e&, a global technology group headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), a globally renowned cloud provider. As part of the collaboration, AWS and e& have signed a deal worth over US$ 1 billion (AED3.7 billion) to accelerate the impact of cloud-driven innovation and digital transformation across the region over the next six years.
The alliance will focus on delivering core cloud services like storage, computing, networking, cybersecurity, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). It combines AWS’s cloud infrastructure and solutions, which are sovereign by design, with e&’s network capabilities to address the most stringent customer requirements across the public sector and regulated industries including healthcare, finance, and oil and gas in the Middle East.
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, democratising access to the cloud. The two companies will also leverage AWS’s unique Amazon Bedrock generative AI solutions to empower e&’s Middle East customers with advanced AI to drive productivity and improve customer experiences.
Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, said, “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 realising the UAE’s vision of becoming a world-leading digital powerhouse.”
Tanuja Randery, Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, AWS, said, “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 empower public sector organisations, regulated industries, and enterprises with the tools they need to innovate securely and drive progress across the region.”
Readers would recall that AWS had launched its second Middle East cloud region in the UAE in 2022, with a planned US$ 5 billion investment in the local economy through to 2036.
