Last week at Gitex Global 2025 in Dubai, Dell Technologies demonstrated its growing influence in the Middle East, spotlighting its role in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation across both public and private sectors.
Walid Yehia, managing director South Gulf at Dell Technologies, spoke to Computer Weekly about the company’s vision for the region, highlighting the practical steps Dell is taking to help organisations innovate, optimise costs, and navigate the evolving digital landscape.
“Our job is really to help our customers accelerate their digital transformation and AI journey in a very simple way,” Yehia said.
“To do this, we transformed ourselves and built a number of capabilities that we believe are fundamental to the digital and AI transformation of our customers, which in turn drives proper business transformation.”
He highlighted Dell’s focus on AI and data solutions, multi-cloud architectures, information security, digital workplace innovation, and edge computing: “More data will be created at the edge, and organisations need the tools and expertise to manage it effectively.”
During the event, Dell further strengthened its regional strategy by signing a memorandum of understanding with UAE-based Emcode Technology. The partnership will focus on AI-driven workshops, training programmes, consultancy, and use-case development for sectors including law enforcement, healthcare, and public authorities.
Jean-Luc Rouinvy, CEO of Emcode, described the collaboration as a way to combine technical expertise with innovative solutions to “redefine AI’s role in driving digital transformation across the UAE.”
Yehia emphasised that the partnership allows Dell to support the UAE’s strategic goals toward innovation and digital transformation while helping Emcode deliver AI-led solutions to its critical client portfolio.
“Our role is to help customers innovate faster and more efficiently with optimal cost. That requires progressive thinking, clear strategy, and a culture of innovation within the organisation. Combining these elements, we can deliver real business transformation with cost-effective solutions around automation and intelligence,” Yehia said.
He pointed to multiple sectors that are leading the adoption of AI and advanced technologies, including public services, healthcare, financial services, telecoms, and education.
“These organisations are ambitious and open-minded about what they want to achieve with AI,” he said.
In healthcare, for instance, Dell has implemented virtual AI assistants that are available 24/7, guiding patients, connecting them to specialists, and supporting automated decision-making. The company is also exploring agentic AI, which helps automate business processes and decision-making to further accelerate digital transformation.
Collaboration with governments and partners is another cornerstone of Dell’s approach in the Middle East. Yehia described an engagement model that begins with understanding the strategy and vision of public sector clients.
“Once we understand that, we can accelerate their journey and deliver objectives quickly by providing a platform that allows them to innovate, design, build, and test rapidly,” he said.
“Our strategy in the Middle East is simple – deliver solutions that generate real business outcomes. We are building all the capacities and capabilities to walk the walk and talk the talk, ensuring that our customers can transform their operations, innovate continuously, and achieve measurable results,” Yehia concluded.
