Zoho Corp., a leading global technology company, revealed that it has invested AED 43 million into local partnerships since the pandemic started to help UAE businesses digitise their operations. To date, the company has helped close to 5,000 small, medium and large local businesses move their operations to the cloud, and transition to a more efficient and effective digital workflow. 

The announcement was made on the sidelines of GITEX, the region's biggest technology conference. Since 2022, Zoho's partnerships with government entities in the UAE have resulted in a 36% increase in a number of businesses benefitting from the perks programme. 
Through local partnerships, Zoho has been able to provide businesses with the necessary tools and resources to help them understand and leverage its solutions. The company achieved this through wallet credits and training programmes on how to use its innovative products to gain a competitive advantage, as well as optimise its digital presence. The top sectors that have leveraged Zoho's platforms included IT Hardware & IT Related Services, Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Organisations and Services and Professional Services. 

'Zoho's offerings have enabled enterprises to take advantage of the digital revolution and stay ahead of the competition. As part of our transnational localism strategy, we have set a long-term vision with the support of the relevant UAE government departments to help businesses in their digital transformation journey,' said Hyther Nizam, President of Middle East and Africa (MEA) at Zoho. 'In the coming years, we will double down on this investment, and continue to assist businesses in adopting cloud solutions and thriving in the digital age.' 

Zoho at GITEX 
Over the past years, Zoho has consistently exhibited at GITEX, and seen a rise of 125% in terms of revenue generated from the event and a 65% rise in the footfall.  The engagement has largely come from the Education, IT Services & IT Consulting, and Pharma Manufacturing sectors. 
Zoho is participating at GITEX 2023 to showcase its latest innovative apps and AI-powered tools that were recently released. This year, Zoho unveiled new features and capabilities in 13 apps powered by generative AI and ChatGPT that further improve businesses' productivity and efficiency. It has also launched a free privacy-centred browser, Ulaa, which enables a secure browsing experience for individuals and organisations. 

For more information, visit Zoho's stand at GITEX located in H7-C20.
Zoho's investment in the UAE and regional partnerships

Zoho's CEO and Co-founder, Sridhar Vembu, had announced earlier this year an investment of AED 100 million for expansion in the UAE after recording 10 times growth in the country, as well as a 5-year CAGR of 60%. The UAE serves as Zoho's Middle East and Africa headquarters and was its fastest-growing country globally in 2022. 
The company recently celebrated reaching the 100 million user milestone this year. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of Zoho's fastest-growing regions. Zoho has also signed a new distribution agreement with Ingram Micro recently to bring its suite of products to multiple countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The countries covered under this agreement include Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. This move is expected to significantly enhance the availability and accessibility of Zoho products to businesses of all sizes across the region.
In 2020, Zoho announced a partnership with the Dubai Economy and Tourism Department (DET) to facilitate access to digital tools and learning resources. Zoho also entered into a strategic partnership with Flat6Labs to offer businesses within the network the opportunity to leverage Zoho's applications. In addition, Zoho also partnered with Dubai Culture to help make enterprise technology available to solopreneurs, and businesses of all sizes in the creative industry. Similarly, Zoho extended its support to companies registered under the International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) to take their businesses online. 
The company continued to invest in upskilling initiatives, which included partnering with Middlesex University Dubai, the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education - Dubai.