e& enterprise and Microsoft join forces to drive AI adoption across industries - Middle East Business News and Information
With a focus on GenAI, development and implementation of scalable solutions to meet market-specific demands across UAE, KSA, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar
Dubai, June 2025 – e& enterprise, the digital transformation arm of global technology group e&, is further building on its strategic partnership with Microsoft. By joining forces, both entities are prioritising the development and deployment of next-generation AI and data-driven solutions to bolster AI adoption across industries in target markets across the MENAT region, including UAE, KSA, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar.
Amit Gupta, Vice President, Data & AI, e& enterprise, said: 'Our partnership with Microsoft represents a bold step toward redefining the role of AI in shaping the future of business and society. This collaboration combines e& enterprise and Microsoft's technological expertise and deep market insights to deliver transformative solutions that resonate with the unique dynamics of the MENAT region. Together, we aim to promote digital readiness and bridge the digital divide by providing essential sectors with next generation AI and data-driven tools, powering them to drive improved customer interactions, optimise operations, and drive broader innovation.'
Ahmed Hamzawy, Chief Partner Officer, Microsoft UAE at MS, said: 'Our partnership with e& enterprise will give a significant boost to driving AI adoption across businesses. By leveraging our combined technological expertise, and the safe and secure properties of Microsoft's cloud and AI services, we are empowering organisations to better detect fraud, improve risk management and deliver personalised services through AI-driven insights to their customers.'
The partnership focuses on providing scalable AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of various industries, including public sector, telco, education, BFSI and retail. By equipping businesses with the tools needed for digital transformation, e& enterprise and Microsoft aim to empower organisations to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.
With industry-specific AI solutions, the partnership is designed to address a wide range of use cases across sectors. Additionally, the collaboration takes a region-specific approach to implementing and scaling these solutions across key, diverse, and digitally demanding markets, including the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar. This ensures that local market needs are met while tackling broader industry challenges, ultimately enhancing efficiency, customer engagement, and decision-making.
As part of its focus on developing GenAI solutions, the partnership will leverage various product offerings under Microsoft's Azure Cloud platform. Tools such as Azure Machine Learning, an end-to-end machine learning platform; Azure Databricks, a unified, open analytics platform; and Azure AI Search, Microsoft's search and retrieval system, will support data processing, model training, and deployment.
Azure Synapse Analytics is another analytics tool that will support data integration and analytics, enabling large-scale data processing for organisations across sectors. Additionally, with the integration of Microsoft's Azure OpenAI service, organisations will be able to leverage a suite of GenAI solutions for automating customer service, content creation, and predictive analytics.
Azure Power BI is a self-service analytics solution that enables businesses to visualise data, share insights, and embed them into their apps or websites. This tool will support businesses in making informed decisions. Meanwhile, Azure Data Lake Storage and Snowflake will facilitate the storage and management of large datasets, as well as real-time analytics, across the target markets of this partnership: UAE, KSA, Qatar, and Egypt.
These solutions from Microsoft combined with e& enterprise's comprehensive suite of hybrid cloud solutions aim to drive seamless digital transformation, as part of this strategic alliance. e& enterprise's Cloud Strategy and Advisory services will help organisations design tailored adoption strategies, while Migration and Adoption will ensure smooth transitions with minimal disruption. By providing organisations with Managed Cloud Services, and Cloud Security, e& enterprise will empower organisations to drive long-term efficiency and safeguard data, ensuring compliance and resilience.
To promote responsible and ethical AI adoption, the partnership will implement Microsoft's Responsible AI principles and framework and e&'s Responsible AI Framework across all its development and deployment stages. This aligns with both entities' shared commitment to prioritising data privacy, transparency, and compliance with corporate and national policies.
About e& enterprise:
e& enterprise is a digital transformation leader supporting governments and large-scale organisations in building and scaling their digital core.
Through optimising operations, enhancing customer engagement, and data-driven decision-making, we enable seamless, sustainable, and secure transitions into the evolving digital world.
Currently operating in the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Oman, Türkiye, Qatar, and South Africa, e& enterprise brings cutting-edge digital scalable solutions designed to deliver tangible business value and address the unique challenges faced by organisations and executives across industries.
With a proven track record as a trusted digital transformation partner, technical expertise, and the ability to deploy and manage complex solutions, e& enterprise provides collaborative tailored solutions that empower customers to navigate their end-to-end digital transformation journey.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
20 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Pakistan Affirms Continued Engagement with Microsoft
H-Tayea The Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has noted reports regarding Microsoft's internal operational restructuring, emphasizing that such developments are aligned with global shifts toward Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models. As the global tech industry transitions from traditional on-premise licensing to cloud-based subscription services, Microsoft has, in recent years, centralized its licensing and commercial contract management for Pakistan through its European operations hub in Ireland. Locally, Microsoft services are delivered entirely through certified partner companies. In this context, the Ministry understands that Microsoft is evaluating the future of its liaison office in Pakistan as part of a broader workforce optimization effort. This move reflects a long-anticipated strategy focused on consolidating headcount and shifting toward a partner-driven, cloud-centric service model—rather than signaling any withdrawal from the Pakistani market. The Ministry of IT & Telecom values the strategic presence of global technology companies like Microsoft in Pakistan. It will continue to engage with Microsoft's regional and global leadership to ensure that any operational adjustments reinforce the company's long-term commitment to Pakistani customers, developers, and technology partners. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Egypt Independent
Here's how Character.AI's new CEO plans to address fears around kids' use of chatbots
When Karandeep Anand's 5-year-old daughter gets home from school, they fire up the artificial intelligence chatbot platform so she can chat about her day with her favorite characters, such as 'Librarian Linda.' Anand's experience using the product as a parent might be helpful now that he's new chief executive, a change the company announced last month. He's taken on the top job at a complicated moment for the company, which lets users talk to a variety of AI-generated personas. faces fierce competition in an increasingly crowded space, as well as lawsuits from families who claim the service exposed their children to inappropriate content and failed to implement adequate safeguards. has also received tough questions about safety from lawmakers, and one advocacy group said earlier this year that AI companion apps should not be used by kids under 18. Even for adult users, experts have raised alarms about people forming potentially harmful attachments to AI characters. Anand brings experience at some of the biggest tech companies to his new role leading approximately 70-person team. He spent 15 years at Microsoft and six years at Meta, including as vice president and head of business products at the social media giant. He also served as a board advisor for before joining as CEO. And he told CNN he sees a bright future for the platform in interactive AI entertainment. In other words, rather than people consuming 'brain rot' on social media for entertainment, Anand wants them co-creating stories and conversations with for fun. 'AI can power a very, very powerful personal entertainment experience unlike anything we've seen in the last 10 years in social media, and definitely nothing like what TV used to be,' Anand said in an interview. named Karandeep Anand its new CEO last month. Kelly Communications Unlike multi-purpose AI tools like ChatGPT, offers range of different chatbots that are often modeled after celebrities and fictional characters. Users can also create their own for conversations or role play. Another distinction is that bots respond with human-like conversational cues, adding references to facial expressions or gestures into their replies. The personas of AI characters on the app vary widely, from romantic partners to language tutors or Disney characters. It also features characters like 'Friends hot mom,' which describes itself as 'curvy, busty, kind, loving, shy, motherly, sensual'; and 'Therapist,' which calls itself a 'licensed CBT therapist,' although it features a disclaimer that it is not a real person or licensed professional. '(We're) doubling down on entertainment, doubling down on trust and safety,' Anand said. 'And a lot of the work we want to do is enable an entirely new creator ecosystem around AI entertainment.' Youth safety on was first sued by a parent — a Florida mom who alleges her 14-year-old son died by suicide after developing an inappropriate relationship with chatbots on the platform — last October. Two months later, two more families filed a joint suit against the company, accusing it of providing sexual content to their children and encouraging self-harm and violence. Since then, the company has implemented a range of new safety measures, including a pop-up that directs users who mention self-harm or suicide to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It also updated its AI model for users under the age of 18 to reduce the likelihood that they encounter sensitive or suggestive content, and gives parents the option to receive a weekly email about their teen's activity on the platform. Anand said he's confident in the improvements has made since last year, but that work to keep the platform safe, especially for young users, continues. policies technically require users to be over the age of 13, although it does not ask for information to verify that users are signing up with the correct birthdate. 'The tech and the industry and the user base is constantly evolving (so) that we can never let the guard off. We have to constantly stay ahead of the curve,' Anand said. He added that the company continues to test how people could misuse new features to prevent abuse, such as a video generator launched last month that lets users animate their bots. In the days following the tool's arrival, users shared unsuccessful attempts to test its limits by creating fake videos of prominent figures like Elon Musk. 'We had to red team the product for such a long time to make sure you cannot use this for any negative use case like deepfakes or bullying,' Anand said. Those efforts aside, Anand said in an introductory note to users last month that one of his top priorities is to make the platform's safety filter 'less overbearing,' adding that 'too often, the app filters things that are perfectly harmless.' He told CNN that things like mentions of blood when users are engaging in 'vampire fan fiction role play' — something he says he's a fan of — might be censored under the current model, which he wants to update to better understand context while balancing the need for safety. Leading in the competitive AI space Among Anand's other key objectives: encouraging more creators to join the platform to make new chatbot characters and upgrading the social feed where users can share content they've created with chatbots. The latter feature is similar to an app Meta launched this year that allows people to publicly share their prompts and AI-generated creations. Meta drew heat when apparently confused users shared conversations that contained embarrassing or personal details — a reminder of the privacy challenges that can come with AI tools. But the social element could help further differentiate from bigger competitors like ChatGPT, which users are also increasingly forming personal connections with. Another challenge Anand will face as CEO is retaining and growing the company's workforce, as an AI talent war heats up across the tech industry. In a sign of the competition for top talent, Meta has reportedly offered pay packages and bonuses worth hundreds of millions of dollars to grow its new superintelligence team. co-founder and former CEO Noam Shazeer was also lured back to Google last year, where he'd previously built conversational AI technology. 'It is hard, I will not lie,' Anand said. 'The good news for me as CEO is all the people we have here are very, very passionate and mission driven.'
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Microsoft Announces Largest Layoff in Two Years
Taarek Refaat Microsoft has initiated its largest round of layoffs in two years, confirming on July 2 that approximately 9,100 employees will lose their jobs. This latest move, which affects about 4% of its global workforce, follows a similar round of 6,000 layoffs in May and marks the company's fourth major reduction since early 2023. According to internal sources and company filings, the decision stems from Microsoft's ongoing effort to restructure itself around artificial intelligence and cloud computing—sectors CEO Satya Nadella has repeatedly described as 'the company's future.' In official statements, Microsoft said the cuts are part of a "strategic realignment" aimed at streamlining operations, eliminating unnecessary management layers, and prioritizing engineering and product development roles in AI-related initiatives. The layoffs have hit several departments, but the most visible and controversial impact is within Microsoft's gaming division. Hundreds of employees across Xbox Game Studios, including teams at Rare, The Initiative, and Turn 10, have been let go. Multiple game development projects, including anticipated titles like Perfect Dark and Ever-wild, have been shelved indefinitely. Most notably, The Initiative, a Santa Monica-based studio launched with great fanfare in 2018, has been officially shut down. Beyond gaming, Microsoft's global sales and marketing divisions are undergoing extensive downsizing. Insiders report that around 45,000 roles are being reevaluated for redundancy, with many layoffs concentrated in customer engagement, partner support, and regional sales operations. Judson Althoff, Microsoft's Chief Commercial Officer and a central figure in its global enterprise strategy, is said to be taking a sabbatical as the company recalibrates its commercial strategy. The cuts are not limited to front-facing roles. Internal administrative functions, cybersecurity teams, and mid-level management have also been significantly affected. Employees described an increasingly algorithmic and impersonal layoff process, with performance data playing a central role in termination decisions. Some roles, particularly those tied to legacy services and slower-growing segments, are being eliminated entirely rather than relocated. Despite these significant reductions, Microsoft's financial performance remains strong. The company posted \$70 billion in revenue last quarter and nearly \$26 billion in net profit, reflecting robust demand for Azure cloud services and enterprise productivity tools. However, with competitors like Google and Amazon also investing aggressively in AI infrastructure, Microsoft appears determined to optimize its workforce for what it sees as the next wave of computing. Reactions within the company have been mixed. Some employees see the shift as a necessary evolution, while others express concern over morale, especially among creative teams in the gaming division. Anonymous posts on internal forums have criticized the process as 'cold,' 'data-obsessed,' and 'disconnected from the human side of innovation.' This wave of layoffs follows similar reductions in January 2023, early 2024, and May 2025, showing a consistent pattern of Microsoft trimming personnel while doubling down on automation, machine learning, and next-gen computing platforms. Industry analysts point out that while such shifts may boost efficiency and investor confidence in the short term, they risk undermining the company's diversity of talent and long-term creative capacity—especially in areas like gaming and customer engagement, where trust and innovation are paramount. Microsoft has promised to support affected employees with severance packages, career placement assistance, and reskilling programs, though details vary depending on region and role. For now, the company's internal message is clear: AI is the priority, and everything else must adapt—or be left behind. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence"
