Open source and AI drive UAE’s digital sovereignty push

As governments and enterprises across the Middle East accelerate their digital transformation, two trends are emerging as central pillars: open-source technology and artificial intelligence. In the UAE, these innovations are increasingly seen not just as tools for efficiency, but as strategic assets for national resilience and sovereignty.

At GITEX Global 2025, these themes took centre stage, with companies and policymakers aligning around the need for secure, scalable, and locally governed digital infrastructure. The UAE’s approach to digital sovereignty—balancing openness with jurisdictional control—is shaping how technology is adopted and regulated across sectors.

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SUSE, a global open-source software provider, used the event to highlight its role in supporting this shift. The company showcased its SUSE Rancher Prime platform, which enables organisations to run AI workloads across hybrid and multi-cloud environments while remaining compliant with national data regulations. SUSE also partnered with Dell Technologies, Intel, Cisco, Pure Storage, and e& to demonstrate scalable AI adoption using open-source infrastructure.

“AI has matured from proof of concept to production-grade capability,” said Ismail Ibrahim, SUSE’s Sales Director and General Manager for CEMEA. “That shift demands infrastructure that is sovereign by design—transparent, secure, and under national control.”

SUSE’s regional strategy reflects the UAE’s ambition to become the region’s AI hub. The company is working with local partners to develop reference architectures and best practices, helping businesses move from pilot projects to full-scale deployments. Security remains a key concern, with SUSE offering tools to monitor performance, protect data, and defend against AI-driven cyber threats.

With both the UAE and Saudi Arabia identified as priority markets, SUSE is aligning its open-source platforms with national digital agendas. As the region races to build resilient, future-ready infrastructure, open collaboration and trusted technology are proving to be essential ingredients.

Somshankar Bandyopadhyay

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somshankar@khaleejtimes.com

Somshankar Bandyopadhyay is a News Editor with close to three decades of experience. Currently, he manages the business section, ensuring that the top economic and business news of the day reaches its readers.