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UAE: e& and AWS sign $1-billion deal to deliver cloud services in the region

The agreement will further modernise platforms such as Starzplay Arabia and Careem, the Middle East ‘everything app’

The UAE’s telecom and technology group e& on Tuesday signed a $1 billion deal with the cloud provider Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate the impact of cloud-driven innovation and digital transformation across the region.

The investments by the companies will be made over the next six years in the region.

This follows AWS’s launch of its second Middle East cloud region in the UAE in 2022, with a planned $5 billion (around Dh20 billion) investment in the local economy through to 2036.

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The deal will focus on delivering core cloud services like storage, computing, networking, cybersecurity, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

The agreement enables e& to leverage AWS’s 200-plus fully featured services to modernise platforms such as Starzplay Arabia, a TV streaming service in which e& has a majority stake; and Careem, the Middle East ‘everything app’ offering millions of customers easy access to food, mobility, digital payments, and more.

e& will also deploy Amazon’s technologies to expand its AI capabilities and to advance its Smart Home services, while e&’s Smiles points can be earned when shopping on Amazon.

AWS will enable hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses, supported by e&, to access the AWS Marketplace. This will help these businesses discover, deploy, and manage software which runs on AWS, democratizing access to the cloud.

According to PwC, nearly 70 per cent of Middle East 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 Middle East and North Africa.

Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, said: “This agreement with AWS demonstrates our shared long-term strategic goal to create an ecosystem that supports today’s digital needs and lays the foundation for future growth. We are enabling businesses across the region to lead in an AI-powered, data-driven economy. 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.”

Tanuja Randery, Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, AWS, said: “This collaboration marks another significant step in our ongoing investment in the UAE, which has emerged as an international force driving innovation. Our partnership with e& underscores AWS’s deep commitment to both the UAE and the wider Middle East, particularly in fast-tracking UAE Vision 2031. Our security infrastructure and expertise in AI and ML empowers public sector organizations, regulated industries, and enterprises with the tools they need to innovate securely and drive progress across the region.”

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