Core42 Taps Microsoft Veteran Sherif Tawfik to Boost Global AI Cloud Expansion

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 31-03-2026

4 min

Core42 appoints former Microsoft executive Sherif Tawfik as Chief Business Officer.

He will oversee “all revenue-generating functions” and global commercial strategy.

The push targets wider adoption of sovereign AI cloud infrastructure worldwide.

Tawfik helped shape the major G42–Microsoft alliance on responsible AI.

Core42 aims to be the “digital infrastructure backbone” for AI-driven economies.

Core42, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure company backed by G42, has appointed Sherif Tawfik as its new Chief Business Officer, bringing on board a technology veteran with nearly three decades of global experience.

In his new role, Tawfik is set to lead the company’s global commercial organisation. That means full oversight of revenue-generating functions, from worldwide sales and marketing to business development, partnerships, and both professional and managed services. In short, if it touches revenue, it likely sits on his desk. His mandate is clear: expand Core42’s international footprint and speed up adoption of its sovereign AI cloud and infrastructure platforms across global markets.

It’s a significant move. Core42 has been positioning itself as a key player in what many call “sovereign AI”, essentially cloud infrastructure that allows countries and organisations to keep control of their data while deploying advanced artificial intelligence at scale. For governments and enterprises worried about data residency and compliance, this is spot on.

Tawfik is no stranger to big-stage tech. He spent more than 25 years at Microsoft, holding senior executive roles across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Over that time, he built and scaled technology businesses and worked on complex multinational partnerships, particularly around cloud and AI adoption in emerging markets. Anyone who has tried rolling out enterprise cloud solutions across multiple jurisdictions knows it can be a bit of a faff.

More recently, he served as Chief Partnership Officer for the G42–Microsoft Global Alliance. That partnership has been described as one of the most significant AI and sovereign public cloud collaborations globally, aligning markets around responsible AI adoption and large-scale digital transformation for governments and enterprises. It also positioned the UAE firmly in the global AI conversation, and believe it or not, that kind of strategic bridge-building is not easy to pull off.

Talal M. Al Kaissi, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Core42, said Tawfik brings “deep commercial leadership” and highlighted his role in shaping the G42–Microsoft partnership. According to Al Kaissi, Tawfik understands both the global technology landscape and the national infrastructure ambitions currently driving AI adoption. As Core42 pushes further into international markets, that dual perspective could make all the difference.

For his part, Tawfik said Core42 is building “the digital infrastructure backbone” for the next wave of AI-driven economies. He noted that both nations and enterprises are shifting from AI ambition to deployment at scale, and his focus will be on expanding the company’s global reach while helping customers deploy trusted, sovereign, production-ready AI and cloud infrastructure.

He is also Co-Founder and CEO of Fusion Minds AI, an initiative aimed at advancing responsible AI adoption and applying generative AI to sustainability challenges, an angle that feels increasingly relevant as energy usage and climate impact become central to AI debates.

From where I stand, watching startups and scale-ups across the MENA region hustle for serious infrastructure partners, this appointment feels timely. At Arageek, we’ve seen founders chuffed to bits when global expertise connects with regional ambition in a meaningful way. Scaling is never just about tech; it’s about commercial muscle and trusted relationships. And that, well… I mean, that’s where seasoned operators can shine.

With this move, Core42 continues to build on its UAE base while expanding its global AI cloud footprint, targeting governments, enterprises and research institutions that are ready to deploy AI infrastructure at production scale. Whether this definatley cements its place among the top sovereign cloud players will depend on execution, but the direction of travel is crystal clear.

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