News
Zoho Opens First UAE Data Centers For Local Cloud Solutions
The new Dubai and Abu Dhabi sites are part of an AED 100 million investment in the UAE that hopes to answer data sovereignty demands.
Zoho Corporation has opened its first UAE data centers, a Dubai – Abu Dhabi deployment that lets the software group host more than 100 cloud products locally. The sites span Zoho’s business apps and its enterprise brand ManageEngine, and sit within an AED 100 million investment pledge the firm made to the country in 2023.
Co-founder and CEO Shailesh Davey called the launch part of a wider commitment to the market, saying the centers would let customers “store their data locally, strengthening data sovereignty, and supporting National Cybersecurity Agenda”. He also linked the move to digital goals under Dubai Vision 2030.
Certification from the Dubai Electronic Security Center clears Zoho to serve government and semi-government work. The facilities also carry ISO 27001, ISO 22301, ISO 27017 and CSA STAR Level 2 compliance marks. Zoho’s Dubai office holds ISO 27001. For public buyers across the GCC, these stamps are becoming non-negotiable as cloud procurement tightens.
The UAE has been a growth engine for the company. Zoho reported 38.7% expansion in 2025, a 29% lift in partners and a 35% bump in headcount. Customer-experience tools, VAT-compliant accounting software, low-code development and collaboration suites led adoption. Over five years, the firm has invested AED 80 million to help more than 7,000 local businesses through deals with entities such as the Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Culture, pushing harder into enterprise accounts, which jumped 48% last year.
Also Read: Abu Dhabi Rolls Out Barq Ultra-Fast EV Chargers
Meanwhile, ManageEngine logged 20% growth in the UAE in 2025. Demand came from financial services, government and manufacturing. Adoption of its endpoint management, service management and observability products tracked a broader shift to cloud-first architectures, with hosted services growing around 35%. Davey said the combined portfolio would enable businesses of all sizes, and government and semi-government organizations adopt cloud technology for digital transformation in nearly every area of operation.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
Also Read: Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Max Fashion Brings AI Virtual Try-Ons To Gulf Online Shoppers
Instagram Now Lets You Tune Its Algorithm, But There’s One Big Catch
Deezer’s Free AI Detector Reveals What’s Hiding In Your Playlists
Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
2026 Crypto Trends: Bitcoin, ETFs & The Future Of Payments
Instagram Now Lets You Tune Its Algorithm, But There’s One Big Catch
Deezer’s Free AI Detector Reveals What’s Hiding In Your Playlists
Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
