Alibaba Cloud Academy Training Centre Opens In Dubai To Empower Digital Transformation

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has recently inaugurated the MEA region's first Alibaba Cloud Academy Training Centre. This new facility is strategically located in Dubai Internet City, a leading global tech ecosystem under TECOM Group PJSC. The training centre is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing the capabilities of Alibaba Cloud's ecosystem partners and customers by offering a range of training sessions, workshops, and certifications.

The establishment of this training centre marks a significant milestone in Alibaba Cloud's commitment to fostering digital transformation across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. It aims to train an impressive 5,000 individuals over the next five years, contributing to the region's digital economy. This initiative is not only about expanding Alibaba Cloud's physical presence but also complements its existing virtual training programmes designed to nurture global digital talent.

In collaboration with Aladdin Cyber Security, a leading provider of security services and solutions established in Dubai in 2023, the Training Centre is set to host monthly training and enablement programmes. These sessions will cover a broad range of advanced technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), database management, and elastic computing. This initiative is part of Alibaba Cloud's larger strategy to keep its ecosystem partners and customers abreast of the latest technological advancements and develop top-tier digital talents.

The objectives of this comprehensive training programme are aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33's ambition to double Dubai's economy over the next decade through significant contributions from digital transformation. Furthermore, it supports the UAE Centennial 2071's vision for a future-oriented, knowledge-based economy.

"The launch of the training centre showcases our commitment and continued investment into the MEA region to help businesses transform digitally and achieve long-term success," said Eric Wan, General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Middle East, Turkey & Africa. "We're committed to growing together with our local partners and customers by providing them with the latest cloud computing and AI technologies."

Digital transformation is recognized as a key driver for global economic growth in the 21st century. Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President – Commercial at TECOM Group, highlighted the importance of investing in talent upskilling on advanced technologies to maintain agility, innovation, and competitiveness. "Alibaba Cloud’s physical training centre will empower our global tech community of professionals and entrepreneurs as well as countless more to power regional economic diversification efforts and innovation by staying ahead of the digital curve," he stated.

Since its inception in April 2023, the Alibaba Cloud Academy programme has trained over 60,000 individuals worldwide. It offers more than 300 online & offline certification courses across 16 different professional certifications, alongside 250 online hands-on labs in collaboration with over 300 global partners.

Alibaba Cloud has been a leading provider of cloud services in the UAE and the wider Middle East region since 2016. It boasts a robust local ecosystem with partners spanning various sectors including banking, financial services, insurance, media, public sectors, and web 3. The collaboration with Aladdin Cyber Security further strengthens its commitment to providing comprehensive security services and solutions in the region.