The UAE could unlock $181billion in additional economic value over the next decade by accelerating the adoption of cloud services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has revealed.
The widespread adoption of public cloud services has already given a boost to the UAE economy in 2021. This adoption contributed 2.26 per cent to the country’s GDP, also resulting in an economic value of $9.5billion.
Positive influence on the economy is not limited to productivity alone but also encompasses the construction aspect of establishing and operating cloud infrastructures in the region. The AWS UAE region could contribute $11.2billion to the UAE economy by 2036 and create nearly 6,000 full-time equivalent jobs annually.
Yasser Hassan, managing director of the commercial sector in MENAT at AWS, said: “The findings of our report highlight the tremendous opportunity for the UAE to accelerate economic growth and position the country as an attractive and influential economic hub, in line with the government’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
“As cloud computing continues to gain momentum, it is imperative for the UAE to continue to support cloud adoption, as well as develop a skilled workforce to enhance the country’s competitiveness on a global scale. With the support of AWS, the UAE can accelerate its digital transformation and unlock new opportunities for economic growth and social development”.
UAE is ahead of the game when it comes to cloud adoption
Hybrid data cloud platform Cloudera has also revealed that 71 per cent of organisations in the UAE have already adopted the public cloud, with 86 per cent planning to shift more data to the cloud over the next one to three years.
Karim Azar, the regional vice president of emerging markets, Middle East and Turkey at Cloudera, discussed the findings and offered more insight. Azar said: “As a leading economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the UAE has embraced cloud technology proactively. With its visionary leadership and robust digital infrastructure, the UAE can capitalise on the immense opportunities the cloud offers.
“Our recent regional statistics show that cloud adoption in the MENA region is rapidly increasing, as 71 per cent already use the public cloud.
“Moreover, 86 per cent of companies plan to move more data to the cloud in the next few years, citing improved data accessibility (48 per cent), optimised data storage and backup (44 per cent) and reduced costs (38 per cent) as driving forces.
“Furthermore, cloud technology also enhances collaboration and connectivity within the UAE and globally. The collaborative environment fuels entrepreneurship, attracts investments, and positions the UAE as a regional hub for digital innovation”.
