Abu Dhabi is advancing digital transformation and supporting the use of innovative technology to boost its entrepreneurship ecosystem and economy. To promote innovation in both the public and commercial sectors, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have now teamed up to open a new cloud innovation center (CIC)  in the city.

ADIO said that the AWS CIC is a part of a three-year partnership that will allow businesses based in Abu Dhabi to develop solutions using next-generation technologies to assist citizens, businesses, and the economy.

AWS operates more than a dozen CICs worldwide. Its Abu Dhabi division will provide up to $1.5 million in AWS credits to support innovative challenges.

“With its focus on innovative solutions, the center will be a meaningful addition to Abu Dhabi’s growing technology ecosystem, equipping organizations with tools to transform rapidly and successfully,” said Abdulla Al Shamsi, acting director general of ADIO.

“We see massive potential for innovation to make a difference across multiple industries that will propel businesses to success and transform the lives of citizens,” Al Shamsi added.

Adio and Siemens Energy also collaborated this week to establish an innovation center in Abu Dhabi as part of its transition to net zero in the UAE and abroad.

Further, US software major Oracle opened a technological cooperation center on Reem Island last month.

Amazon, on the other hand, has made significant investments in the UAE. In collaboration with ADIO, it opened its largest delivery station in Abu Dhabi in June and launched the second Middle East cloud area there in August. 

According to Wojciech Bajda, head of the public sector for the Middle East and Africa at AWS, the CIC in Abu Dhabi was created in accordance with UAE’s national agenda, which focuses on the future economy, and is anticipated to hasten the UAE’s progress toward becoming a “hotbed” for technology-driven entrepreneurship.

The CIC allows organizations to work with the public and commercial sectors to address their most pressing problems, test novel concepts, and access technology knowledge, Bajda said.