IBM announces plans with
AWS to fuel innovation and
cloud adoption across the
Middle East
(DUBAI)
-
IBM (NYSE:
IBM) has announced an
expanded Strategic
Collaboration Agreement
(SCA) with AWS to accelerate
secure cloud adoption and
digital transformation
across the Middle East (the
“Collaboration”). The
Collaboration will leverage
IBM Consulting’s deep
industry expertise, AI and
hybrid cloud technology
leadership, alongside the
cloud capabilities of AWS,
to accelerate digital
transformation.
The
demand for cloud services is
rapidly growing, driven by
emerging use cases in
generative AI (GenAI),
machine learning, and the
Internet of Things (IoT).
Across the Middle East, the
cloud computing market is
booming, with sectors such
as e-government, public,
healthcare, retail, banking,
and manufacturing leading
the charge. In Saudi Arabia
and the UAE, bold digital
transformation agendas such
as Saudi Vision 2030 and the
UAE Digital Economy Strategy
are driving both governments
and enterprises to
accelerate cloud adoption,
invest in GenAI, and
modernize national
infrastructure. The goal is
to boost productivity,
enable new business models,
and enhance customer
experiences. As a result,
organizations are
increasingly turning to
public cloud providers and
trusted partners with a
proven track record to help
accelerate their digital
transformation and maximize
business value.
The
Collaboration between IBM
and AWS is designed to
accelerate technology
transformation across the
region, combining deep
industry expertise with
joint investments in
go-to-market and delivery
capabilities. Building on
IBM Consulting’s Global AWS
Practice and its strong
credentials, including
market-leading competencies
in cloud migration, data
platform modernization, and
responsible GenAI across
multiple industries, the
collaboration with AWS aims
to help regional clients
modernize their operations
and unlock new value.
As part of the
Collaboration, the companies
will explore the
establishment of the first
IBM-AWS joint Innovation Hub
in Riyadh, designed to
showcase the companies’
combined capabilities. The
intended hub will enable
customers to explore proofs
of concept, identify new
transformational
opportunities, and gain
hands-on experience with the
latest cloud technologies
and industry solutions,
including IBM’s advanced
technologies, such as
watsonx. The Innovation Hub
in Riyadh would build on
successful global models
that IBM and AWS have
established in India and
Romania, and would be
tailored to the needs of
public and private sector
innovators in the Middle
East.
IBM intends to
invest in expanding its AWS
Practice capabilities across
technical and delivery
skills across the region,
including talent development
in KSA and UAE, and the
certification of local
practitioners. This expanded
pool of skilled
professionals will be
crucial in helping
organizations navigate
complex cloud
transformations, from
initial strategy through to
implementation and
optimization.
To
catalyze growth in the
Middle East, AWS will
support IBM in developing
new solutions on AWS and
localizing impactful global
offerings such as Contact
Center Intelligence,
Autonomous Security
Compliance, Supply Chain
Ensemble, Oil & Gas
analytics, Smart Government,
and AI-powered citizen
engagement tools. These
solutions will help
organizations align with
national priorities around
economic diversification and
sustainability, while
accelerating cloud adoption
through targeted migrations,
modernization initiatives,
and industry-specific use
cases.
Security is
also a cornerstone of the
Collaboration. By bringing
together IBM Consulting’s
end-to-end cybersecurity
services with AWS’s advanced
global cloud architecture,
the two companies are
setting a new benchmark for
cloud protection.
A
key element of this
relationship includes
Autonomous Security for
Cloud (ASC), a managed
service from IBM Consulting
that uses AI-driven
automation to deploy uniform
security policies and enable
best-in-class security
through the AWS shared
responsibility model. IBM
and AWS will work together
to provide tailored security
assessments to help
organizations – especially
in regulated industries –
build strong security and
compliance postures, meeting
standards such as the
National Cybersecurity
Authority’s (NCA) Essential
Cybersecurity Controls (ECC)
and Abu Dhabi Healthcare
Information and Cyber
Security Standard (ADHICS)
from the very start of their
cloud journey.
The
Collaboration will also
focus on sustainability
initiatives aligned with key
regional priorities such as
the Saudi Green Initiative
and the UAE’s sustainability
vision. Through IBM’s global
expertise and localized
solutions such as IBM
Consulting’s Sustainability
Disclosure Assist and
Sustainable Product Ledger
for Oil & Gas, organizations
can modernize IT
infrastructure while
advancing net-zero and
environmental, social, and
governance factors (ESG)
mandates.
“This
collaboration represents a
significant milestone in
IBM’s commitment to helping
organizations across the
Middle East, especially in
Saudi Arabia and the UAE,
realize their digital
transformation ambitions,”
said Lula Mohanty,
Managing Partner - Middle
East and Africa at IBM
Consulting. “ Our
partnership with AWS will
help organizations leverage
the power of cloud
technologies while building
critical technical
capabilities in the region.”
“Our collaboration with
IBM will enable businesses
and governments across the
Middle East to adopt
breakthrough technologies at
scale, while reinventing
core processes with AI,”
said Tanuja Randery,
Managing Director and Vice
President EMEA at AWS.
“This will enable
organizations to access new
levels of agility and
resilience through the
cloud.”
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