UAE as a cloud and AI investment hub

The deal reflects a broader pattern of international technology firms using the UAE as a regional base for cloud and AI expansion. Strong digital infrastructure, pro-investment policies and national strategies focused on advanced technologies have helped position the country as a preferred destination for multinational suppliers and service providers.

In recent years, hyperscalers, systems integrators and specialist consultancies have increased their presence in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, often citing the UAE’s role as a stable gateway to regional markets. This has been accompanied by growing demand from both public and private sector organisations seeking to modernise legacy systems, improve data analytics capabilities and adopt AI at scale.

At the same time, the cloud services market across the wider Middle East is entering a period of rapid expansion. Saudi Arabia alone saw its cloud market valued at $4.77bn last year, with forecasts suggesting it will more than double by the early 2030s. AWS has confirmed plans to launch a dedicated cloud region in the Kingdom in 2026, a move expected to further accelerate demand for cloud migration, security and application modernisation services across the Gulf.

Against this backdrop, global service providers are increasingly looking to acquire regional specialists with deep local knowledge and established partnerships. For NTT Data, Zero&One brings not only AWS expertise, but also an understanding of regional regulatory requirements, sector-specific challenges and customer expectations.

The acquisition also highlights that the nature of cloud demand in the Middle East is evolving. Early adoption was often focused on infrastructure migration and cost optimisation. Today, organisations need more advanced services, including cloud-native application development, data analytics and AI-enabled services.

“We’ve built our reputation on delivering world-class cloud expertise to organisations across the Middle East,” said Ali El Kontar, CEO of Zero&One. “As part of NTT Data, we can combine our regional knowledge and AWS specialisation with global resources and expanded service offerings.”

This ability to scale is becoming increasingly important as enterprises in the region move beyond pilots and proofs of concept towards large, mission-critical cloud and AI programmes. For many organisations, particularly in regulated industries such as financial services, energy and government, this requires partners who can demonstrate both global delivery capabilities and a strong local presence.

As competition intensifies and customer expectations rise, global players are likely to pursue further acquisitions to strengthen their regional capabilities and differentiate their offerings. For the UAE, this trend reinforces its position as a strategic hub for technology investment and innovation.