcing its long-standing partnership with its partners in Saudi Arabia, which spans more than four decades. Through collaborations with communication service providers (CSPs), enterprises, and government entities, Ericsson is driving the localization of advanced technologies, nurturing local talent, and
Håkan Cervell, Vice President and Head of Saudi Arabia at Ericsson Middle
East and Africa
contributing to the Kingdom’s position as a global leader in technology and innovation.
Ericsson’s booth will feature interactive demonstrations, panel discussions, and technical sessions of its latest innovations across 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and
advanced network solutions, and showcases on AI-powered networks and immersive use cases for consumers and enterprises. This allows visitors to get a feel of networks of the future and explore how these technologies are enabling industries to digitalize, improve efficiency, and achieve sustainability goals.
Adding to the event’s thought leadership, Ericsson is hosting live episodes for its Tech Insights podcast featuring industry leaders and experts discussing the transformative impact of connectivity on various sectors.
Håkan Cervell, Vice President and Head of Saudi Arabia at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said, “Like every year, we are truly excited to showcase how Ericsson’s innovative technologies at LEAP 2025, and how they are empowering a sustainable, connected future for Saudi Arabia and beyond.”
Vertiv leads discussions on advanced cooling solutions for AI at Data Center Nation in Riyadh
Vertiv played a prominent role at the inaugural Data Center Nation held recently in Riyadh. The event served as the leading platform for the data center industry in Saudi Arabia and brought together key players, thought leaders, and innovators in the field. Vertiv, in collaboration with Mohammed Mansour Al-Rumaih (MMR KSA), participated as a gold sponsor, highlighting their joint commitment to advancing data center infrastructure and innovation in the region.
During the event, Vertiv led an insightful panel discussion titled “Cooling the AI Era,” moderated by Piergiorgio Tagliapietra, Director of Application Engineering Thermal Management for EMEA, Vertiv. The session delved deep into the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its profound implications for data center infrastructure. As AI adoption accelerates, driving high-performance computing (HPC) advancements, power and cooling requirements have significantly increased, with rack densities now frequently surpassing
100 kW per rack. The discussion highlighted the industry’s shift from traditional cooling systems to advanced solutions such as direct-to-chip liquid cooling and rear-door heat exchangers.
Attendees at Vertiv’s booth experienced the innovative Vertiv™ 360AI platform, which integrates liquid and air-cooling technologies for high-density deployments of up to 132 kW per rack. This solution
delivers unparalleled heat management, operational efficiency, and future readiness.
Tassos Peppas, Regional Director METCA, Vertiv said, “We were thrilled to be part of the inaugural Data Center Nation event in Riyadh, an emerging hub for data center innovation. Vertiv has always been at the forefront of technological evolution, and our commitment to advancing industry conversations remains steadfast.”
JAGGAER expands its footprint in Saudi Arabia with the announcement of a new partnership with TForce
JAGGAER has announced a strategic partnership with Saudi-based company Technology Force of Communication and Information Technology (TForce), which will see the delivery of improved digital procurement and supply chain solutions for organisations throughout the country.
Underscoring the importance of the new partnership is the latest research from global data and business intelligence platform Statista, which has highlighted that the supply chain management software market in Saudi Arabia is projected to reach US$45.70m in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.99% until 2029, resulting in a market value of US$53.31 million.
According to the data, a key trend in the Supply Chain Management Software market in Saudi Arabia is the increasing adoption of cloud-based solutions, which offer scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.
Hany Mosbeh, Senior Vice President –
Middle East and Africa, JAGGAER, said, “These figures and data underscore the surge in demand we are seeing for our products in Saudi Arabia as companies increasingly look to enhance operational efficiency through streamlining their operations.
The partnership will leverage JAGGAER’s intelligent Source-to-Pay and supplier collaboration platform to support Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation objectives through JAGGAER’s AI-driven insights, enabling real-time risk management, optimised spending and efficient decision-making, enhancing resilience across supply chains.
Through end-to-end automation, JAGGAER helps to reduce manual workloads, streamline operations, and support Saudi organisations in becoming an entirely digitised, highly productive economy.
Muneer AlKubaisi, CEO, TForce, stated, “By integrating our expertise with JAGGAER’s procurement capabilities, we can offer enhanced tools and insights to transform how organisations manage their supply chains. We are now ideally positioned to create a robust, data-enabled procurement environment, fuelling Saudi Arabia’s vision for a digitally empowered future.”
eZhire turns to NetSuite to accelerate its expansion
eZhire is using Oracle NetSuite to support its mission to simplify the car rental process. With NetSuite, eZhire has been able to take advantage of an integrated business system to automate and consolidate financial processes, gain a holistic view across its rapidly expanding operations, and increase profitability.
Founded in Dubai in 2016, eZhire enables customers to order rental cars direct to their door and eliminates the need for security deposits, paperwork, and physical storefronts. This new approach to car hire has been extremely successful and today eZhire has over 650,000 users and has recorded over four million total rental days. To support its rapid growth in the UAE and its expansion into Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, eZhire needed more robust financial processes and greater visibility into its lines of business. To address these challenges and establish a scalable platform to support its 102 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), eZhire selected NetSuite as its
enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
“Our continuous growth demonstrates the success of eZhire’s approach to making car rentals more accessible, convenient, and flexible for everyone,” said Hassan J. Saduzai, CEO and co-founder, eZhire. “NetSuite
and co-founder,
complements our mission perfectly. Our teams can now access data at a granular level, create real-time dashboards, and instantly access insights to understand our cash flow, forecast accurately, and assess our financial health.”
Hany Mosbeh,, Senior Vice President Middle East and Africa, JAGGAER
Hassan J. Saduzai, CEO
eZhire
Transforming cloud data management for the future
What are the main cloud solutions your company offers?
NetApp Offers a comprehensive suite of cloud solutions focused on data management and cloud storage, empowering businesses to maximize the potential of the cloud. This includes Cloud Volume Ontap (CVO), Azure NetApp Files, Amazon FSX for Ontap and Google Cloud NetApp Volumes. In addition, BlueXP, has a unified control plan for managing data across hybrid and multi-cloud. NetApp's Intelligent Data Infrastructure bridges traditional data centers and the cloud, offering unified solutions tailored to meet evolving digital transformation needs. It seamlessly integrates with cloud offerings to deliver a unified, scalable, and secure data ecosystem. By extending consistent data management across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, businesses can move workloads effortlessly while maintaining control, compliance, and security. Deep integration with partners like Nvidia and hyperscaler tools enhances AI-driven insights and analytics, optimizing performance and resource efficiency. With solutions like Spot by NetApp and Cloud Volumes, organizations can reduce costs, improve workload reliability, and unlock real-time, actionable insights to drive innovation and digital transformation in the cloud.
How do your services differentiate from those of your competitors?
NetApp stands out by delivering unified data management across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Partnerships with hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud ensure deep integrations and optimized performance. NetApp also leads in unstructured data management, leveraging AI tools to derive insights from data traditionally overlooked, such as emails and video conferences. By offering expertise in unstructured data management, NetApp enables businesses
Walid Issa, Senior Manager, PreSales and Solutions Engineers - Middle East & Africa, NetApp
to derive actionable insights from 85% of their data using advanced AI integrations with partners like Nvidia and hyperscalers. Its flexible, horizontal data stack fosters interoperability across hybrid and multicloud environments, complemented by industry-specific solutions tailored to unique challenges such as compliance, scalability, and sovereignty. A strong commitment to sustainability and talent development, including initiatives like the Data Explorers program and university collaborations, underscores its role in driving responsible innovation. With unmatched security and governance capabilities, NetApp empowers organizations
to navigate the complexities of digital transformation while ensuring efficiency, scalability, and trust.
Can you share insights into your security protocols for ensuring data safety?
NetApp's advanced security framework includes Data encryption, rolebased access controls, Multi-factor Authentication, and zero-trust principles to safeguard data. The company provides solutions for ransomware detection, recovery, and compliance with global and regional regulations. It offers unmatched governance capabilities, including
data masking and versioning to align with privacy laws. NetApp is also the only vendor certified with the highest U.S. government security clearances, underscoring its robust commitment to data protection.
What technologies or innovations are you currently integrating into your solutions?
data efficiently, regardless of their cloud strategy.
NetApp's unified data solutions empower businesses to seamlessly navigate hybrid and multicloud environments, unlocking AI-driven insights and ensuring secure, scalable digital transformation
NetApp is continuously incorporating advanced technologies and innovations into its solutions to meet evolving customer needs. NetApp is pioneering AI-driven data infrastructure, integrating advanced machine learning and automation to enhance predictive analytics and intelligent data management. Collaborations with Nvidia, AWS, and Google Cloud focus on embedding AI capabilities within existing frameworks. Innovations like NetApp's generative AI tools provide customers with natural language access to data, enabling seamless information retrieval.
Who are your key technology partners, and how do these partnerships enhance your offerings?
NetApp’s strategic partnerships with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud enable seamless integrations and flexibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. These collaborations ensure businesses can manage
Furthermore, joint solutions like FlexPod, developed in partnership with Cisco, provide a full-stack infrastructure that combines computing, networking, and storage to accelerate deployment and operational efficiency. These partnerships empower NetApp to deliver end-to-end solutions tailored to the specific needs of diverse industries, enabling innovation and scalability.
In addition, NetApp in collaboration with Lenovo and Nvidia, introduced a new converged infrastructure solution optimized for generative AI workload called the NetApp AIPod which will support Nvidia NIM inference microservices, the Nvidia AI Enterprise software platform for Gen AI development and deployment, and retrievalaugmented generation (RAG) to enable our customers to leverage their private, proprietary data for AI without large-scale model training.
How has the demand for hybrid and multi-cloud solutions shaped your strategy?
The shift toward hybrid and multicloud environments has driven NetApp to prioritize flexibility and integration. NetApp's solutions ensure consistent operations and governance across platforms, allowing businesses to navigate complex digital landscapes. By democratizing advanced technologies, NetApp makes hybrid cloud accessible to organizations of all sizes. In summary, the growing demand for hybrid and multicloud solutions has positioned NetApp as a Cloud-focused, Data-Centric Company focusing on providing a unified and seamless data experience across various environments.
What trends do you see shaping the future of cloud computing?
Key trends shaping cloud computing include the rise of AI and edge computing, the growing focus on data sovereignty, and the shift toward sustainable operations. NetApp is positioned to lead in these areas by offering intelligent data infrastructures, addressing unstructured data challenges, and fostering sustainability through energyefficient solutions. Embracing disruption as an opportunity enables NetApp to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
Nutanix and it’s Game-Changing AI-Powered Hybrid Cloud Solution
What are the main cloud solutions your company offers?
Nutanix is a true hybrid cloud software provider, allowing organizations to build private clouds, run in public clouds, or both. Nutanix offers a seamless operating platform/software that allows organizations to run their applications and workloads on the cloud, on-prem, and at the edge. We offer a single integrated pane of management that gives organizations the freedom to run anywhere. We have been ranked leaders in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for distributed hybrid cloud infrastructure in 2024.
How do your services differentiate from those of your competitors?
Nutanix focuses on simplicity and freedom of choice. We do not believe in vendor lock-in and are technology agnostic across over 700+ different technology providers – from cloud to hardware to VDI to AI, and many more. Our one-click model brings simplicity in operations of complex environments.
Nutanix prides itself on a 90+ NPS (Net promotor score) which we have achieved for over 7 years in a row; this is miles ahead of the competition and is a testament to our obsession with customer success.
What technologies or innovations are you currently integrating into your solutions?
Our most recent innovations revolve around AI (Nutanix Enterprise AI) and Nutanix for Kubernetes. Organizations are rallying their resources and investments towards GenAI, and at rapid speed. GenAI is redefining businesses by unlocking massive productivity gains, supercharging customer experiences, and enhancing security. One of the key challenges when regards to a GenAI strategy is whether the infrastructure and team skill sets are ready to embark on this journey. With Nutanix Enterprise AI, organizations have a one stop shop built in infrastructure which allows an easy way to deploy their choice of LMMs to create
Shaista Ahmed Director -Channel Sales & Ecosystem, Emerging Markets
and manage secure APIs to connect your GenAI applications. Nutanix Enterprise AI embraces the public cloud as a prime landing spot for organizations to leverage their models and data in a secure location of their choosing. Nutanix Enterprise AI is fully compatible with NVIDIA accelerated computing available on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Nutanix Enterprise AI can also be run on any public cloud where Kubernetes operates.The main use cases remain fraud detection, co-pilot, search & analysis along with customer support (chatbots).
Who are your key technology partners, and how do these partnerships enhance your offerings?
Nutanix partners with leaders and innovators across major technology categories –enabling a delightful experience for the multi-product solutions our customers are looking to build, We work with over 700+ different technology partners seamlessly for customers to achieve strategic value from their IT assets through Nutanix Ready interoperability validations and unique feature integrations. We have partnered with all OEM/hardware providers, so you can choose to run Nutanix on anything.
Predominately our partners here are Cisco, Lenovo, HPE, Fujitsu and most recently announcing our new partnership with Dell. We have also partnered with leading technology vendors in the open-source space, such as RedHat, leaders in virtualization and end-user-computing, such as Citrix. The list goes on. We have done this to ensure that whatever the customer needs or has already committed to, will not come as an additional burden when migrating to Nutanix.
How do you contribute to reducing the carbon footprint associated with data centers?
How has the demand for hybrid and multi-cloud solutions shaped your strategy?
Nutanix is at the forefront of transforming businesses with its advanced cloud solutions and generative AI capabilities.
IT has the potential to make significant impacts for sustainability efforts by modernizing infrastructure to address environmental, energy, and economic demands. Nutanix understands that sustainable IT practices is at the forefront of CIO’s and government agendas. Our platform allows our customers to shrink their datacenter footprint to more efficiently manage IT resources. In addition, it allows the ability to scale computing resources to only use and pay for what they need or migrate workloads to where it makes the most sense based on focused priorities including reducing energy consumption, or emissions.
Before discussing the demand for hybrid cloud, it is important to address the challenges we are seeing our customers encounter. Most often we see the rising demand to move to the cloud fast as part of a broader cloud strategy. Moving to the cloud can be costly and timely; and the challenge is to accelerate that process. Moving to the cloud requires a modernization of the applications and many times that requires a re-factoring of those applications. We also noticed many organizations realizing that the cloud is not fit for all and every application and workload. Instead, organizations wanted the ability to choose which applications and workloads run in the cloud and on-prem.
What trends do you see shaping the future of cloud computing?
The main trend shaping the future is the AI agenda. We are seeing companies seek infrastructure that can help support their AI applications. With Nutanix we can jumpstart your AI transformation with our platform that delivers control, privacy and security. This includes containerization as you cannot talk about AI without container management. We are seeing several use cases for this and are supporting the challenges that come with it. Whether it be building a private GPT, or requiring GenAI code development, or an AI-assisted document understanding – Nutanix supports these and many other use cases in the AI journey.
At the moment, we’re seeing high demand in sectors such as Financial Services, who were early adopters of AI technology, along with healthcare and the public sector.
Pure Storage’s cloud offering in vendor spotlight
What are the main cloud solutions that Pure Storage offers?
Pure offers several key cloud solutions aimed at optimizing data management across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. These include:
• Cloud Block Store: This solution facilitates hybrid and multi-cloud deployments by providing an abstraction layer for data storage in the cloud. It enables optimized storage, data reduction, snapshotting, replication between regions, and more, helping organizations efficiently manage data in the cloud.
• Portworx: A storage and data management solution for Kubernetes that works across all cloud platforms, enabling efficient storage orchestration and data management for containerized applications.
Additionally, Pure has built a Hyperscale division to provide cloud solutions to hyperscalers directly, and has integrated Cloud Block Store as a native service in Azure, allowing Azure customers to consume it as a first-party offering.
How do your services differentiate from those of your competitors?
We differentiate ourselves by embracing the offerings provided by cloud providers rather than retrofitting on-premises solutions for the cloud. We focus on creating solutions specifically designed for each cloud provider, optimizing for their strengths and ensuring high levels of availability and efficiency. Our solutions, like Cloud Block Store and Portworx, are architected to fit the specific requirements of public cloud environments. Moreover, we help organizations build their own cloud on-premises with solutions like Pure Fusion, which provides automation and abstraction similar to that of public clouds.
Who are your key technology partners, and how do these partnerships enhance your offerings?
We work closely with major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to optimize our
Fred Lherault, Field CTO, EMEA Emerging, Pure Storage
solutions for these environments. For example, Cloud Block Store is available on AWS and Azure, and Portworx supports all cloud providers. We also collaborate with on-premises solutions providers such as VMware and Red Hat to integrate our products into their platforms, enabling customers to deliver cloud-like services from their data centers.
How has the demand for hybrid and multi-cloud solutions shaped your strategy?
The growing need for hybrid and multi-cloud solutions has driven us to focus on enabling organizations to seamlessly migrate and replicate data and applications across multiple clouds. Our solutions are designed to support organizations in leveraging both public cloud elasticity and on-premises control, ensuring that they can dynamically choose the best environment for each use case. This flexibility is supported by solutions like Evergreen One, which allows on-demand consumption of storage resources with no upfront investment and backed by SLAs.
We focus on creating solutions specifically designed for each cloud provider, optimizing for their strengths and ensuring high levels of availability and efficiency, while also empowering organizations to build their own cloud on-premises with automation and abstraction.
What trends do you see shaping the future of cloud computing?
Several key trends are shaping the future of cloud computing:
• Cloud Realism: Organizations are moving toward a strategy of "cloud right," where they evaluate the best location for each use case, rather than defaulting to a "cloud first" approach. This means they will consider both public cloud and private cloud options.
• VMware and Broadcom Changes: The shift in VMware's pricing model has led to a renewed focus on optimizing VMware usage, particularly in the cloud. Azure’s VMware service has been a point of interest for many organizations seeking cost-efficient and scalable solutions.
• Regulations and Resiliency: Increasing regulations, such as the European Union's DORA regulation, are pushing organizations to meet stricter resiliency requirements, especially for critical services. This is prompting companies to carefully evaluate the SLAs offered by cloud providers and select solutions that meet their regulatory needs.
Oracle's cloud solutions and strategy
What are the main cloud solutions your company offers?
Oracle's cloud offerings are structured into three core layers:
Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS): This foundational layer includes the essential infrastructure components such as hardware, networking, and various deployment formats. It forms the base that supports any solutions customers may choose to build or deploy.
Cloud Data Layer: Serving as the middleware, this layer encompasses databases, adapters, security solutions, data governance, and data structuring capabilities. It ensures seamless integration and management of data within the cloud ecosystem.
Cloud SaaS Applications: At the top layer, Oracle offers a comprehensive suite of SaaS applications. These include ERP, HCM, CX, and various industry-specific solutions tailored for sectors such as hospitality, utilities, and communications.
Additionally, Oracle provides Cloud Services, which includes consulting services under "Oracle Consulting." While the preferred approach is to work through partners, Oracle directly collaborates with certain customers who prefer end-to-end engagement.
Together, this portfolio delivers a complete, bottom-up cloud solution encompassing infrastructure, data, applications, and services.
How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
In the cloud era, the market is divided into two main categories: hyperscalers and non-hyperscalers. Among the hyperscalers, there are four key players dominating the space:
Amazon Web Services (AWS): The largest hyperscaler in the market.
Microsoft Azure: The second-largest player.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP): A strong contender in the cloud space.
Oracle: The fourth hyperscaler, with unique strengths in both infrastructure and applications.
All four hyperscalers offer services at the infrastructure layer, operating their own data centers. Most also have a presence in the data layer. However, Oracle stands out in the application layer. While Google lacks a substantial application portfolio and Amazon has no apps portfolio, Microsoft offers a robust set of applications but focuses primarily on small and medium-sized businesses. Oracle, with over 45 years of experience in SaaS applications, boasts a comprehensive portfolio and a strong market share in this space.
This evolving landscape has also given rise to multi-cloud strategies, emphasizing
collaboration over competition. Oracle has been at the forefront of the multi-cloud movement, forming partnerships with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. These collaborations underscore the value of working together in a connected ecosystem, shifting the industry’s dynamic from rivalry to a more collaborative "frenemy" model.
Security is integral to Oracle’s cloud offerings and is embedded across all layers:
Infrastructure Security: As a cloud infrastructure provider, Oracle ensures its data centers are secure with stringent access management controls, regulating who can enter and exit.
Data Layer Security: Security measures
are applied at every level, from the operating system to the network, application, and all networking protocols.
Application Security: Oracle provides robust privacy and security solutions tailored to specific applications, ensuring end-to-end protection.
What technologies or innovations are you currently integrated in your solutions?
We are constantly evolving and adapting to the ever-changing cloud landscape. Our portfolio is continually expanding, with the most recent highlight being our focus on multi-cloud solutions.
Another key area of innovation is in cloud infrastructure delivery. While most hyperscalers focus on either public cloud platforms or building private clouds for customers, Oracle sets itself apart with unique deployment models:
the same cloud platform, allowing them to share services while maintaining centralized control and security.
Oracle Alloy: This is a white-label business model where organizations can take Oracle’s cloud infrastructure, rebrand it as their own, and offer it to the market. For example, Do has rebranded Oracle’s cloud as "Do Cloud," combining it with their own services and offerings, essentially becoming a cloud provider to their customers.
Public Cloud: In addition to these specialized solutions, we continue to deliver robust public cloud services, ensuring flexibility and scalability for our customers.
How has the demand for hybrid and multi-cloud solutions shaped your strategy
Initially, the focus was on either public cloud or private cloud solutions, with hybrid strategies not being a primary consideration.
Oracle’s commitment to security is reflected in its track record— having never been breached in its 45+ years of operation.
Cloud at Customer: This solution provides private cloud infrastructure hosted directly in the customer’s environment, behind their firewall, but centrally managed by Oracle. It’s ideal for smaller enterprises that require dedicated, secure, and localized cloud services.
Dedicated Region: For larger organizations, such as conglomerates like Dubai Production City or Altair, we offer a dedicated region solution. This enables an entire group of companies to operate under
This shift has resulted in a growing need for a combination of solutions: on-premise infrastructure, private cloud, and public cloud. Together, these three components have made hybrid strategies indispensable.
What trends do you see shaping the future of cloud computing?
There are two key aspects I’d like to highlight. First, our primary focus is on the future of AI.
When it comes to trends shaping the future of cloud computing, one of the most significant shifts we’re seeing is the rise of sovereign clouds and the emergence of alloys. Datasovereign clouds are becoming increasingly important, and we predict the dominance of the public cloud will gradually decline.
Geopolitical factors are driving nations—192 countries, to be exact—to prioritize their own sovereign clouds over reliance on global public cloud providers. Sovereign clouds are poised to become a pivotal trend in this space.
Is TallyPrime cloud the future for UAE businesses?
We recently had an opportunity to interview Vikas Panchal, General Manager - MENA at Tally Solutions, to gain insights into the company’s latest offering, TallyPrime Cloud Access. In our conversation, Vikas shared how this solution is set to transform business operations in the UAE
Cloud Access is an exciting new offering from Tally Solutions. Could you begin by telling us about the key features of this new solution?
TallyPrime Cloud Access is designed to provide businesses in the UAE with secure, reliable, and cost-effective remote access to Tally’s flagship product, TallyPrime. The key features of this solution include seamless remote access to business data from anywhere, enhanced collaboration across teams, and user-specific security controls to safeguard sensitive information. With data centers located locally within the UAE, businesses can access their data with minimal latency, ensuring efficiency and flexibility.
One of the most significant benefits is the ability for multiple team members to collaborate on the same set of data concurrently, regardless of their physical locations. Additionally, our cloud access offers dual-layer security, including secure authentication, which ensures that business data is protected from unauthorized access.
What are some of the biggest challenges businesses face today that TallyPrime Cloud Access helps solve?
In today’s fast-paced environment, remote work has become the norm, and businesses are increasingly looking for ways to work efficiently while ensuring the security of their data. TallyPrime Cloud Access addresses this need by eliminating the hassle of managing on-premises servers or complex technical infrastructures.
Many organizations struggle with maintaining business continuity while ensuring their data is secure and accessible. With TallyPrime Cloud Access, businesses can focus on what matters most—growth and efficiency—without the burden of managing infrastructure. Moreover, it supports easy upgrades and integrates seamlessly with third-party applications, which allows businesses to stay agile and responsive to market changes.
You mentioned the local data centers in the UAE. How important is this for businesses operating in the region?
Local data centers are extremely important, especially for businesses in the UAE. It reduces latency, ensuring faster and more efficient access to business data. It also aligns with regional data sovereignty requirements, giving businesses peace of mind that their data is stored in compliance with local regulations. With TallyPrime Cloud Access hosted in the UAE, businesses can be
confident that their critical information is secure and accessible while meeting regulatory standards.
How does the cloud version enhance its functionality of Tally as a company?
TallyPrime Cloud Access combines the simplicity and intuitive interface of TallyPrime with the flexibility, reliability, and scalability of a cloudbased solution. This makes it not only ideal for businesses but also for chartered accountants who manage multiple client accounts. The solution simplifies centralized data management, allowing accountants to work remotely and securely from anywhere.
With cloud access, businesses also benefit from integrated productivity tools and easy integrations with third-party applications. This ensures that businesses can streamline their operations and adapt quickly to changing demands while
Vikas Panchal, General Manager - MENA, Tally Solutions
maintaining the power and usability that TallyPrime is known for.
What specific industries or sectors will benefit the most from TallyPrime Cloud Access?
TallyPrime Cloud Access is versatile and can benefit businesses across various sectors, including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services. Essentially, any organization that relies on accounting, inventory management, and compliance would benefit from the enhanced flexibility and security of a cloud-based solution.
The ability to access critical business data remotely and collaborate seamlessly with teams is an asset for industries with dynamic work environments or those that operate across multiple locations.
Chartered accountants, in particular, will find it useful as it simplifies managing
client data securely and efficiently from a single platform.
What do you see as the future of business management software in the UAE?
The future of business management software, especially in the UAE and the broader MENA region, is heading towards more flexibility, security, and cloud integration. Businesses are increasingly demanding solutions that allow them to scale easily, work remotely, and collaborate efficiently while ensuring their data is secure.
Cloud-based solutions like TallyPrime Cloud Access are already a step in this direction. As more businesses embrace digital transformation, we believe that cloud adoption will only continue to rise, enabling companies to enhance
their operational efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive. The future is about empowering businesses to operate smoothly from anywhere, at any time, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of that transformation.
Finally, how can businesses in the UAE access TallyPrime Cloud Access?
TallyPrime Cloud Access is available for existing TallyPrime customers in the UAE who wish to leverage the flexibility of the cloud for their accounting and business management needs. Interested businesses can reach out to us directly or through our authorized partners to get started with the solution. We’re committed to providing them with all the support they need to seamlessly transition to the cloud and start benefiting from this powerful, secure solution.
From cloud to community
Could you explain what your company offers and its footprint in the Middle East?
Absolutely. Zoho is a global cloud software company providing over 50 integrated applications tailored to every organizational need—sales, marketing, HR, finance, IT, and more. In the Middle East, particularly the UAE, we’ve seen explosive growth since launching our Dubai office in 2018. Over the last seven years, our UAE revenue has grown 22x with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 55%. Our value proposition lies in offering enterprise-grade solutions at affordable prices, thanks to our vertically integrated model: we own our data centers, invest heavily in R&D, and pass cost savings to customers.
You recently announced a strategic partnership with Umm Al Quwain Chamber of Commerce. What does this entail?
This is a landmark collaboration. Umm Al Quwain Chamber represents over 8,600 businesses, and through this MOU, each will receive an annual wallet credit of 2,000 AED to access Zoho’s software suite. In total, we’re investing 17 million AED in licenses and 43 million AED in training programs. These businesses gain free access to Zoho’s tools for one year, empowering them to digitize operations, streamline workflows, and compete more effectively.
What challenges does Zoho face in the UAE market, and how are you addressing them?
Localization is critical here. UAE businesses expect end-to-end local presence—not just sales teams but also pre-sales consultants, support, and implementation experts. We’ve built a full-fledged Dubai team to meet this demand. For instance, if a customer calls support, they’re speaking to someone in our Dubai office. We’re essentially a “self-managed” service provider, ensuring seamless, localized experiences.
How is Zoho leveraging this trend?
AI agents are a key focus for 2025. Imagine a business traveler needing to plan meetings across Europe. With Zoho’s no-code AI Agent Builder, they could create a custom travel assistant that pulls data from calendars, CRM, and logistics tools—all without
coding. This agent would handle bookings, client coordination, and itineraries autonomously. We’re blending open-source LLMs with our own AI stack to democratize automation for businesses.
How do partnerships like Dubai’s “trade license credits” program impact Zoho’s growth?
With our AI Agent Builder, businesses can automate complex tasks without coding—imagine reducing shipment delays by 40% just by teaching an agent to think.
These collaborations are transformative. For example, Dubai Economic Tourism (DET) offers 1,800 USD in Zoho credits to every new business as part of their trade license. We’re the exclusive software provider in this initiative. Over 4,000 businesses from DET alone have become paying customers after their first free year. Such partnerships build trust, scale adoption, and showcase our commitment to regional digitization.
What’s your vision for Zoho in the Middle East over the next 3-5 years?
We aim to deepen localization, expand our product ecosystem, and democratize AI for SMEs. By embedding ourselves in regional ecosystems—through chambers, governments, and startups—we’ll empower businesses to thrive in the digital economy. The Middle East is a priority market, and we’re here for the long haul.
Hyther Nizam President, Middle East and Africa (MEA) at Zoho.
BlueVerve
The future of data storage
Can you tell us about the key highlights for your company at Intersec?
At Intersec 2025, we are showcasing our latest advancements in data storage, focusing on increasing storage capacity per drive. Earlier in 2024, we introduced Mosaic 3 and Mosaic 3 Plus, which offer significantly more storage capacity per drive. This not only reduces data center space requirements but also decreases energy consumption and operational costs. With the exponential growth in data storage needs—especially in surveillance and AI-driven applications—our solutions are more relevant than ever.
AI is a major trend in technology. How does it impact your data storage solutions?
AI relies heavily on information, and information needs to be stored. Previously, companies would discard data once it was no longer needed. However, with AI, organizations now retain vast amounts of data for longer periods, as it plays a critical role in training and improving AI models. While we don’t develop AI-specific software, we provide the essential storage infrastructure that supports AI advancements. Our latest drives are designed to accommodate this shift by offering higher capacity with lower power consumption.
Trade shows like Intersec bring together industry leaders. How beneficial are these events for your company?
Trade shows are invaluable for us. We are very selective about the events we attend, and Intersec is always on our list. Over the past decade, we have seen increasing convergence between surveillance, cybersecurity, and AI. This year, Intersec has even introduced a dedicated cybersecurity hall, reinforcing how interconnected these fields have become. For us, being here is more important than ever, as data storage is a critical component in ensuring secure and efficient operations across these domains.
What can visitors expect when they visit your booth?
Vincent Oostlander, Director Seagate Solutions and EMEA Sales at Seagate Technology
Our approach is to engage with visitors by first understanding their data storage needs. Whether they are installers, value-added resellers, or end users, we start by discussing how data storage fits into their current IT and security infrastructure. Key topics we cover include storage capacity, power efficiency, security, and data center footprint. Once we identify their priorities, we tailor our solutions to their specific requirements, demonstrating how our technology can enhance their operations.
As AI, cybersecurity, and surveillance push the boundaries of digital innovation, the demand for smarter, scalable, and energyefficient data storage has never been greater
It sounds like an exciting time for the data storage industry. Any final thoughts for those attending Intersec 2025?
Absolutely! The demand for data storage is growing faster than ever, driven by advancements in AI, surveillance, and cybersecurity. At Intersec 2025, we are here to showcase how our latest innovations can help organizations manage and optimize their data storage needs efficiently. We look forward to engaging with industry professionals and helping them navigate the evolving landscape of digital storage.
What’s trending
Alteryx appoints Andy MacMillan as chief executive officer
Avanade has appointed Adel Daira as the new United Arab Emirates (UAE) Country Manager, effective immediately. Adel succeeds Adriano Neves, who will transition to the role of General Manager for Brazil.
Adel brings over 13 years of experience at Avanade, where he has built a strong reputation for driving growth and fostering robust client relationships. His decade-long tenure in Switzerland as the Client Lead for large accounts was marked by impressive results, and since relocating to the UAE in 2021, he has significantly enhanced Avanade’s regional presence as the Regional Sales Lead.
Anna Di Silverio, President for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EME), Avanade, said, “Adel has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep understanding of our clients' needs. His strategic vision and commitment to excellence make him the ideal leader to drive our growth in the UAE. We are confident that under his leadership, Avanade UAE will continue to thrive and innovate in this dynamic market.”
The UAE is rapidly becoming a global hub for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation. With a market
size valued at USD 3.47 billion in 2023 and projected to grow at a CAGR of 43.9% between 2024 and 2030, the opportunities for AI in the UAE are immense. The government’s commitment to integrating AI across various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and defence, is driving significant advancements and creating a fertile ground for innovation.
Adel's appointment comes at a pivotal time as AI trends in the UAE continue to evolve. The region is witnessing a surge in AI applications, from smart traffic control systems to AI-powered healthcare solutions. These advancements are not only enhancing operational efficiencies but also transforming the way businesses and governments operate.
“I am honoured to take on the role of UAE Country Manager at such an exciting time for Avanade and the region. The UAE is at the forefront of technological innovation, and I am eager to lead our talented team in driving significant growth and delivering exceptional value to our clients. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with digital transformation and AI,” said Adel Daira, Country Manager – UAE, Avanade.
Microsoft names Samer Abu-Ltaif President for Europe, Middle East and Africa
Microsoft has appointed Samer Abu-Ltaif as President of EMEA, succeeding Ralph Haupter, who will lead the new Microsoft Small, Medium Enterprises and Channel Partner organization.
In his new role, Abu-Ltaif will use his expertise in digital transformation and collaboration to enhance Microsoft’s presence across the EMEA region. He will focus on empowering customers and partners to leverage AI, driving innovation and economic growth across over 120 markets.
Abu-Ltaif will leverage his digital transformation expertise to strengthen Microsoft’s presence in EMEA, helping customers and partners harness AI to drive innovation and economic growth across 120+ markets.
During his 20 years at Microsoft, Abu-Ltaif led initiatives that strengthened the company’s role in regional development. Notable achievements include launching Microsoft’s first African datacenter in South Africa, expanding datacenters in the UAE, Qatar, Poland, and upcoming regions in Greece, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya. He also helped establish the Microsoft Africa Development Center in Kenya and supported a $1.5 billion AI investment in Abu Dhabi’s G42. Abu-Ltaif has championed workforce development through programs like Tomoh and TechDev, empowering millions with digital skills. His dedication to sustainability has led to impactful partnerships advancing the region’s green agenda.
Adel Daira, Country Manager, Avanade
Samer Abu-Ltaif, President of EMEA
15 APRIL - UAE | 17 APRIL - KSA 21 APRIL - QATAR | 21 APRIL - PAKISTAN NOVEMBER - INDIA (MUMBAI)
#AIPoweredSecurity Detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats in real time
#ZeroTrust
AI PCs are coming—and they’re about to change everything. Here’s why you should care.
Sehrish Tariq Assistant Editor GEC Media Group
You know the drill. Every few years, the tech world latches onto a new buzzword, and suddenly everything has to be “smart,” “connected,” or “disruptive.” But every once in a while, one of those buzzwords actually lives up to the hype. This time, it’s “AI PC.” And no, this isn’t just marketing fluff. We’re talking about a fundamental shift in what our computers can do—and who they’re for.
Let’s start with the numbers, because they’re wild. In 2024, the global AI market blasted past **184billion . As per marketsandmarkets research the AI PC market size is projected to grow from USD 50.61 billion in 2024 to USD 231.30 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 28.82% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. And while chatbots and cloud servers grabbed headlines early, the real story is happening closer to home: on your desk, in your lap, and in the hands of everyone from students to CEOs. AI PCs—machines built with dedicated hardware to handle artificial intelligence tasks locally—are about to become as essential as Wi-Fi.
You’ve probably already used AI—maybe to edit a photWo, transcribe a meeting, or ask ChatGPT to plan a vacation. But today, most of that work happens in the cloud. You send data to a server, it crunches the numbers, and sends back the result. That works… until it doesn’t. Latency, privacy risks, and subscription fees add up. AI PCs cut out the middleman. They process AI tasks locally, which means faster responses, tighter security, and no monthly bill. For businesses, that’s a game-changer.
The distributor’s dilemma
If you’re selling PCs, here’s the reality: your customers are about to start asking for AI capabilities, even if they don’t fully understand them yet. This isn’t like selling a laptop with a better webcam or thinner bodies. AI PCs represent a huge shift, and distributors need to get ahead of it.
First, education is key. Buyers—whether they’re consumers, small businesses, or enterprise IT managers— need to know why AI hardware matters. It’s not just a checkbox; it’s about enabling workflows that weren’t possible before. Training your sales teams to explain usage, on-device AI benefits, and use-case scenarios will separate the winners from the usual ones.
Second, curation matters. Not all “AI PCs” are created equal. Some will prioritize energy efficiency for portable devices; others will max out performance for creators. Distributors need to understand their customers’ industries and tailor their offerings.
Finally, timing is everything. The market’s still young, but it’s moving fast. Distributors who wait too long to stock AI PCs risk getting stuck with outdated inventory as demand surges.
For distributors, the message is clear: The era of “good enough” computers is over. The future belongs to machines that don’t just compute, but think. And if you’re not ready to deliver them, someone else will be.
