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IBM And AWS Plan Riyadh Hub To Drive Regional Cloud Growth
The partnership will target Middle East digital agendas with AI and advanced hybrid cloud solutions.
IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are deepening their partnership to accelerate cloud adoption and digital transformation across the Middle East, with plans for a joint Innovation Hub in Riyadh.
The expansion builds on an existing Strategic Collaboration Agreement, combining IBM Consulting’s expertise in AI, hybrid cloud and cybersecurity with AWS’s global infrastructure. The goal is to help regional clients modernize operations, adopt generative AI and meet government transformation targets.
Cloud demand in the Middle East is surging. Sectors such as healthcare and banking are leading adoption, followed by retail and manufacturing. National strategies like Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy are pushing enterprises to invest in AI, IoT and cloud platforms to boost productivity and diversify economies.
The proposed Riyadh hub will give clients access to proofs of concept and hands-on trials of joint solutions, building on similar models in India and Romania. It will showcase offerings such as IBM’s watsonx platform, oil and gas analytics, and AI-powered citizen services.
IBM plans to expand its AWS Practice in the region, certifying local practitioners and training talent in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. AWS will support by localizing offerings — ranging from contact center intelligence to autonomous security compliance — tailored to priorities around diversification and sustainability.
Security is a central focus. IBM and AWS will offer assessments and managed services, including IBM’s Autonomous Security for Cloud. The service uses AI-driven automation to enforce uniform policies under the AWS shared responsibility model. The partners aim to help clients meet standards such as Saudi Arabia’s Essential Cybersecurity Controls and Abu Dhabi’s healthcare security rules.
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The collaboration also emphasizes sustainability, aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative and the UAE’s climate goals. IBM Consulting will bring global tools such as its Sustainability Disclosure Assist to support ESG reporting and net-zero targets.
“This partnership underscores IBM’s commitment to helping organizations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE realize their digital transformation ambitions,” said Lula Mohanty, managing partner for the Middle East and Africa at IBM Consulting.
AWS’s Tanuja Randery added that the tie-up will enable governments and businesses “to adopt breakthrough technologies at scale, while reinventing core processes with AI”.
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Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.
Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.
The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.
Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.
Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.
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Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.
“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.
Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.
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