Page 65 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Cloud workloads national initiatives such as TASMU PLATFORM, and Qatar Digital
Businesses of all sizes and industries can now host their cloud Government, as well as the Supreme Committee for Delivery &
workloads in Microsoft’s Qatar datacenter, availing enterprise- Legacy, and many others, have already embraced the Microsoft
grade reliability and performance. Customers can begin leveraging Cloud to develop digital capabilities and innovate in their industries.
Microsoft Azure to develop advanced applications using AI, data In 2021, MCIT partnered with a global consortium of partners led
and analytics, IoT and hybrid capabilities with advanced digital by Ooredoo to bring to life the TASMU Platform, a one-of-a-kind,
security and more, as well as Microsoft 365, the world’s productivity ground-breaking, smart city solution. Microsoft has played a vital
cloud that delivers best-of-breed productivity apps delivered role as a global technology enabler throughout this collaboration.
seamlessly through cloud services. With over 100 compliance “In our continued, unwavering efforts to build a Smart Qatar that
offerings – the broadest set of compliance offerings and programs is digitally-powered and innovation-driven, we are committed to
of any public cloud provider – the Microsoft cloud significantly harnessing the power of integrated cloud-based technologies to
empowers customers to meet local compliance and policy offer endless potential value to the people of Qatar,” said Reem
requirements. This includes the National Information Assurance Mohammed Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary of Digital
Certification issued by the National Cyber Security Agency, which Society Development at MCIT.
Microsoft received earlier this year. President of Microsoft EMEA, Delivering new opportunities
Ralph Haupter stated: “Across Qatar, Microsoft customers are The Microsoft cloud datacenter region Qatar will drive growth and
already leveraging our trusted cloud to innovate, achieve their scale for the more than 100 Microsoft partners in the country,
business goals and do more with less. We are proud to deliver the as well as global partners looking to establish themselves in the
first hyperscale cloud datacenter region to the country, which will country. Microsoft partners such as EY, Ooredoo, Vodafone, QDS,
significantly amplify opportunities for even more transformation.” PWC, ICT, Malomatia, Intel, Mannai, Meeza, Starlink, Veeam and
“With its longstanding history as an early adopter of technology, more, are delivering transformative solutions across the Microsoft
Qatar has completely embraced cloud solutions and revolutionized Cloud to drive customer success. More than 70% of Qatari Startups
entire industries to develop a new, advanced digital economy. are on the Microsoft Founders hub. These startups have the
Today’s announcement will enable the country to take these potential to go on and become the next unicorns of their industries.
groundbreaking innovations to the world, showcase its standing as Also a minimum of 11 global partners and ISV established
a leader in digital transformation and cement its place as a global operations in Qatar last year alone. IDC’s research also sheds
hub for innovation,” said Lana Khalaf, Microsoft Country Manager. light on downstream revenues generated by Microsoft’s partner
Meeting customers’ demand ecosystem. The findings reveal that for every $1 of Microsoft
Microsoft customers across industries, including the Ministry cloud-generated revenue, the partner ecosystem is expected to
of Communication and Information technology through its generate $7.87 by 2026, up from $6.41 by 2023.

Microsoft Cloud to Add US$39 billion to UAE Economy

Microsoft, the world's biggest software company, expects its
cloud services portfolio to add more than $39 billion and about
100,000 jobs to the UAE economy in the next four years, a study
has shown. About 17 per cent of that revenue will come from the
US technology company's cloud data center regions in Abu Dhabi
and Dubai, according to the report conducted by the International
Data Corporation. Microsoft's cloud business caters to the
growing number of cloud-born companies or organizations in
the UAE that have most or all of their assets on the cloud, said
Naim Yazbeck, Microsoft's general manager for the UAE. The
company is also “continuing” discussions with local authorities on
potential partnerships to use its cloud services in highly regulated
sectors, he told The National at Gitex Technology Week in Dubai.
Microsoft and its partners will spend about $3.4bn to support local
businesses in UAE data center regions, it said. “The pandemic
created an exponential need for digitization; everyone required
things to be digital, touchless, etc. and technology had been
playing a big role. Of course, the cloud enabled all of those,” said cloud technology in the UAE and the GCC is growing because of
Mr. Yazbeck. “The cloud has been a critical factor in allowing many the rise of technology focused young consumers and an evolving
sectors — from education to payments and financial services to digital landscape in the region. The global cloud computing
retail — to continue to operate.” The Microsoft study follows the market was valued at $368.97bn in 2021 and is projected to
opening of the company's first cloud data center region in Qatar, grow at a compound annual rate of about 16 per cent from 2022
which is expected to add more than $18bn to the Gulf state's to 2030, with emerging technology such as artificial intelligence
economy and generate more than 36,000 jobs. The adoption of and machine learning among its primary drivers, according to

65 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022