The acquisition of Dubai-headquartered cloud consultancy Zero&One by global IT services provider NTT Data is the latest signal of accelerating investment in the UAE’s technology ecosystem, as international firms position themselves for the next phase of cloud growth across the Middle East.
The deal strengthens NTT Data’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the region, and underlines the UAE’s growing role as a launchpad for serving customers across the Gulf, wider Middle East and Africa.
While financial details were not disclosed, the strategic intent is clear: global service providers are racing to secure local expertise, certifications and delivery capacity as cloud adoption moves from early migration projects to large-scale, business-critical deployments.
For NTT Data, the acquisition aligns closely with its broader ambition to expand its footprint in high-growth digital markets.
The company already serves a significant proportion of the world’s largest enterprises, and has been steadily increasing its investments in cloud, AI and data-driven services globally. The Middle East, and particularly the UAE, has become a focal point of that strategy.
“This acquisition enables us to deliver high-impact solutions and enhance the value we bring to organisations in the Middle East,” said Burcak Soydan, managing director for the Middle East at NTT Data.
“Zero&One’s expertise strengthens our ability to deliver the speed, scale and technical depth clients need in today’s cloud-first environment.”
UAE as a cloud and AI investment hub
The deal reflects a broader pattern of international technology firms using the UAE as a regional base for cloud and AI expansion. Strong digital infrastructure, pro-investment policies and national strategies focused on advanced technologies have helped position the country as a preferred destination for multinational suppliers and service providers.
In recent years, hyperscalers, systems integrators and specialist consultancies have increased their presence in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, often citing the UAE’s role as a stable gateway to regional markets. This has been accompanied by growing demand from both public and private sector organisations seeking to modernise legacy systems, improve data analytics capabilities and adopt AI at scale.
At the same time, the cloud services market across the wider Middle East is entering a period of rapid expansion. Saudi Arabia alone saw its cloud market valued at $4.77bn last year, with forecasts suggesting it will more than double by the early 2030s. AWS has confirmed plans to launch a dedicated cloud region in the Kingdom in 2026, a move expected to further accelerate demand for cloud migration, security and application modernisation services across the Gulf.
Against this backdrop, global service providers are increasingly looking to acquire regional specialists with deep local knowledge and established partnerships. For NTT Data, Zero&One brings not only AWS expertise, but also an understanding of regional regulatory requirements, sector-specific challenges and customer expectations.
The acquisition also highlights that the nature of cloud demand in the Middle East is evolving. Early adoption was often focused on infrastructure migration and cost optimisation. Today, organisations need more advanced services, including cloud-native application development, data analytics and AI-enabled services.
“We’ve built our reputation on delivering world-class cloud expertise to organisations across the Middle East,” said Ali El Kontar, CEO of Zero&One. “As part of NTT Data, we can combine our regional knowledge and AWS specialisation with global resources and expanded service offerings.”
This ability to scale is becoming increasingly important as enterprises in the region move beyond pilots and proofs of concept towards large, mission-critical cloud and AI programmes. For many organisations, particularly in regulated industries such as financial services, energy and government, this requires partners who can demonstrate both global delivery capabilities and a strong local presence.
As competition intensifies and customer expectations rise, global players are likely to pursue further acquisitions to strengthen their regional capabilities and differentiate their offerings. For the UAE, this trend reinforces its position as a strategic hub for technology investment and innovation.
