NTT Data Acquires Zero&One to Boost Cloud and AI in MENA Region

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 10-02-2026

3 min

NTT Data acquires Dubai-based Zero&One to accelerate cloud and AI growth across Middle East and Africa.

Zero&One brings nine AWS competencies, including rare Generative AI credentials, and regional industry awards.

The deal targets booming cloud demand as enterprises invest in migration, modernisation and analytics.

Saudi Arabia’s cloud market growth and a planned AWS region underline regional momentum.

The move signals deeper international commitment as the cloud and AI race “heats up” in MENA.

NTT Data has snapped up Dubai-based Zero&One, an Amazon Web Services Premier Tier Services Partner, as it pushes harder into cloud and AI across the Middle East and Africa. If you’ve been watching the region’s tech scene, this move feels spot on, given how quickly companies here are shifting workloads to the cloud—and asking tougher questions about data and artificial intelligence at the same time.

Zero&One, founded in 2017, has quietly built a solid reputation as a cloud consultancy. It holds nine AWS competencies and was among the first in the region to secure AWS’s Generative AI Competency, which isn’t a small badge to earn. Last year, the firm was also named AWS MENA Consulting Partner of the Year, alongside several EMEA-wide partner awards. I’ve seen startups in the Gulf get a bit lost choosing cloud partners, so this sort of technical depth does matter, well… I mean, especially as budgets tighten.

For NTT Data, the acquisition is clearly about riding a bigger wave. Cloud adoption in the Middle East is accelerating, with enterprises investing heavily in migration, application modernisation, cloud-native builds, analytics and AI. Saudi Arabia alone recorded a cloud services market worth $4.77 billion last year, and forecasts suggest it could more than double by the early 2030s. Infrastructure plays a role here too, with AWS planning to launch a Saudi Arabia region in 2026, which should make local adoption less of a faff.

According to NTT Data, bringing Zero&One into the fold strengthens its ability to deliver large-scale cloud projects by blending global delivery muscle with local expertise. Zero&One’s CEO, Ali El Kontar, described the deal as a natural next step for the company, opening the door to broader services and deeper client support across the region.

I reckon this is another sign that international tech groups are no longer just testing the waters in MENA—they’re committing capital and capability. On the flip side, consolidation can squeeze smaller players, and I’m not a fan of a market dominated by only a few giants. Still, for founders and CIOs reading Arageek, this deal definately signals one thing: the cloud and AI race in the region is heating up, and everyone will need to raise their game.

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