e& (formerly Etisalat) has announced a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The partnership will include a Dh3.7 billion (over $1 billion) investment over the next six years to accelerate cloud technologies and digital transformation.
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 will look 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.
The announcement follows AWS’s launch of its second Middle East cloud region in the UAE in 2022, with a planned $5 billion (Dh20 billion) investment in the local economy through to 2036.
The agreement enables e& to leverage AWS’s 200-plus fully featured services to modernise platforms such as Starzplay Arabia, on which e& has a majority stake; and Careem. 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.
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 realizing the UAE’s vision of becoming a world-leading digital powerhouse.”
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.
“This collaboration marks another significant step in our ongoing investment in the UAE, which has emerged as an international force driving innovation,” added Tanuja Randery, Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, AWS.
Together, the companies will provide cloud solutions that align with industry regulations, meeting the growing demand for secure and scalable infrastructure.
