Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: IBM announced expanding its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate digital transformation in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The collab will enable organizations in both countries to modernize core systems, adopt hybrid cloud strategies, and deploy AI solutions aligned with national digital goals, as per a recent press release.

Under the agreement, IBM’s software offerings — including its watsonx AI and automation portfolio — will be available as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) on AWS cloud regions in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This will simplify access for local enterprises and public sector organizations while ensuring compliance with regional data-hosting regulations.

Ana Paula Assis, Senior Vice President and Chair, EMEA and Growth Markets, IBM said that the collaboration gives clients the flexibility to scale AI and cloud solutions with trust and transparency. While Tanuja Randery, Managing Director and Vice President EMEA at AWS added that the partnership supports both countries’ digital transformation agendas by combining IBM’s enterprise software with AWS’s secure and resilient cloud infrastructure.

The initiative builds on IBM and AWS’s global relationship and marks a key step in localizing cloud and AI capabilities to strengthen digital innovation and industry modernization across the Gulf.