Oracle plans to significantly boost its investment in Abu Dhabi as it seeks to cater to the growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services in the UAE.
“To meet strong demand for Oracle Cloud in the UAE, we are making a 5X investment in the Abu Dhabi region,” Nick Redshaw, the company's senior vice president for technology cloud and UAE country leader, said on Wednesday.
Oracle operates two cloud regions in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The company, which is hosting Oracle CloudWorld in Dubai on Wednesday, did not disclose details about the amount being invested.
The adoption of AI and cloud services has continued to grow in the Middle East driven by government efforts to develop the future economy as well as a surge in young consumers and an evolving digital landscape.
This has given global cloud providers an incentive to expand in the region. Apart from Oracle, global companies including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and Alibaba Cloud have all opened cloud and data centres in the Middle East.
Last week, global private equity company KKR and Gulf Data Hub said they were teaming up to invest more than $5 billion to boost the Dubai company's data centre infrastructure in the Gulf. It will be KKR's first such investment in the region, with the company also acquiring a stake in GDH for an undisclosed amount.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi's Khazna Data Centres is building a 100-megawatt data centre in Ajman. The site will be the company's biggest in the Emirates, and is expected to more than double capacity to 850MW by 2029 from about 360MW in 2024, chief executive Hassan Al Naqbi told The National last year.
Oracle has 11 cloud regions in the Middle East and Africa that are live, including in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Johannesburg and Jerusalem, with 14 more “that are coming online”. This includes public cloud regions and those operated by individual customers directly. It previously revealed plans to open one at Neom, the $500 billion high-tech megacity in Saudi Arabia, with the company confirming last year that it would come up “soon”. Globally, Oracle has 171 cloud regions.
A cloud region is a geographic area that is the location of a cloud data centre, which is a physical building that houses IT infrastructure used for running applications and related services, and for managing and storing associated data.
“There's plenty of people playing in this sphere … and we partner and we compete,” Mr Redshaw told The National.
“Five years ago would have been different. Now it's a huge market. It's co-operative or 'co-opetition', that we're all going to work together, and there will be areas where we compete. So that's the ecosystem that we're working in. The good news is there's huge demand, there's huge investment. Customers need the capability. So we all work together.”
Oracle is also teaming up with Beyon Solutions, part of the Bahraini technology company Beyon group, to open a sovereign cloud region in Bahrain to meet the growing demand for cloud, AI and application services.
“As governments and public sector organisations become increasingly dependent on cloud-based technologies for their operations, the concept of sovereign cloud capability is emerging as a critical pillar to ensure national security, data privacy, and digital sovereignty,” Mr Redshaw said.
Sovereign cloud capability refers to a country's ability to maintain control over its data by ensuring that cloud services are hosted within its borders and are subject to local laws and regulations.
“I don't think there's a government in the world who isn't concerned about protection of data, data residency and so on,” Mr Redshaw said.
“We see that everywhere, every customer, every government, is concerned about data security, cyber security and everything else. So do we see demand for that ability? Absolutely.”
In the UAE, telecoms provider du uses Oracle’s cloud Infrastructure to offer sovereign AI services to governments in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Oracle also said it will train and certify 350,000 people across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Morocco, Kuwait and Jordan in the most in-demand technologies to help meet demand for the Oracle Cloud in the Middle East.
The programme will be delivered as a digitally through Oracle MyLearn, Oracle University's training platform.
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The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
