At its inaugural “Go Cloud, Go Middle East” roadshow series, Huawei Cloud empowered Chinese enterprises to expand in the rapidly evolving Middle East market. The comprehensive series unfolded across key cities in China, including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Beijing during November. Each event emphasized specific sectors – AIGC, VC, media & gaming, and FinTech – showcasing Huawei Cloud’s commitment to fostering collaboration and business growth opportunities in the Middle East.
Huawei Cloud’s event in Shenzhen marked the beginning of its journey in guiding Chinese enterprises towards global expansion by utilizing Huawei Cloud’s robust technology, industry expertise, and ecosystem services. To stay competitive when going global, companies need a robust infrastructure and innovative products and models. Localized infrastructure improves service quality and user experience while reducing operational costs and risks.
Frank Dai, President of Huawei Cloud Middle East & Central Asia, and Zhao Liang, Chairman of Huawei Saudi Arabia, delved into the Middle East’s business environment, sharing Huawei’s innovation history and plans.
The Middle East, steeped in rich history and vibrant culture, has long attracted businesses from around the world. Among the region’s countries, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are particularly attractive destinations for Chinese companies seeking to expand their global reach.
To support business expansion, Huawei Cloud Middle East operates two cloud regions and provides over 2,400 cloud services, with 93% 5G coverage in GCC countries. The company fosters cooperation, innovation, and sustainable development with local governments and organizations. Huawei Cloud cultivates a comprehensive ecosystem value network, providing cloud platforms, compliance enablement, and solutions to facilitate digital transformation in FinTech and build Chinese enterprises’ brand influence in the region.
Huawei Cloud offers a unified, open architecture and global network via KooVerse, positioning its Saudi Arabia Region as the core cloud region for the Middle East, Central Asia, and Northern Africa. Huawei Cloud also provides a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including MetaStudio, IaaS, cloud-native technologies, cloud databases, Ascend cloud AI computing power center, and serverless multi-cloud management container technologies. In addition, it offers localized, one-stop dedicated services, earning over 130 security compliance certifications. Since its arrival in the Middle East in 2020, Huawei Cloud has served over 200 public sector customers, 30 financial institutions, and 150 high-value Internet and cloud-native companies.
In his opening speech in Shanghai, Frank Dai stated, “Huawei Cloud is committed to collaborating with global enterprises to introduce China’s technological innovation to the Middle East and provide better options for customers and partners in the region.”
UAE’s remarkable strides in technology
The UAE, a major oil exporter, is thriving in technology and digital transformation, attracting investors and entrepreneurs worldwide. With strategic plans like UAE Centennial 2071, Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, Dubai 2040, and UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, the economy is expanding.
Speaking at the event, Abdulla Albasha Alnoaimi, the UAE Commercial Counsellor, said, “The UAE economy exhibits vitality and resilience due to its strategic advantages. UAE has attracted over USD23 billion in foreign direct investment, ranking first in the Arab world.”
Moreover, the chair of Huawei UAE, Ma Jingnan, emphasized Huawei’s long history in the country, pointing out that the company has been there for 22 years and is committed to becoming a catalyst for the country’s digital development.
Huawei has collaborated with regional businesses like UAE Airlines and Dubai Hydropower Bureau, and its efforts will be in line with the strategic visions of the UAE going forward.
Opportunities in the Middle East across entertainment, finance, and more
Over the past few years, the digital sectors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan have seen significant growth. These governments are actively encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.
Frank Dai highlighted the region’s potential for the entertainment sector during the roadshow in Hangzhou, saying, “The Middle East is such a hopeful place, and we are ready to accompany you to go the Middle East with our shared practices.” He also cited significant growth in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Pakistan’s digital sectors, with the UAE leading the Global Entrepreneurship Index with 95% newly registered SMEs. This dynamic sector drives the economy, contributing over half of GDP.
During the roadshow in Beijing, Chinese enterprises were also encouraged to find the right partner for global expansion in the Fintech sector. Chinese enterprises are increasingly attracting investment in the Middle East and Central Asia due to their favorable business environments, high internet penetration rates, and young population.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has garnered global recognition for its robust financial services products and regulations. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office emphasized, “Abu Dhabi has consistently supported investors and enterprises, fostering an open, prosperous, and sustainable business environment rooted in innovation. Favorable policies such as 100% foreign shareholding, 9% corporate income tax, and 5% value-added tax ensure long-term and sustainable success for enterprises in Abu Dhabi and the entire region.”
Abu Dhabi has consistently supported investors and established initiatives like Hub71, ADGM, Masdar, KEZAD, and multiple exchanges to promote FinTech development. These initiatives create numerous investment and business expansion opportunities for Chinese enterprises in the region.
Zhang Xiaojun, Chief Fintech Expert from Huawei Cloud CTO Office, emphasized Huawei’s commitment to supporting Chinese enterprises with technical expertise for sustainable growth.
“Huawei has a long-standing commitment to providing technological services in the Middle East,” remarked Zhang Xiaojun during his keynote speech. “We are determined to leverage our technical expertise, robust ecosystem, innovative solutions, and cultural understanding to facilitate the rapid and sustainable growth of Chinese enterprises in the Middle East, fostering a win-win collaboration.”
The successful Huawei Cloud roadshow epitomizes Huawei Cloud’s commitment to seizing opportunities for sharing, co-creation, and win-win partnerships. In the face of a rapidly changing world, Huawei Cloud works with partners to jointly advance digital transformation through technological innovation. This collaboration empowers Chinese enterprises to explore sustainable growth paths and strengthens their competitiveness when venturing globally.
