Dubai telecoms operator du aims to offer “affordable and accessible” cloud and artificial intelligence services in the UAE as it prepares to launch them locally next year.
The company will start by offering cloud and AI services to government agencies by the first half of 2025, competing with major players like Microsoft, Amazon and Google in the UAE market, its chief executive told The National.
In the beginning, the company will provide its services to government bodies in Dubai, the Northern Emirates and the UAE federal bodies, Fahad Al Hassawi said. It aims to deliver cost-effective solutions locally, and the move will also reduce costs associated with transferring data outside the region, he said.
“It will usher an era of more affordable, faster, and more secure services in the Emirates. Currently, the majority of cloud services are provided by the US-based entities and the entry of a local player will boost confidence and adoption rate,” he said.
“By providing tailored multi-cloud solutions, we ensure that businesses only pay for the services they truly need, reducing their overall expenditures.”
Du, which is formally called Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, has joined forces with leading cloud service provider Oracle, in a partnership that was originally announced in July.
“Du is becoming the hyper-scaler … our government customers will be directly dealing and contracting with du. We are very excited with the upcoming opportunities … as a hyper-scaler player in the UAE, we will be competing with global cloud companies,” Mr Al Hassawi said.
“Since the cloud services will be provided by a government-backed company [du], it will help foster greater confidence in the market and automatically boost adoption … the issue of where data is stored is very important in our region and we have the advantage of being a trusted local player in the UAE.”
A hyper-scaler is a cloud provider that operates a large-scale data centre network to offer computing, storage and other technology services.
Du said it will be running these new services from its own data centre in the UAE, enabling its customers to migrate their systems to the cloud while providing greater control over operations, location and security to help manage strategic public sector data and support digital sovereignty.
In a bid to achieve its cloud and AI aims, du has created a dedicated business unit led by chief information and communication technology (ICT) officer Jasim Al Awadi, who directly reports to Mr Al Hassawi. Du declined to disclose the budget that it has set aside for the new business stream.
Without providing a specific timeline for the project, Mr Al Hassawi said du has initiated discussions with UAE entities to both showcase the capabilities that cloud solutions can offer and to better understand their needs, including their workloads and priorities for migration.
Mr Al Hassawi, who is in Las Vegas to attend Oracle’s CloudWorld conference, also met Oracle chief executive Safra Catz to discuss future plans.
“Safra is extremely excited about our partnership. She understands the significance of our region very well and knows that without the right partner here, it will be difficult for customers to adopt and advance on this journey.”
Mr Al Hassawi explained the cloud and AI plans are part of the company’s wider vision to diversify its product portfolio and emerge as “strong local ICT player”.
“Du is trying to move outside only telco. We want to offer widespread ICT services that will include FinTech, cloud solutions, data centres, IoT [Internet of Things] and AI,” he said.
“We already have a strong base of customers across the UAE that includes individuals, enterprises and government entities. They are evolving rapidly and we need to keep pace, becoming their provider for all things related to ICT and telecommunications.”
The UAE public sector is one of the most digitally advanced in the world. It is embracing the latest technologies such as cloud, AI and machine learning to improve citizen services, security and access to the latest digital offerings. Mr Al Hassawi said du’s ambitions will hasten the process.
Founded in 2005, du is the UAE's second-biggest telecoms operator. It serves nearly nine million users in the Emirates with mobile, fixed-line and broadband internet services, and caters to more than 100,000 businesses in the region.
Will du expand beyond the UAE?
We intend to venture outside the UAE to offer our ICT services, with implementation varying on a case-by-case basis
Fahad Al Hassawi,
du's chief executive
Mr Al Hassawi said du is also planning to expand its ICT offerings, including cloud solutions, beyond the UAE market. But the company has no plans to extend its telecoms services outside the Emirates.
“We intend to venture outside the UAE to offer our ICT services, with implementation varying on a case-by-case basis … we have set no timeline because we want to do it the right way … we will be very selective about where we go and about our potential partnerships to ensure we don't fail to execute,” said Mr Al Hassawi.
He said the foremost market for du expansion will be Saudi Arabia, considering the size and potential of the market.
“Our success mantra is simple – just follow our customers. For example, their presence in the UAE, as well as in markets like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, will influence the scope of our expansion.”
Mr Al Hassawi explained that du is “very cautious” in pursuing this transformation journey, as many operators around the world have not been successful in similar transformations.
Linking up with global cloud providers
Du said it is also considering partnerships with other big names in the cloud industry such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, to achieve its AI and cloud ambitions.
With a 31 per cent market share, AWS is the biggest player in the global cloud infrastructure services sector, followed by Microsoft Azure with 25 per cent and Google Cloud with 10 per cent, data from Statista shows.
“We want to be multi-cloud provider, offering a secure product with du’s branding. We understand that different customers have different requirements, therefore we would like to give customers enough choices in terms of solutions,” Mr Al Hassawi said.
“Oracle is a pioneer in having a sovereign cloud product. The remaining hyper-scalers have not reached that point yet. So, when Oracle came up with this solution, we felt this is the right thing, right partner and the right time. It matches exactly what we want to do.
“The idea is not to create many such [cloud solution] providers in the country, there will be only one … so we have to make sure that we are choosing the right path as well as the right partner.”
Texas-based Oracle serves many local clients in the UAE including DP World, Abu Dhabi Customs, Dubai Investments, Mashreq and Emirates Post. It also has its dedicated cloud regions, facilities that house at least two data centres, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
How big is the UAE cloud market?
Revenue in the public cloud market is projected to reach more than $1.9 billion in the UAE this year, according to Statista. It is expected to surge at a compound annual growth rate of 19 per cent, reaching more than $4.5 billion by 2029.
The global cloud computing market size was estimated at $602.31 billion last year and is predicted to surge at a compound annual growth rate of 21.2 per cent from 2024 to 2030, according to a report by Grand View Research.
In the cloud industry, businesses pay only for the selective services or resources they use over a period of time.
For businesses, moving to a cloud system hosted by a specialised company is more economical than creating their own infrastructure of servers, hardware and security networks. It also brings down the overall cost of ownership.
Du’s journey beyond a major telecoms player
In the past few months, du has hastened its efforts towards diversifying its ICT offerings.
“We aim to transition from being solely a connectivity provider to becoming a full ICT provider. There is already a strong trust in our brand and customers know who we are … now, we are offering top-tier ICT products while ensuring that customers maintain full control over them,” Mr Al Hassawi said.
In April the company launched Du Pay FinTech platform, which offers a range of financial services, including domestic and international transfers, bill payments and recharging, cash-in and cash-out services, and receiving salary through a unique Iban number.
The uptake for Du Pay was “better than our initial projections”, Mr Al Hassawi told The National in July.
In May it unveiled du Smart Car, which provides internet services in vehicles. The company's expansion into other segments comes amid growing profitability on the back of the UAE's strong macroeconomic environment.
Net profit attributable to shareholders in the three months ending in June rose 46 per cent annually to Dh581 million ($158.2 million), du said in a regulatory filing to the Dubai Financial Market, where its shares are traded. Its revenue climbed 7.3 per cent to more than Dh3.59 billion.
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
The%20specs
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Most%20ODI%20hundreds
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Read more about the coronavirus
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
