AWS and e& enter into a new $1 billion agreement as part of new strategic alliance

Dubai: e& announces a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This 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 new alliance combines AWS's cloud infrastructure and solutions with e &'s network capabilities to address customer requirements across the public sector and regulated industries, including healthcare, finance, and oil and gas in the Middle East.

Together, the companies will provide cloud solutions that align with industry regulations, meeting the growing demand for secure and scalable infrastructure.

As part of the collaboration, AWS and e& signed a $1 billion-plus (Dh3.7 billion) agreement over the next six years to accelerate the impact of cloud-driven innovation and digital transformation across the region. The alliance will focus on delivering core cloud services like storage, computing, networking, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

The agreement enables e& to leverage AWS's 200-plus fully featured services to modernize platforms such as Starzplay Arabia 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.

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, democratizing access to the cloud.

Just like how AWS democratized access to cloud computing services, it is transforming access to building and using generative AI technology so that companies of all sizes, across all industries, with developers of all skill sets, can participate in this transformation and grow their businesses.

The two companies will leverage AWS's unique Amazon Bedrock generative AI solutions to empower e &'s Middle East customers, large and small, with advanced AI to drive productivity and improve customer experiences.

Amazon Bedrock provides a foundation model choice from leading AI providers via a single application programming interface (API) that allows companies to build and scale generative AI applications.

The AWS and e& collaboration are integral as cloud adoption continues to transform both public sector services and enterprises.  According to PwC, nearly 70 per cent of Middle East companies plan to migrate most of their operations to the cloud within the next two years, while a 2023 report by Telecom Advisory Services predicts public cloud adoption to unlock US$733 billion in economic value by 2033 across the Middle East and North Africa.

AWS and e& will also work on developing a local upskilling initiative, with plans to provide training opportunities in cloud technologies and AI to thousands of individuals, including UAE nationals.