Angel Alves

I’m delighted to announce that Oracle Database@Azure is now available in the UAE to meet the rapidly growing customer demand for AI data modernisation.   With the services’ debut in the Microsoft Azure UAE Central and UAE North regions, customers gain all the performance, resiliency, security, and scalability advantages of Oracle Database on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), combined with Azure’s enterprise-grade solutions for AI, analytics, security, and applications to unlock innovation and agility.   Oracle Database@Azure is now available in 27 regions worldwide, with six more planned in the next 12 months.   The launch of Oracle Database@Azure in the UAE marks a significant milestone for the Middle East’s digital future, as we get ready to showcase how our #AI is supporting the UAE’s standing as a global hub for innovation at #GITEXGLOBAL in Dubai next week. https://lnkd.in/efRny5YQ   Richard Smith. Assaad El Saadi, Nick Redshaw, Cherian Varghese, Leopoldo Boado Lama

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I’m delighted to announce a major expansion of the Oracle Cloud Abu Dhabi Region with the deployment of the first Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Supercluster powered by NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs in the Middle East. The new OCI Supercluster, which will support sovereign AI initiatives in the Middle East, will be powered by more than 4,000 #NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and deliver exceptional compute capabilities for AI training, inference, and R&D. OCI’s sovereign #AI infrastructure will directly support Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming the world’s first fully AI-native government by 2027 and help establish the UAE as a regional hub for AI innovation. This landmark deployment deepens Oracle’s enduring commitment to the UAE as a vital national catalyst for innovation, sovereignty, and AI-driven transformation. Learn how governments and enterprises across the Middle East will now have direct access to the world’s most advanced AI compute capabilities. https://lnkd.in/d5FST8Kj Richard Smith, Marc Domenech

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I’m delighted to announce that Ajman Bank, one of the UAE’s leading Shariah-compliant financial institutions, has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to run its next-generation trade finance platform.   This milestone collaboration underscores Ajman Bank’s commitment to leverage advanced cloud technologies to strengthen its financial resilience, enhance security, and drive sustainable innovation across the UAE’s banking sector.   Oracle is at the forefront of enabling the Middle East’s top banking and financial services organizations to unlock new capabilities and drive growth through our robust multicloud solutions and distributed cloud strategy.   Learn how we are enabling Ajman Bank to create a more intelligent and connected banking ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/dCKMbQhU Ashish Madan, Richard Smith, Assaad El Saadi

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Microsoft and Barclays announce key leadership appointments, underscoring the strategic importance of the Middle East and Africa regions. Microsoft has named Amr Kamel as its new UAE General Manager, while Naim Yazbeck is promoted to President of its Middle East and Africa operations. Kamel will focus on driving digital transformation, cloud infrastructure, and AI adoption across the UAE. Separately, Barclays has appointed Khaled Eldabag and Walid Mezher as joint CEOs for the Middle East. Both executives, based in Dubai, bring extensive experience in investment banking and markets, reflecting the region's growing significance for the bank's global operations.

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The future of data infrastructure in MEA is unfolding fast—are you ready for it? Mireille Azzam Vidjen, Head of Strategic Consulting, MEA, shared a fascinating outlook on the booming Data Centre market in the Middle East and Africa. With $3.1B in projects underway, the UAE is leading the charge, powered by Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The region’s strong investment climate, business-friendly regulations, and market maturity are creating exciting opportunities—whether through JVs, public-private partnerships, or acquisitions. Governments are stepping up with digital transformation initiatives, incentives, and free zones, while sustainability is taking center stage with energy-efficient cooling and renewable energy solutions.

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Two years ago, I shared this same skyline and called Dubai & Abu Dhabi #CloudFirst. With #Microsoft, #AWS, and #Oracle hosting data centers locally — and #GoogleCloud serving the UAE regionally from Qatar & KSA — the UAE built one of the most robust #Cloud ecosystems in the Middle East. While not every advanced #AI service is yet available locally from the hyperscalers, this Cloud-first foundation has enabled the UAE to take the next leap: becoming #AIFirst 🚀. The UAE is now actively building AI-specialized data centers — led by #G42, #Khazna, and #MGX, alongside the landmark 5GW Abu Dhabi AI Campus — all focused on GPU-powered capacity, innovation hubs, and scalable AI infrastructure. What #Cloud did for digital transformation, AI is now doing for the next wave of innovation. And once again, Dubai is leading the region. 📸 Shot I had taken while taking off from DXB ✈️ — a reminder that this city always looks ahead. #Dubai #AbuDhabi #UAE #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #Future

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"Dubai-based telco Du has signed a $544.54 million deal with Microsoft to develop a hyperscale data center in the UAE. “This deal represents a pivotal leap in our strategic goal to revolutionise the digital ecosystem of the UAE,” said Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of Du. The data centre market in the UAE is hotting up! As is the weather, 40 degrees today 😰 Article by DatacenterDynamics ✍ #datacenter #datacentre #UAE #jdlrecruitment

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A new #BCG report maps the AI readiness of GCC countries — and the momentum is clear. With national strategies in place and major investments in digital infrastructure, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are pushing to become global AI leaders. Yet, the report highlights critical gaps: talent shortages, limited research output, and early-stage venture ecosystems. While the ambition is high, moving from AI Contenders to true AI Pioneers will require greater focus on skills development, innovation, and R&D. #ArtificialIntelligence #GCC #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #FutureOfWork #AI #AIGovernance #SmartEconomy #TechnologyLeadership #UAE #SaudiArabia #GCCVision #AIReadiness #TechTrends

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5 years ago, 76% of MEA businesses were still running on systems built before the year 2000. Today? That number’s dropped to just 31%. That’s a massive shift and it’s happening fast. I've been watching companies across the MEA region let go of outdated systems and embrace cloud-native tools. And honestly, it’s not just about tech upgrades. It’s a mindset shift. Businesses that used to take pride in “we’ve been using the same system for 25 years” are now leading conversations about speed and constant improvement. So, what’s behind this change? - Startups are moving fast and putting pressure on the big players. - Legacy systems are expensive, eating up huge chunks of IT budgets. - Young tech talent won’t work on old systems, plain and simple. The companies that are doing this well? They treat it as a company-wide change, not just something for the IT department. Leaders are involved, goals are clear and it’s tied directly to business growth. One example I loved: A banking client moved their core system to the cloud. Within six months, their customer satisfaction scores jumped 41%. Not because customers cared about the cloud. But because updates and features started arriving weekly instead of once a quarter. That’s the kind of impact that gets noticed. #CloudTransformation #DigitalInnovation #MEAtech #BusinessGrowth #ModernTech #CloudMigration #TechTrends #DigitalShift

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The global cloud market is flooded with AWS, Azure, and GCP. But if you look at the Gulf region, the landscape is different — OCI (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) and Google Cloud (GCP) are gaining serious momentum and market share. Companies in the Middle East are focusing on performance, cost-efficiency, and regional data compliance — and that’s where OCI and GCP are delivering strong value. If you’re working in or targeting the Gulf market, it’s time to start thinking beyond just AWS and Azure. Adapt to the market. Align with regional growth. #CloudComputing #GCP #OCI #MiddleEastTech #CloudStrategy #DevOps #InfraLeadership

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