Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: e& entered into a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and signed a $1 billion-plus (AED 3.70 billion), according to a press release.
The deal aims to accelerate the impact of cloud-driven innovation and digital transformation across the region. It follows AWS’s launch in the UAE during 2022, with a planned $5 billion (AED 20 billion) investment in the local economy through to 2036.
The new alliance integrates AWS’s cloud infrastructure and solutions with e&’s network capabilities to meet customer requirements across the public sector and regulated industries, including healthcare, finance, and oil and gas in the Middle East.
Moreover, the two companies will provide cloud solutions in accordance with industry regulations.
The alliance will focus on delivering core cloud services like storage, computing, networking, and cybersecurity, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, said: “By investing in both critical infrastructure and talent development, we’re again supporting the region’s economy, digital resilience, and, most importantly, its people, who will be instrumental in realizing the UAE’s vision of becoming a world-leading digital powerhouse.”
Salvador Anglada, CEO of e& enterprise, commented: “By combining AWS’s advanced cloud capabilities with e&'s local expertise, we will empower businesses across the region with the tools and infrastructure to accelerate their digital transformation and become more agile to scale as they innovate faster.”
According to PwC, nearly 70% of Middle East-based companies plan to migrate most of their operations to the cloud within the next two years, while a 2023 report by Telecom Advisory Services predicts public cloud adoption to unlock $733 billion in economic value by 2033 across the MENA region.
In March 2024, AWS rolled out plans to launch an AWS infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia in 2026.
Last month, e& obtained regulatory approval to acquire a controlling stake in PPF Telecom’s assets in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia.
